Home of Original Contents - Page 2 of 26 - ....Inspired beyond boundaries

Austin Okocha, Juan Mata, Bernardo Silva, Lionel Messi, Xavi, and David Silva. These are all world-class players. They all have some common traits. They are attacking midfielders and they aren’t the biggest in terms of size or height. What they lack in size, they compensate with skills, goals, and defense-splitting passes and assists.

One advantage players with small physique have, is their low gravitational force, which makes them more stable while dribbling and very difficult to dispossess whenever they are with the ball. An example is Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, the Late Diego Maradona, and David Silva. These players were exceptionally good when on the ball and they had this uncanny way of utilizing small pockets of space in the field of play.

Gidado Toyeeb, an attacking midfielder with Remo Stars FC shared with me during an interactive chat recently, about his love for Bernardo Silva, the Portuguese international who presently plays for Manchester City of England. Weighing at 68KG and a height of 5 feet, 4 inches, the Lagos born footballer doesn’t lack the confidence to take on bigger players.

“I prefer the taller players because it is easier for me to maneuver around them. I don’t have problems dealing with players that are bigger than me”

Gidado who was nicknamed “Baba Kekere”, while playing with Crest Football Academy (Formerly Cowbell Football Academy) because of his height, never allowed his small size to stop him from achieving his dream. The Academy which was owned by Godwin Dudu Orumen helped shaped his career.

He was also part of the victorious U-15 team that represented Nigeria at the 2014 African Youth games held at Gaborone, Botswana. Gidado coincidentally captained the team, which went on to win the Gold medal at the competition. They defeated Swaziland 3-1 in the final.

The team led by coach Danladi Nasidi, defeated host Botswana 2-0 in their opening game, before playing a 0-0 draw with Mali. They trashed South Africa 3-0 in their third game before defeating Tanzania 2-0 in the Semi-Finals.

Asked to share his experience at the competition, Gidado remembered with nostalgia, the excitement that came with winning his first major honor as a footballer; “It was great. It’s the best feeling ever, wearing the green white green jersey of Nigeria. Nothing feels better. The happiness, excitement. It was my best moment as a footballer, and I was the captain of the team”.

He didn’t score in the tournament, but chipped in three-assist, as the team scored an impressive eight goals while conceding just one goal en route to winning the Gold Medal. He jokingly shared how his teammates and friends threatened him because of his height. he said he has however come to accept his faith, as he didn’t create himself.

Gidado who is the eldest of four kids remembered the rough treatment he usually got from his Dad whenever he came home late after playing street soccer. “Dad and Mum didn’t approve of me playing street soccer at that time. Mum didn’t even want me to go into football. It was not until I went to England in 2011 for the Copa Coca-Cola Mini Tournament, that they began to approve of my taking up football as a career.

When asked about the secret of his success in Remo Stars FC. He attributed his performance so far to the influence of the Remo Stars FC coach. “My present manager usually has a mantra, and that is IJA, which when translated from Yoruba means FIGHT. It’s not about been talented alone. You must be ready to give your all at any given moment. You have to be ready to Fight”

On a final note, he has this little advice for aspiring footballers: “As an aspiring footballer, you have to be confident. You got to be disciplined. There would be lots of obstacles. Be ready for challenges and stay focused. Hopefully, everything will fall in place”

Hope keeps the heart alive

By Clement Sadjere

On December 15, 2020

In Self Improvement, Sports and Fitness

On November 4, 2008, Senator Barack Obama defeated John McCain to become the 44^th President of the United States of America. By that victory, he also became the first African elected to the White House.

Before the election, the young senator wrote the best selling book titled: “The audacity of Hope”. It was an intriguing book that showcased the American dream and the possibility of achieving these lofty dreams.

That same sentiment has always kept some individuals strong, even in the face of daunting challenges. A few days ago, I shared my sentiment concerning the tenacity of Arsenal FC fans.

I tweeted: “Sometimes you got to praise the courage and resilience of Arsenal fans. Season after season, that constant heartbreaking experience never weigh them down. I draw inspiration from them and this week I’ll be writing an article dedicated to all Arsenal fans. You deserve all the Love”

Funny enough, the football season started on a very beautiful note for the London side, as they clinched both the FA Cup and the Community shield. An ecstatic Mikel Arteta was over the moon as he savored two trophies in his new managerial career at Arsenal.

