Review: 2015 through the Lens of Football

The year comes to an end in few hours, and for many there have been different chapters to an eventful year, but in football circles, there were moments of Houdini, others of exult as well as despair. They were near misses, and copious moments that left fans drooling for the beauty and ecstasy football can bring to the sub conscious. To cap up the year Away Fans takes a look at how the year panned out from the lens of football.

* Nigeria

The year started with the realisation that the Super Eagles will not be at the Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea, a tournament that passed on successfully after Morocco pulled out of hosting it due to the Ebola epidemic that ravaged Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

But in spite of the Super Eagles failure to qualify, Stephen Keshi still managed to hold on to his job, even if initially he was on a last chance saloon. Eventually, the Amaju Pinnick led Football House gave him a two year contract. But it was one he barely saw out. After the 2-0 win over Chad at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna in a 2017 Afcon qualifier in March, the NFF dismissed Keshi just less than two months into his new contract after facts emerged that he applied for the Ivorian coaching job despite being in the books of the NFF. The football house saw it as a lack of commitment and he was shown the door.

Sunday Oliseh came into the saddle with mixed results. His baptism of fire in Dar's Salaam where he played Lukman Haruna after his years in the wilderness against Tanzania, before realising after 30 minutes that the 2007 Golden Eaglet captain was a shadow of the player he once was. That the Super Eagles escaped with a goalless draw hold much to the display of Carl Ikeme who made his debut between the sticks.

Subsequent goalless draw with Swaziland in a World Cup qualifier spiced up with wins over the same opponent and wins in friendly matches over Cameroon (3-0) and Niger (2-0) and defeat to Congo DRC (2-0) was the highlight of the Super Eagles on the field. However, the retirement of Vincent Enyeama after 102 caps and Emmanuel Emenike was also a key highlight.

They ended the year in 65th position in the FIFA rankings.

Other significant moments included the Golden Eaglet retaining the World Cup in Chile, and the U23 team winning the African Championships to qualify for the Rio Olympics. The Flying Eagles had their wings clipped in New Zealand as the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Isaac Success could not replicate their form at that level.

On the club scene, Enyimba FC of Aba clinched their 7th league title under Kadiri Ikhana, while Akwa United won its first ever trophy with the Federation Cup.

However, Kano Pillars, Enyimba, Warri Wolves and Dolphins all failed to make the groups stages of the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup respectively.

 * European Leagues

English Premier League

The year started with Chelsea and Manchester City tied on the same points and goal differential. But that was the closest both teams got to each other for the 2014/2015 season as the West London outfit rode to their fourth Premier League title with three games to spare. It was Jose Mourinho's third league title with Chelsea. And his team also won the League Cup in February. Arsenal ended that season with their second consecutive FA Cup after a 4-0 win over Aston Villa at Wembley in May.

The gunners became the most successful side in English FA Cup history with their 12th triumph.

However, the second part of 2015 has seen mixed fortunes for both clubs.

First Petr Cech joined Arsenal for £10 million after eleven successful seasons with Chelsea. The Czech international helped Arsenal to a 1-0 win in the Community Shield in August. And that defeat set the tune for a disappointing first half of the 2015/2016 season for Chelsea. Jose Mourinho's side lost nine Premier League matches from their first 16 matches.

The last straw was the defeat to Leicester City. After which he was sacked. It was a strange year for Chelsea. With players such as Eden Hazard, Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Branisav Ivanovic, Oscar and others suddenly turn to chumps after being champions few months earlier.

Guus Hiddink came into the frame. But the league champions remain close to the relegation zone than the top four.

The surprise package of the year has been Leicester City. Bottom of the table last Christmas, they were top of the table on Christmas day 2015. Despite playing Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City in December, they remain joined top going into the New Year.

It has been a topsy-turvy first half of the season in the English Premier League. With no team so far laying claim to a consistent title push. However, Arsenal ends the year on top on goal difference.

La Liga

It was the MSN show in Spain. With Messi, Suarez and Neymar shooting Barcelona to five trophies in the 2015 calendar year. The Catalans won their second treble in six years after a 3-1 win over Juventus in the Champions League final in Berlin in June. Luis Enrique's side ended 2015 top of La Liga, and they won the World Club title for a record third time in December.

Real Madrid started 2015 at the top of La Liga, but defeat to Valencia in their first league match in January derailed their momentum and they failed to win a major trophy. The trigger happy Florentino Perez fired Carlo Ancelotti, just a year after he won the la decimal, despite the Italian's huge support amongst fans and players. His replacement, Rafael Benitez has not been a popular choice with the Madrid faithful, with the Spaniard repeatedly booed by the fans.

* Bundesliga

The major highlight in Germany was Pep Guardolia announcing in December that he would be leaving Bavaria when his contract expires. He will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti .The Catalan has built Bayern Munich into a possession juggernaut in the German league. Their dominance have seen the team record back-to-back bundesliga titles, and a third could be on the way.

Wolfsburg did win the German Cup in May, their first ever triumph, and the Volkswagen outfit had the best player in the bundesliga last season in Kevin De Bruyne. Who joined Manchester City last summer.

However, consecutive disappointments in the semi finals of the Champions League against Spanish giants Real Madrid (5-0) on aggregate and Barcelona (5-3) on aggregate have been a stain in Pep's books. It remains to be seen whether he can go one better in his last season in Bavaria. And yet again they sit top of the league as winter champion’s seven points ahead of closest rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Seria A

The Old Lady Juventus won their fourth straight league title without breaking much sweat. Despite the departure of Antonio Conte, they went one better by winning the domestic double in Italy with inspiring performances from Carlos Tevez, Paul Pogba and Arturo Vidal. They could have won an historic treble, but for Lionel Messi's inspired Barcelona. Massimilliano Allegri had a wonderful first season as manager at the Juventus Stadium.

Although they started the 2015/2016 season slowly following the departures of Vidal, Tevez and Pirlo, but as new signings have settled in, they have shot up the table, with just three points from the top.

Champions League

Barcelona won their fourth title in nine years and their fifth in total after a 3-1 win over Juventus in Berlin in the 2014/2015 season.

The return of Manchester United to the Champions League this season after a year's absence was well received. But this was short lived after a disappointing group stage campaign where they lost 3-2 in match day six to Wolfsburg to crash out. They will now play in the Europa League.

Arsenal however showed an unlikely escape when they overcame Olympiacos 3-0 in Athens to qualify for the last 16 after being bottom of the group after four matches.

Real Madrid's 8-0 victory over Malmo equaled the biggest score line in the group stages.

 * FIFA

The year 2015 will not be complete in football terms without referring to what transpired in the world football governing body. The revelations of corrupt practices, and the subsequent arrest and detention of FIFA Executives in their hotel in Zurich during the FIFA congress in June was something nobody envisaged.

The United States Justice department and FBI took the lead in these revelations that led to these arrests, and since then FIFA's Ethics Committee have banned Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini for seven years from football. The first quarter of the coming year will see a new FIFA president elected.

Its being a great year in footballing terms, as the saying goes, more and better of the same in the coming year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR