Soccer is one of the most popular sports in Africa, almost every country in Africa has a handful population who are lovers of this beautiful game - soccer. Africa’s populace across the world has gifted the world some of the greatest soccer stars.
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Fans at 2021 AFCON in Cameroon - credits AS USA |
Soccer as a sport is more than just a game. Since time immemorial, soccer has been used to bring people from all walks of life together.
Soccer is a team sport, it is the most practical application of unity and cooperation - working in harmony for a common goal.
Today soccer is like a corporation or an organization. A group of skillfully gifted young men and women, working with ambitious investors for definiteness of purpose to raise, organize and mobilize resources.
Among other instances, soccer had in the past done the world a great favor in achieving peace and harmony across Europe in what we know today as Christmas Truce.
Africa’s
Great Abundance of Talents
Africa has great talents in the soccer world today, players of
African descent are found in almost every football league (more than a hundred
from the mother continent) that is played across the world.
The top and best teams in European and American leagues are composed of a number of African players, who have contributed tremendously to the success of these football clubs.
It is rather unfortunate that the sport is not doing
any greater than it should in the mother continent compared to other parts of
the world.
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Some of Africa's stars - credits The standard Ke |
In Europe and America, soccer is doing great because of the nature of the financial investment that is backed by it.
The type of interest that the
European elites have gained in this sport is irresistible and is evident in the
success of top European clubs like Real Madrid FC and Manchester United FC.
Africa has talent, but remember that talent is only transmuted through human service. Such services must be provided in a financial, psychological and physically friendly environment.
How African State Governments Have Neglected Soccer
African governments have seemingly abandoned the soccer sector despite the massive talents. Africa’s top soccer governing body African Football Confederation has done little to mobilize Africa’s resources to harness the great talents, this is seen in the type of football infrastructure that most African states have.
Through the top football governing body, Africa's soccer face can be changed to a different and fresh one, if well explored and soundly led, with no rampant corruption and impunity.
With state-backed resources (those that provide a friendly environment for
investors and capital organizers) the soccer industry might showcase greater
profits for Africa than we have witnessed.
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Africa's Football Governing Body - Wikimedia |
African leaders must stop taking advantage of the large followers of this sport (soccer) only to lure them with empty promises so as to win on the ballot.
Leadership is key to the success of any civilization, when clouded with corruption and impunity backed with empty promises the organization collapses sooner or later.
More than most African leaders must protect African
players wherever they are. African leadership must continue to stand for our
players when they are subjected to racial or physical abuses as we have
witnessed in top European leagues.
Call for Adequate Infrastructure in Africa to Harness Soccer Talents
To get the adequate pleasure of it, soccer requires infrastructure. Type of which must accommodate both the players and fans.
Soccer players, trainers,
marketers and financiers are a wide bracket of the infrastructure that must be
well organized for the realization of success in soccer, to harness its full
potential.
Several African football clubs are on their knees financially. Few standing ones are struggling to settle wages. This is probably due to inadequate investors to provide capital to harness the talent.
Right from the playing ground (stadia) to the organizational structure of any soccer club, the infrastructure must be excellent.
State-of-the-art stadia must be constructed, players’ contracts and wages must be respected and paid, and government policies must be favorable to attract quality investors and promoters of soccer.
Broadcasting companies and relevant technology must be further employed to avail the game live to all fans wherever they are.
It is only due to inadequate infrastructure that the
African continent has hosted a single world cup in the tournament's history. The
exact same reason why African players are prospering and building
fortunes for European, American and Now Asian clubs while our leagues can barely be recognized globally.
Unpatriotic
African Fan-base
Unfortunately, Africans showed emotions of sadness and disappointment
following the postponing of English Premier League matches due to the passing of
the head of the British monarch. Millions of Africa complained about the incidence
with such unmatched vigilance.
Many Africans have forgotten that their ancestors fought so hard and paid with their dear lives so that African people can freely create their own national football leagues. Instead, Africans have created a thrilling fan base for European and other foreign football clubs.
The Union of European Football Associations has worked to improve European football and created one of the best competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.
African youths today excessively adore European football, they follow it to the end, and some are more than willing to die for it.
If African people would support their own soccer clubs with the love
and enthusiasm they do for their European counterparts, they would have positively
improved soccer in Africa to a greater percentage regardless of the infrastructure
and government interventions.
One of Africa’s greatest of all time Samuel Eto’o now the head of the Cameroonian Football Federation expressed his concerns about such critical African issues when he stated that players from the continent are a better shot at representing and defending our interests.
We are Africans - nobody else can defend our continent more than ourselves.
~Samuel Eto’o
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan star affirms that African people, in general, must come out in numbers to support and promote their favourite football clubs instead of worshipping European leagues.
Soccer For Civilization
Soccer brings different cultures together. It defies mere boundaries that are set by not fully civilized men such as hate, racism and wars etc.
Football brought
the world together in 2010 in Africa, 2014 in Brazil, 2018 in Russia and very
soon the world is headed to Qatar. Just like religion, trade and commerce,
soccer is moving the world or part of it.
President George Weah of Liberia and the only African player to ever win the Ballon d’Or reveals that the soccer relationship he developed with former Arsenal football club manager Arsene Wenger managed to get him through the racist football atmosphere in Europe.
When racism was at its peak, Arsene Wenger took care of me like his son. He taught me that black and white guys can live together. He is a father figure. Every time I was on the pitch, I was ready to break my head, my face, my neck to win games for him.
~ President George Weah
Soccer is today a weapon of civilization. It has become more than just a sport. People from all over the world enjoy the game, they express their love for the sport which has in return given back stupendously to the communities.
World top players are reaping millions of euros and dollars from playing football. Corporations are going global through the help of soccer. Football as a sport is opening up the interiors of the world, it is globalizing the entire population of the world.
Contact via meta/call 0741377074 to grab a copy of the book POLITICIAN X (World Problem) and read more on factors influencing Africa in matters of History, Politics, religion and other sectors. You can also send an email today via kisaofidel@gmail.com
It's time for Africa to wake up
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