The mood among Arsenal fans was even made merrier with the litany of signings in the summer transfer window. In came the likes of Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes, Willian, Runar Alex Runarsson, Pablo Mari, Cedric Soares, and Dani Ceballos.

The hope of a good run in the new season was high. Defense, midfield, and attack had been fortified. Unai Emery had been shown the exit door and Mikel Arteta was given a warm reception.

Everything was put in motion to ensure Arsenal brings back the glory years, and the FA Cup and Community shield triumph was an appetizer to the ever-loyal Arsenal faithful.

Fast forward to week 12 of the 2020/2021 English Premier League season, and Arsenal are rooted in the 15^th position in the EPL Log after an embarrassing 1-0 loss at home to Burnley. It was not the first time they were losing at home this season.

Sundays’ loss to Burnley was Arsenal’s 4^th consecutive home defeat at home this season. The initial hope that came with Mikel Arteta’s coming and the new signings have fizzled out. The alarm bell has started ringing, as rumors have started going around about the possibility of looking for a new manager.

It has indeed been a turbulent time for Arsenal supporters, as they have endured years of pain. The pain of going from season to season without a major trophy can be so devastating, but the ever-resilient gunner fans have always stood behind the club and players.

The audacity of hope can be seen in the play, as they keep dreaming about some positive moment. Unfortunately, someone jokingly tweeted about Arsenal’s trophyless run after Diego Maradona died recently. “Did you know that Diego Maradona died without seeing arsenal winning the champions league, he lived for 60 years”

It was a rather embarrassing fact, that highlight the long wait for Joy among the Arsenal fans. Indeed, things have not gone according to plan this season, and confidence is at an all-time low among players.

Mesut Ozil

There have been fingers pointing at the ill-treatment meted out to Mesut Özil as been responsible for Arsenals dismal display so far. Indeed, the creative midfielder has been frozen from Arsenals first team since March 2020.

He remains Arsenal’s most creative midfielder and there is already a clamor for his recall to the team. The possibility of Mesut linking up with the squad in January is high, even as pressure keeps mounting on Mikel Arteta.

Lack of goals

Alexandre Lacazette, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Eddie Nketiah have been used as Arsenal’s main striking options this season, but their goal return has been dismal. Aubameyang has played 12 premier league matches this season and has scored just 2 goals.

Alexandre Lacazette has played 8 matches and made 2 substitute appearances this season with 3 goals to show. Eddie Nketiah has started 1 premier league match and made 9 substitute appearances and has just 1 goal to his name. Unfortunately, goals can only come when chances are created. Sadly, creativity is absent in the middle of the pack.

The manager

Questions have been raised about the ability of Arteta to steer Arsenal from the murky water of despondency into a top 4 team that they are used to. As an assistant to Pep Guardiola, he was never faced with these sorts of challenges.

Experience at the top level may be lacking. How to rightly utilize players at his disposal is another challenge. How he handles the Mesut Ozil situation will further show his capacity as a manager. Technically, he still has few things to learn in the game, but helping Arsenal to a respectful finish seems to be the agenda for now.

The agony of hope

Watching Mikel Arteta’s post-match interview after the Burnley defeat was heart-rendering. He was pensive and almost in tears. I could imagine the pain and turmoil inside of him. He didn’t look too hopeful, just like millions of Arsenal fans who have already resigned themselves to whatever comes their way.

Arsenal’s next four games will be crucial

The next four games for Arsenal have assumed a more significant dimension considering the situation of the club. They play Southampton at home, Everton away and Manchester City in the EFL Cup Quarterfinal. They then welcome Chelsea at home on boxing day in a must-win game. If they drop points in three EPL games, they may be swimming in the murky waters of relegation.

The audacity of hope may eventually give way to the pain of resignation. It’s a lonely world out there and even in this festive season, let’s keep sending love and light to all Arsenal fans. They are the real heroes in this unique chapter of the club’s unenviable transition.

