Football decisions are moving at a dizzying speed. FIFA criticizes the 2022 Mundial to Qatar. Five football managers in England have been sacked before the New Year. Referees are booking divers like never before. And while the world catches its breath in wait for the announcement of the 2013 winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, some curious trends have begun to surface. It is a foreboding that should make some Octoberfest Bavarians shiver in the heat and makers of French fries cry foul.

Bringing it home, the CAF Glo Player of the Year has come and gone. Some of us are still in limbo. It has become traditional to allow Nigerians cart away the crumbs while the juice of it goes the Francophone way. When Drogba was Africa’s finest, no one questioned it. He had laurels to show for it. He had the talent and stamina. For 2013, Toure has been voted the African’s finest player. That is in addition to the BBC laurel, which as far as the online voting allows, was given to him by his fellow countrymen from Ivory Coast.

Football decisions are moving at a dizzying speed. FIFA criticizes the 2022 Mundial to Qatar. Five football managers in England have been sacked before the New Year. Referees are booking divers like never before. And while the world catches its breath in wait for the announcement of the 2013 winner of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, some curious trends have begun to surface. It is a foreboding that should make some Octoberfest Bavarians shiver in the heat and makers of French fries cry foul.

Bringing it home, the CAF Glo Player of the Year has come and gone. Some of us are still in limbo. It has become traditional to allow Nigerians cart away the crumbs while the juice of it goes the Francophone way. When Drogba was Africa’s finest, no one questioned it. He had laurels to show for it. He had the talent and stamina. For 2013, Toure has been voted the African’s finest player. That is in addition to the BBC laurel, which as far as the online voting allows, was given to him by his fellow countrymen from Ivory Coast.

For a long time, it was argued that winning was everything. Win at all cost. The winner takes it all. No so. Not so anymore. Yaya Toure is definitely a pride to Africa, and his native Cote d’Voire. What did he win in 2013? Nothing! One remembers the huffing and puffing of Toure when lowly Wigan pipped them 1-nil to lift the FA cup. Borussia Dortmund made him look incompetent when they were kicked out at the group stage last season while their record in the former Carling Cup is way forgotten because it was less than a flair display of the Sheik’s millions. All these cost the Manchester side the Premiership and and Mancini his job. Where was Toure? Was he the game changer City looked up to? He could be very influential but definitely not a game changer.

For wining NOTHING CAF decides to give him the coveted prize. Mike who won ‘everything’ got nothing. Don’t tell me he was runner up. There’s a law of nature called the ‘All of Nothing’ Law. Just so you know. Mikel won the African nations trophy, some feat Toure couldn’t achieve in 2 consecutive attempts, losing to Zambia in 2012 and along the way to Nigeria in 2013.

In addition, John Mike Obi won the UEFA Cup within the ‘review period’. And…. the loser is… the winner. And…. the winner is…the loser. What an anti-climax.

I fear for Frank Ribery. He may not be an all-engaging outfield player but going by the trends, he is likely than not to suffer the same fate as Mikel. What has he not won if I may ask rhetorically? UCL, Bundesliga, German Cup, Super Cup, World Club Cup, all in one mind-blowing year! But is winning everything? With the exponentially explosive duo of Messi and Ronaldo being challenged for once, the stage is ideal for a change.

An actor once said, ‘Winning isn’t everything’. It is the ONLY thing. That is why we are aggrieved that those with laurels may never get there. As the world waits for the Ballon d’Odor announcement next week 13th January, our fingers are crossed. The stage is set. The die is cast. All eyes are on Baller, to see if he would side with the more ‘commercially viable’ options of the La liga combat kids or with the heart of the world. If only winning was everything!

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Mike and Ribery: When winning isn’t everything!