Gospel music artist Frank Edward has sparked a wave of online criticism after publicly questioning why members of the Super Eagles were seen chewing gum during a crucial penalty shootout, which Nigeria ultimately lost. His comments quickly circulated on social media, drawing both support and strong disagreement from football fans and casual observers alike.
Frank Edward linked the act of chewing gum to Samuel Chukwueze’s failure to convert his penalty, suggesting that the players’ concentration and seriousness were compromised during the tense moment. Many social media users found his perspective unusual, while others defended the players’ habits as common practice in professional sports.
Frank Edward Blames Gum Chewing
In a post that went viral across Twitter, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram, Frank Edward argued that chewing gum was a distraction during a critical match moment and made the players appear unserious. He wrote:
“WHO EVEN GAVE OUR GUYS THE GUMS THEY WERE CHEWING DURING PENALTY?! IT MADE THEM LOOK UNSERIOUS!”
He went further to explain the potential cognitive impact of chewing gum during high-pressure situations, stating: “When you chew a part of your brain is automatically assigned to that!! So how do you chew when you need all your available brain capacity to score penalty? What kind of monkey post penalty was that??”
Frank Edward’s remarks reflected his strong opinion that mental focus is critical during high-stakes moments like penalty shootouts, and any distraction, no matter how small, could potentially influence performance. His comments quickly gained traction online, igniting debates among football fans, analysts, and casual observers about the influence of seemingly minor habits on player performance.
Nigerians React Strongly Online
The singer’s remarks triggered mixed reactions, with many Nigerians expressing disagreement, defending the players, or sharing alternative perspectives on gum chewing in football.
Donmek weighed in: “They used it to ease tension… No be everything you go just open mouth waaaaaa Dey talk.”
Amebo added: “Chewing gum contributes a lot in sports. Only baller fit understand Sha. If you no be sportsman you be g*y.”
Mr Ola questioned the validity of Frank Edward’s argument: “Who gave an adult gums to chew? Which kind mumu question be this. They are adults and we know some athletes likes to chew gum for reasons best known to them.”
John Eke offered a professional perspective from a football standpoint: “When the emotions are high.. Chewing gum is a normal thing in football. In some cases it helps to calm the nerves of players and reduce tension.”
Other social media users dismissed Frank Edward’s claims entirely, arguing that gum chewing had no impact on the match outcome. Franklin stated: “The gum is not reason why our great Super Eagles lost the match neither does it make them look unserious.”
Kie added: “Someone needs to tell Frank Edward: blaming gums won’t fix penalties. Nigeria lost on nerves, not snacks. Football isn’t sweet it’s unforgiving.”
The incident has sparked wider discussions on social media about player habits, mental preparation in high-pressure matches, and the role of perception versus reality in football. While some agree that small distractions can affect focus, many fans highlighted that blaming chewing gum for missed penalties oversimplifies the complexities of high-level sports and the intense pressure athletes face during critical moments in matches.