Abakaliki - Christiano Ronaldo’s fans in Abakaliki,
Ebonyi have ``mocked’ Lionel Messi to reconsider
his retirement as a way of attaining the current
feat of their Portuguese idol.
The fans, who celebrated Ronaldo’s ``Euro 2016’’
victory with Portugal over hosts France on
Sunday at major bars in the town, said he had
overtaken his Argentine counterpart in their
unending supremacy battle.
The fans further commiserated with Messi who
announced his retirement from international
football after the ``Copa America’’ final loss to
Chile last June, his fourth major final loss in a
row.
Nicodemus Omenka, a former Ebonyi
Commissioner for Youths and Sports, said that
with the victory, the supremacy debate should
``be rested’’.
``Both players have dominated world football for
over a decade and have won all available club
and individual honours.
``The only snag in their plethora of honours is a
trophy win with their national sides and
Ronaldo’s win has placed him above his bitter
rival,’’ he said.
Emmanuel Aleke, a former Member of the Ebonyi
House of Assembly, said that Messi can only
match Ronaldo’s edge if he reconsiders his
decision on international football retirement.
``The 2016/17 football season will soon
commence and both players will continue
dominating the headlines in the Spanish La Liga
and Europe.
``Messi therefore needs to rejoin the Argentine
national team because Ronaldo will always be
rated above him even if he wins all available club
honours,’’ he said.
Samson Ozo, Team Manager of the Columbia FC
of Abakaliki, said that it was wrong for Messi to
have retired prematurely because of the several
final losses with Argentina.
``He is just 29 with many football years ahead of
him and with possibilities of eventually winning
either the Copa America or World Cup.
``Ronaldo had been unlucky before; he lost the
Euro 2004 final with Portugal at home against
Greece and had several miserable World Cup
outings since then,’’ he said.
Jude Obeineyem, a soccer historian, noted that
the usage of countries’ performances to
determine players overall performances had
transcended decades.
``Success in national team football is used to
determine the better player between Pele of
Brazil and Diego Maradona of Argentina.
``Pele was given the nod because he won more
World and Copa America Cups than Maradona;
Nigerian players should learn from all these to be
more patriotic to national cause,’’ he said.
Mrs Tina Chimnonso, a housewife, lamented the
effect of Ronaldo’s fans celebration on her
household on Sunday night.
``They celebrated at a bar in front of my
compound and disturbed the entire
neighbourhood all through the night, costing us
the desired night sleep in the process,’’ she said.
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