Kelechi Iheanacho may have won a historic FA Cup title with Leicester City, but ethnic and religious harmony in his fatherland Nigeria is uppermost on his mind, IKENWA NNABUOGOR notes…
The most significant climax and the show stealer for the history-making Leicester City’s FA Cup victory this past weekend was the green-white-green flag emblazoned with “Seniorman Kelz” waved joyously by their hottest Nigeria striker Kelechi Iheanacho before the rest of the world.
Indeed, the flag-waving celebration by Iheanacho, joined by compatriot, Wilfred Ndidi received a widespread mixed bag of emotions, especially from Nigerians at home and in diaspora.
Iheanacho’s message was clear – his love for his country amidst self-determination agitations sweeping through the politically-troubled Nigeria from the South East area of the West African nation where incidentally Iheanacho hails from.
Calls for separate country of Biafra have been the order of the day championed by UK-based freedom fighter, Nnamdi Kanu, have reached fever pitch resulting to political unrests between the agitators and the federal security agents.
Iheanacho’s Nigerian flag-waving celebrations drew a strong condemnation amongst the die-hard Biafra agitators who called the former Manchester City star names for not showing support for their separatist movement.
“Gerard Pique is a World Cup winner with over 103 caps for Spain. He never turned his back against Catalonia freedom. Severally, he has shown open support for Catalan freedowm,” a disappointed Nnamdi Kanu lamented.
“But our iheanacho and Ndidi with #zoo flag. Shame.
“Difference between white man and his black counterparts.”
“Seniorman Kelz” actions are in sharp contrast to the beliefs of his kinsmen, but at the same time, he seemed to have ridden on the wave of his club’s rare FA Cup feat to score some vital political points suing for peace and ethnic and religious tolerance in his politically-charged home land.
Veteran journalist Bimbo Adeola welcome this gesture and wrote on his Facebook page, “What a PR for Nigeria, God Bless”
Adeola mirrors the political tension currently sweeping through the country while the international community is watching and reckons that peace appears the only way out of this, and hails Iheanacho’s actions.
Another veteran journalist, Akinwunmi Omogbolahan, also wrote on his Facebook page in
reaction to Iheanacho’s flag-waving show, “No blood, no Brafra, Kelechi Iheanacho flies Nigerian flag as Leicester City wins FA Cup”
Iheanacho is not a politician, neither is he trying to mix the beautiful game with politics, but his gesture speaks volumes of how much peaceful co-existence amongst numerous ethnicities in Nigeria is needed.
The global soccer body FIFA do not in any way entertain politics in the beautiful game, but rather encourage programmes, campaigns and promotions that will bring peace in the world.
Perhaps, FIFA ought to fire ‘Seniorman Kelz’ a congratulatory message for this celebrated peace initiative.
