By Obi Martins Okafor.
Photo: tumblr.com
Has football ever seen such drama? The English Premier League is not just about the hype, but it really is the most dramatic league in the world. Form the fight for the title to the battle for a place in the Champions League to the battle for survival from relegation, a lot happens in 90 minutes that can make you bite fingers, over and over again. Meanwhile, some fans rejoice while others weep. This is really why we fall in love with football—the drama and excitement. And there was enough of that yesterday.
You can title the book “The Craziest Five Minutes of the English Premier League”, or “A Crazy Finish to a Crazy Season” and you will be guaranteed it will make the best seller list.
Yesterday, we witnessed arguably the most incredible final minutes of a nation’s football league in which Manchester City football club of England took on Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in a tense and tempered match at the end of which the title hunters from the City emerged winners of the 2011/2012 season.
Amidst all the thrills and intrigues, Nigeria’s Taiye Taiwo and Nedum Onuoha of QPR were found at the opposite ends of things. The City Guys needed to win the match in order to clinch the Premier League title, while their opponents, who paraded the Nigerian pair, were fighting for a draw to avoid relegation to the lower league.
Although after some mind-cracking moments which resulted in a turn-around in the game—QPR let go of the driver’s wheel and allowed Manchester City to take control—both teams managed to achieve their purpose after the news emerged that their fellow league strugglers failed to take their opponent to the cleaners. Even though Manchester United won the match they played, City triumphed by a generous goal difference to take the title. And though QPR lost to City, Bolton Wanderer’s loss guaranteed QPR a place as contenders for the Premier League title next season.
What a season!