Some football enthusiasts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) found it difficult to keep their dates for Valentine due to their passion for UEFA Champions League matches fixed on the same day.
The football enthusiasts either cancelled the appointments they earlier fixed or postponed such appointments to enable them to have undivided attention to the matches.
The Champions League featured important matches among prominent clubs, with matches between Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain (PSG), Liverpool and FC Porto, which were played on the same day.
The matches began at 8:45 p.m, at about the same hour when most of the Valentine parties and dinners were fixed.
Viewing centres across the city were filled to capacity, with the usual enthusiasm that accompanied football matches.
Embittered women, who spoke to our reporter, said that they felt bad losing their lovers momentarily to the fixed matches, adding that their men’s show of preference was not funny to them at all.
Some of the affected ladies said the match fixtures were hitherto unknown to them because they did not have the same passion for football like their men.
They expressed surprise when their spouses called to reschedule dates, citing the match fixtures as their reason.
Miss Joy Chukwuka, a student, whose spouse informed her about the match at the last minute, told our reporter that she cancelled the entire date instead of postponing it as he had suggested.
“We fixed the time together and he agreed, we had already earmarked places to visit and no time did he mention that he had a match to watch.
“Even if the match is important, he should have thought of the fact that Valentine isn’t done every day. He should have respected my company and watch the replay.
“I was so angry yesterday (Valentine’s Day) and it dashed all the high hopes I had. I got home to see that my roommate also suffered the same ridicule,” Chukwuka said.
However, some of the football enthusiasts said that the stakes for the matches were too high for them to ignore, especially those who had gone into betting as gamblers.
They argued that the women were supposed to understand the importance of the matches, saying that even if they had kept the dates, their attention would have been divided.
But, other men who kept their dates revealed that they had to spend more than half of the time checking live scores online, as some of them have had some bets on certain clubs.
Mr Julius Tyem, an engineer, said he could not miss the match for anything, even Valentine.
He said he killed two birds that night by watching the match and going on his date after, although the match ended at about 10 p.m.
“My girl-friend understood, we just had to find an outing that suited the time schedule; these teams are big teams and no football fan wants to be told what happened.
“There is a big difference between watching a live match and watching a replay. It is not the same at all.
“Some people had even placed bets and they needed to guide that ‘investment’ first before anything. Football is emotional too, just like Valentine,” Tyem added.
Mr Osahon Osarobo, an ICT entrepreneur, did not watch the match; he explained that his partner did not agree to a rescheduling. However, he followed the game online.
“My date was not smooth and I was trying to avoid that but she did not give me the chance. I kept on checking my phone for the most part and it disrupted the whole flow.
“I am a strong football fan, just like most other men. Taking us away from game is like taking away air,” Osarobo said.
The night did not end too well as most men who had placed their bets and lost the stakes went home angry, instead of going on their dates.
Miss Susan Asuquo, a banker, said her partner did not even honour the rescheduling which got her frustrated although she later got his reason.
“I heard his team PSG lost to Real Madrid, he placed bets that morning and even bragged that he would get me a befitting gift with the money for Valentine.
“I am sure he felt really disappointed and bitter. That was why he behaved like that,” Asuquo added.
