‘LIFE LESSON FROM WORLD CUP 2018’ By Danstan Wasobokha

Croatia came to this year's World Cup with only two natural strikers: Mario Mandzukic, the player who scored the winner in the match against England. The other was...


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Croatia came to this year’s World Cup with only two natural strikers: Mario Mandzukic, the player who scored the winner in the match against England.

The other was Nikola Kalinic  He was on the bench for Croatia’s first game against Nigeria. With five minutes to end of that game, coach instructed him to warm up and replace another player.  Kalinic angrily refused to play, in protest at being left on the bench.  He saw himself as a top player, and wouldn’t come on for just five minutes. The coach turned to another player, Pjaca for the substitution.

After the match, Kalinic refused to apologize, despite appeals from other coaching staff.  The coach then sacked him from the team, and sent him home from Russia. Kalinic flew off on his holidays, and even posted pictures showing him enjoying himself elsewhere. After all, he seemed to imagine, Croatia won’t go anywhere in the tournament. And yet, even without him, the team managed to win their matches.

Croatia has achieved their greatest football achievement in history, reaching the World Cup final. The remaining 22 players are national heroes. Their names forever inscribed in the hearts of generations.  Kalinic should have been part of the celebration but has missed out; all because of minutes of anger. Minutes of pride and  abloated ego.

He may now regret his behaviour. He may have realized his tomfoolery. But it is too late. These stories about life are quite familiar to us, but do we really learn lessons from them? Because such lesson profoundly apply to all spheres of life?

Learn to CUT PRIDE. Learn to control anger and DEFLATE EGO and ultimately, learn to say SORRY. Years of SWEAT & DEDICATION can all be shattered by a moment of ANGER and PRIDE.  DON’T BE A “KALINIC” To read more posts by Dancan, click HERE

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