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Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Adichie has revealed she once had a mild attraction for former Ghanaian and Chelsea footballer, Michael Essien.
The award-winning novelist revealed this in the introduction she wrote for a picture book titled: “Africa? The Future of Football”, which was authored by a photographer, Pall Stefansson.
She recalled Nigeria’s absence at a football tournament she watched in her introduction titled: “Football Nationalism”, explaining that she became ‘Ghanaian’ after the Ghanaian football team caught her attention.
“I watched the game with my best friend, Uju, often shouting and then hugging each other when Ghana finally beat the United States,” noted Chimamanda.
“You know some of our boys started playing this game without shoes’, Uju said. ‘Our boys’ were, of course, the Ghanaians.
“A small consequence of that game was my developing a mild crush on the Ghanaian player, Michael Essien, as much for his looks as for his dexterity.
“But the larger and more important consequence was my realisation that sports allowed us, black Africans, to address historical and political grievances in the most cathartic way.”