Gidado Toyeeb: “I almost gave up on football”

By Clement Sadjere

On December 10, 2020

In Self Improvement, Sports and Fitness

Gidado Toyeeb may not be a household name in the Nigeria Professional Football League. However, the creative midfielder who plies his trade with 2^nd Division side, Remo Stars FC, Sagamu, Nigeria is a delight to watch. Speaking to him in an Instagram interview recently, he shared some of his beautiful moments in the round leather game.

Soft-spoken, intelligent, and always smiling, Gidado Toyeeb cuts across as someone with a burning desire. A desire to excel in his footballing career. Unfortunately, his career had not always been smooth sailing. There was a time the attacking Midfielder almost gave up the beautiful game of football.

Tanko, as Gidado is nicknamed thought about giving up the sport he loved after two botched football trials he couldn’t attend. He already got the invitation letters for football trials in Belarus and another one to the United States.

Unfortunately, these trials never worked out, and the pain of missing out on an opportunity to play outside the shore of Nigeria was a huge blow to his career. It was one of the darkest moments in his beautiful career. The last football invitational trial he had was before signing for Calabar Rovers.

Coming over to Calabar Rovers was meant to help fill the void of the disappointment he felt in the botched football trials, but it wasn’t the case. Calabar Rovers of Calabar, a team with so much history and following in Nigeria never lived to its reputation. Gidado’s sojourn in Calabar Rovers wasn’t the most pleasant, as he was owed months of wages.

It is a common feature to see some club sides in Nigeria not paying players wages for months. This impacts negatively on the performance of the players in the field of play. In 2016, it was widely reported that the Management of Warri Wolves FC were owing some of their players more than 8 months of wages. Top-flight clubs in the Nigeria Professional Leagues and the Nigeria National Leagues have been found culpable of this act.

“It was a difficult moment for me back then. After a turbulent time at Rovers, when the season ended, I thought about quitting football”. Despite the tough times he had at Calabar Rovers, he still has some fond memories of the football Club.

“I won my first major honor as a pro footballer with Rovers, as we won the State FA Cup in 2019. We also reached the Semi-Finals of the Federation Cup. We beat the likes of Wikki Tourist of Bauchi, Plateau United of Jos, and Bendel Insurance of Benin, before losing to Kano Pillars on penalties”

Gidado started his professional football career with highflying Stationery Stores of Lagos, where he became the club captain and inspiration. After two seasons with the Lagos-based club, he moved over to Calabar Rovers, before been snapped up by Remo Stars FC. Coincidentally, Gidado Toyeeb had played against them before.

“Remo Stars FC already knew my potential as I played against them in my first season with Stationery Stores of Lagos. Though they won the game 2-1, I scored the only goal of the match. When I came to Remo Stars, the coach and chairman- Hon Kunle Soname already knew me so well and it was just a matter of let’s see you play again and i was signed”

The move to Remo Stars was a turning point in Gidado’s career, as the welfare of players is a top priority. Facilities are top-notch and the serene atmosphere within the training ground helps the players to excel.

For now, the attacking midfielder is enjoying a new lease of life and the future looks bright. The team manager and chairman have helped imbibe a culture of professionalism.

How To Develop The Insight of A Leader

By Hassan Najeeb

On December 9, 2020

In Self Improvement

While numerous aspects and necessities of adequately leading, might be instructed, prepared, and additionally created, when somebody considers it important and has adequate responsibility, there is a level of instinct, required and vital, for one, to get things achieved, and change hindrances, to challenges (to survive), as opposed to seeing these, as issues!

Genuine leaders must have the INSIGHT, to consider things as they could, and ought to be, and ask, for what reason not, as opposed to only considering them, to be they are, and whining, and additionally addressing, why they are! In view of that, this article will endeavor to quickly talk about, look at, consider, and audit, utilizing the memory helper approach, a portion of the basics, identified with this, and why they matter.

Philosophy; honesty

A qualified leader must have faith in, and focus on, the center belief system, of the association, he speaks to, and constituents, he serves! There is no place, for false-conviction, at the same time, rather, he should continue, reliably, with the most extreme level of authentic, total respectability, keeping in mind the end goal to dispassionately think about requirements, needs, and choices.

Needs; subtleties

True leadership must be founded on, and center around the necessities, observations, objectives, and needs, of the gathering, and an eagerness, to continue, with a nuanced approach, keeping in mind the end goal to address the one of a kind qualities of the particular association.

