Africa’s Cup of Nations Overflows
From a Western perspective many find it hard to look at the soccer of the African Cup of Nations without patronizing the event with talk of how quaint or colorful everything is. Perhaps this is tough when the event hosts teams with vibrant nicknames: the Atlas Lions, Carthage Eagles, Black Stars, Elephants, Sable Antelopes, Lions of Teranga, Mediterranean Knights, Stallions, Panthers and Zebras are all fighting for points.
What the West have to see, though, is how much skill, passion and endeavor goes into this event. There is more than flashes of color, bangs of drums and nonsensical headlines going on.
For example, as the co-hosts Equatorial Guinea beat Libya in the opening game the press pack made great issue out of the fact that Teodoro Mangue, son of the nation’s president and current agriculture minister, promised the team $1m between them if they won.
As the players collected the winnings yesterday, following a 1-0 victory in the first round, people said how crude and odd this was, how unethical, how exploitative of a smaller nation’s wealth. Meanwhile there was little point made of the fact that opponents Libya were competitive and unlucky. This is the same Libya, remember, that had only recently shaken itself off after violent revolution.
Many Libyan players were involved in the civil war or were declared supporters of either side. Their home conditions were untenable and some of their qualifying games had to be played away from Tripoli. Their coaches claim that a lot of preparation had to be undertaken in the UAE and Qatar, in blistering heat, during Ramadan.
These men know hardship, and perhaps soccer can distract from troubling realities.
Libya’s ravaged squad may struggle to cope with this tournament and could soon crash out, depending on how they do against Zambia today. Either way participation should be looked at as heartening and noble. Not with pity but with appreciation. There are plenty of remarkable stories to be told.
Africa is always looked at in terms of how weak or unruly the continent is portrayed in our own media. It is either the dark, scary Africa we see or the jovial, over-zealous Africa. Frankly this is insulting and stifling.
This event shows, in soccer terms, how versatile and combative Africa can be.
There are, of course, stars there like Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Demba Ba, Cheik Tiote, Adel Taraabt, Karim Haggui, Sulley Muntari and Asamoah Gyan but these men are all supported by tireless supporting cast. There is sublime soccer in there.
Already there have been some impressive goals. The teams all seem to have shrugged off the oppressive styles of the European football many of them play or that most of the coaches involved have been borne out of. There is African identity in these games.
Ivory Coast, the pre-tournament favorites, played driving football in their first game, with a powerful display from Drogba who powered home a header from a stinging byline cross. Senegal, despite losing, played with neat dinks and clever passing into the path of tearing runners. Tunisia versus Morocco had the intensity all neighborly rivalry should have. Mali have played from range and chased hard.
There is something for everyone here, and although ‘purists’ may complain about pitch conditions and the standard of goalkeeping, this is just window dressing. This does not go to the core of such an occasion. The African Cup of Nations represents the struggles of a continent to find its own identity, and the expressive by-product is effervescent soccer.
Even if you only see the final, try and catch some highlights. You will see players playing for their shirt, rather than chasing money. You will see crowds making noise that few Western crowds are capable of. You will see athleticism to the edges. You will see new forms of soccer.
You will see why every two years Africa’s finest pull out of the regimented glamour of Europe’s top competitions and head home, dreaming of making themselves heroes in one vast continent.
One Rant to “Africa’s Cup of Nations Overflows”
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The ACN is a good tournament with some great players, who are patriotic and eager to play in the colours of home. It is a fact that Africa can be portrayed as backward, unruly and impetuous- and the tournament should be given the kudos it deserves. However I do feel sorry for domestic managers all around Europe who plan for the season ahead with African players in mind only to be reminded that they may lose some of their finest players at the most important time of the season, once every 2 years?
Having said that, it is entertaining and exciting, and I love the inevitable marquee signing who turns out to be rank rotten. MANUCHO