13th February, 2024
By Paul Dada
Some Nigerian Pentecostal/ Charismatic clerics who had predicted that Nigeria’s Super Eagles were going to defeat the Elephants of Cote Ivoire in the final match of the African Cup of Nations, 2023, are now being treated with scorn by their compatriots.
Although many Nigerians waxed religious, praying, speaking in tongues and ‘binding and losing’ for the heavens to smile at Nigeria at different stages in the tournament, the pulpit declarations and prophecies of those preachers who purportedly had God’s ears and possessed the special anointing to “decree a thing have it established” ostensibly strengthened the hope of not a few.
But as it turned out, the God of football turned a deaf ear to the prayers and positive declarations of His men as the Ivorian team defeated the Super Eagles 2-1 in that match where the Nigerian team put up their poorest showing in the tournament. Or more correctly, the real God proved that He has no business in favouring one team over another just because some pulpit superstars want him to do so. Perhaps with the Elephants trampling over the Eagles in that match, God is teaching that victory in football is determined by factors such as tactical prowess, tactical discipline, mental strength, skills, motivation by supporters, carefulness to avoid mistakes, among others.
One of the ‘crystal ball gazing’ pastors who is now facing fire from Nigerians is a self-acclaimed prophet, Dr Kan Ebube Muonso of the Power and Victory in Christ Church. He had predicted that Ivory Coast would go home with the cup ‘in error’ but he would collect it from them spiritually and Nigeria would be drenched in glory.
In a post on his church’s Facebook page on Friday, Kan said: “I saw Ivory Coast going home with the cup in error by ref/partial against Nigeria but Nigeria is the rightful team that is supposed to go home with the cup, but I will collect the cup from Ivory Coast to Nigeria by the power of God after my mountain program which will commence tomorrow.
“In my next post after mountain, you will know that there is power in God. Operation show your power. My God will prove himself again,”
But Cote D’Ivoire did not win in error and was not helped by the referee. They were the better team. And the ‘man of God’ failed to collect the cup from them via spiritual means as he boasted.
Popular Nollywood actor -turned-actor, Yul Edochie, had ‘prophesied’ that the AFCON final match between Nigeria and Ivory Coast would not get to a penalty shootout. He declared that the Super Eagles would win comfortably. He is now being mocked online by Nigerians with some of them telling him to give up his recently started pulpit career for something else.
Last Sunday, on the altar of the headquarters of his Fountain of Life Church, Pastor Jimmy Odukoya who took over the leadership of the denomination from his late father, fervently prayed and declared that Nigeria would lift the AFCON trophy.
He said: “Father, today is AFCON final. Many people did not believe we would make it but here we are. Father, you did not bring us far to leave us now. Cause you said in your word ‘those who wait on the Lord shall be strong and they shall rise up with wings like Super Eagles’. Because we know that he who keepeth the Eagles does not slumber. Behold He who keeps the Eagles cannot slumber or sleep. Father, you have said in your word ‘the silver is mine, the gold is mine’. It is the god that we want. We receive the gold now in the name of Jesus. You can give the silver to Ivory Coast. They can take it. Father, though we walk through the valley of the shadow the Ivory Coast, we shall not fear the home team…”
But the Bible-twisting cleric became humble and waxed motivational after the match. He wrote on his Instagram handle: “My fellow Nigerians …. It is well !! Well done @ng_supereagles we are proud of you !!! We will fly again”.
Meanwhile, the controversial Zimbabwean prophet, Uebert Angel, has claimed that Nigeria was meant to lift the AFCON trophy but he changed the fate of Nigeria in the spiritual realm because someone offered him one million dollars to do so. How risible!