I Once Had A Crush On Michael Essien – Chimamanda Adichie

Nigerian US-based novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, has revealed that she once had a crush on a Ghanaian footballer, Michael Essien.

She said her likeness for the player started after the Ghana defeated the United States at a World Cup tournament which Nigeria didn’t qualify for.

Her revelation was made in the introduction she wrote for a picture book, Africa – The Future of Football, authored by a photographer, Pall Stefansson. She read the instruction in a Facebook video she posted.

In her write-up, she said the Ghanaian team got her full attention because Nigeria was not in the tournament then. She also mentioned that, at time that time, she regarded herself, a Ghanaian.

The novelist, narrated how she watched the clash between Ghana and United States with her closest friend, Uju. She also recalled how they called Ghanaian players “our boys’ as they watched with excitement.

Her statement below:

“I watched the game with my best friend, Uju, often shouting and then hugging each other when Ghana finally beat the United States.

“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.” Follow us on Instagram @sofovilla | Follow us on Twitter @sofovilla | Like our page on Facebook via @sofovillamedia