Framework; reasonable arrangement

Leading doesn’t just happen, yet requires a very much considered framework to address the most ideal approach. Pseudo-leaders, frequently, appear to fear extending their own customary ranges of familiarity, while certified ones inspect alternatives, openings, legacy, and needs, and present quality, economical arrangements.

Thoughts; creative energy

Will you create, have, and use an applicable creative energy, keeping in mind the end goal to have the capacity to perceive and separate between, pie-in-the-sky, and significant thoughts?

Create altruism; development

One must acknowledge the truth that associations, either reliably experience important development, or lose their significance and maintainability! To do as such, he should understand the need to continually, produce altruism, not just by his talk and additionally guarantees, in any case, rather by his activities and systems!

Legacy/history; mending; head/heart

To lead, a particular gathering, one must look at and comprehend the history and legacy, and its criticality, to the mission and vision of that association. One’s endeavors must spotlight on mending, and joining together, as opposed to polarizing! Doing as such, requires, utilizing, both, one’s passionate and coherent segments, in a head/heart adjust.

Convenient

While dawdling is presumably the single-greatest snag to adequately having any kind of effect, genuine leaders acknowledge, they should continue, in both, a very much considered, and, auspicious way!

*Will you create and seek after the INSIGHT of a leader? Would it be advisable for you to seek after this way?

Accept yourself the way you are

By Mamus Cherrie

On December 7, 2020

In Self Improvement

Accept yourself the way you are. It’s easier said than done, but I love what Brennan Manning said: “When we accept ourselves for what we are, we decrease our hunger for power or the acceptance of others because our self-intimacy reinforces our inner sense of security. We are no longer preoccupied with being powerful or popular. We no longer fear criticism because we accept the reality of our human limitations. Once integrated, we are less often plagued with the desire to please others because simply being true to ourselves brings lasting peace. We are grateful for life and we deeply appreciate and love ourselves.”

The question is: Do you stand up for yourself when others discourage you? Have you given yourself the benefit of doubt in a difficult or confusing time? Is there the tendency to love yourself for who you are and not what others want you to be? Do you only cheer yourself on when you feel positive or accomplish external goals? These questions might sound odd after all, don’t we all accept ourselves as a regular part of living our daily lives?

Self-acceptance according to Merriam Webster dictionary is the act or state of understanding and recognizing one’s abilities and limitations. It is that ability to accept yourself as you are instead of how you wish you were or how you wish others perceived you. It can also mean the feeling of satisfaction with yourself despite your weaknesses and regardless of your past choices and behaviors.

Self-acceptance doesn’t mean that you accept what you are and will do nothing to change and improve. It does not mean accepting your life and fate as it is. Don’t you say to yourself that” this is what I am, I accept myself as I am? I accept my character, failings, mistakes, fate, and this how it is and I can do nothing about it. I cannot improve myself.”

Knowing yourself allows you to see what you can do to improve yourself and your life. Self-acceptance means that you see your mistakes, accept and acknowledge your present position, and then look for better ways to improve. This implies that you understand and accept your character and habits, stop comparing yourself and achievement to others, and acknowledging your skills or lack of them.

Note that acknowledging your good and bad habits and traits of character can alleviate feelings of anger, regret, dissatisfaction, bitterness, unhappiness, or resentment but it is not an excuse for staying as you are. You are you and that is something that is never going to change.

When you learn to accept yourself and work towards the best version of yourself that you can be, you set yourself up for a life that has an abundance of happiness and progress. Spend some time with yourself by engaging in enjoyable activities so that you can bond with yourself and fall in love with that person.

If you don’t love yourself you will never find the courage to dream. You will eventually lose valuable relationships and you will become dull and lifeless.

If what you are doing now is not working for you, then it is time to do things differently, to change the way you look at yourself. Time to stop the judgment and like yourself more.

Are you going through a financial crisis? Love yourself! Are you experiencing heartbreak at the moment? Love yourself!! Do you feel like giving up? Love yourself!!! Has life dealt you heavy blows and you can’t seem to get back up? Love yourself!!!! Are you separated from your spouse? Love yourself!!! Learn to see your mistakes not as failures but as learning opportunities.