Happy New Year Everyone!
I don’t usually write about football but it’s that time of year and THE YEAR. The European clubs are on their Christmas break, the British clubs are worn out from the over active holiday schedule and the Africans are getting ready for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. Talking of African football, all but six English premiership sides will loose players to next month’s tournament and as usual there are moan’s and groans being kicked all over the pitch and even the players are joining in this year. Teams try and find ways to either cut down on the amount of time their players spend training with the national team or prevent them from participating altogether.
Chelsea’s request for Michael Essien to commute by private jet has been
rejected; Yakubu Aiyegbeni would rather stay on Teesside than play for
Nigeria; Mido may lose out on a long-term contract at Tottenham if he
returns injured; and now Joseph Yobo has admitted he is too preoccupied
with helping Everton to think about representing Nigeria. There appears
to be no end to the problems created by the African Nations Cup
And surprise surprise,Ghanaian Essien has now "picked up" an ankle injury, along with Sulley Muntari who plays for Italian team Udinese - very convenient!
Sam Allardyce, manager of Bolton, described the players leaving for the AC of Nations as "devaluing the league" and Joseph Yobo of Everton and Nigeria is quoted as saying
"With the way things are going for us, I’m not looking at the national team…I am committed to my club and obviously I don’t want to leave until I feel better. I will only go to the African Nations Cup when I have to.
Its a sad day for African football when players who play in Europe do not want to participate in their continents greatest football prize. Can you imagine, Theirry Henry of Arsenal or Xavi of Barcelona not wanting to play for France and Spain respectively in the Euro Cup or their managers threatening their team places should they get injured? Xavi’s team mate twice African footballer of the year, Samuel Eto’o had to "consider" whether he would play for Cameroon or not?
English and European football are happy to benefit from the talent of
African footballers but are not prepared to pay the price - one month
every two years. Admittedly the African Nations Cup comes at an awkward
time for European football but this is something FIFA and CAF
(Confédération Africaine de Football) need to address. Like the
European and World Cup maybe the ACof Nations could be played over the
summer but even then I predict there would be complaints from
teams and players because neither accord African football with the same respect and consideration as European football.
In another related football story, Angola who are playing in this year’s World Cup for the first time, will play their opening game against Portugal - the old colonialists. Georgia of Caribbean Free Radio points to a interesting piece on Anglola’s football legacy in The Global Game, Cronicas titled "Impalas - Dream fixture for post colonialists" After 27 years of civil war following "being milked as dry as a dead cow" by Portugal, Angola’s qualifying is "miraculous". The history of Angolan football provides us with an insight into the history of Angola’s struggle for independence and a people’s determination to survive against all odds despite war and poverty.
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