Chelsea vs PSG.
If someone had told me that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), with
all their firepower and current form
would lose 3–0 to Chelsea in the grand finale of the Club World Cup, I
would have laughed it off like a doubting Thomas. If I no see it “feeli-feeli”,
I no go believe am.
Before this defeat, PSG had silenced Real Madrid, a side
known for its Champions League history and continental dominance. By every
standard, PSG had overcome tougher opposition than Chelsea on their road to the
final. So, for Chelsea,who didn’t even qualify for the 2024/2025 UEFA Champions
League and finished 4th in the English Premier League, to thrash a Ligue
1-winning PSG side 3-0? That’s not just
unexpected,it’s unbelievable!
One of my friends posted on Facebook right after the match:
“FOOTBALL IS A SCAM.”
And honestly, I get his sentiment.
On paper, PSG were the clear favourites, stronger in recent
form. But, on the field of play, Chelsea did the unthinkable. Against all odds,
they delivered a performance that silenced many critics.
The million dollar question is, how did the mighty PSG fall
to a side many had written off?, and How did the underdog rise in glory?
The scripture in 2 Samuel 1:25, is a perfect fit for this
football complexity, " How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the
battle..."
I reckon the fact that,sometimes in life, we may have
positive or negative perceptions of people based on previous experiences. As a
football fanatic and a freelance sports commentator, I understand that in the
world of football, form and statistics play a key role, yet there is another
fundamental belief that in association football, anything can happen on the
field of play.
Therefore, it stands to reason that despite forming a
perception based on statistics and form, miracles or the unthinkable have a
place in football.The underdog can rise to the occasion, and there are many
examples of unexpected football results to support that assertion.
The Bible makes it plain in Ecclesiastes 9:11 (KJV):
“I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet
riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and
chance happeneth to them all.”
Permit me to place on record, that I may not be able to
break down the tactical prowess of Chelsea when they played against PSG, but
what I observed from a distance is that, on that fateful day, Chelsea was the
better team. They had their chance, and they seized that moment. Perhaps they
were hungrier for success on that fateful night. Maybe, Chelsea tapped into the
timeless principle from Sun Tzu's classic, The Art of War,“Appear weak when you
are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
Also, worth mentioning is the God factor; can we say Chelsea
was divinely helped? Interestingly enough, I have shared with you a wide range
of factors that may have contributed to the success of Chelsea. On the other
hand, PSG may have failed to triumph over Chelsea because they were quite
complacent and fell short of the factors that contributed to Chelsea's success.
If there is one fundamental truth we can learn from this
match, it is that the underdog, the least expected, can rise to greatness. Just
like Philip asked, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” The response was,
come and see...
John 1:46 (KJV):
“And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come
out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.”
On the other hand, the mighty or seemingly strong can fall.
The Bible says:1 Corinthians 10:12 (KJV):
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall.”
Hence, the more one becomes successful, the more caution is
required.In both football and life, we cannot underestimate the power of grace,
grit, and divine timing. While skill, preparation, and form are important, it
is clear that time and chance can redefine outcomes. The rise of the underdog
and the fall of the mighty remind us that no one is ever too far from triumph
or too high to fall, for even from Nazareth, something good can emerge.