We, members of the Bottom-Up expedition led by the Most Able Professor Abiti Kweni Dr (reverted)Joyce Befu, MEGA-1 & MG 66, feel like the ongoing world football cup has yielded enough behavioural data about African teams for us to make some conclusions, albeit preliminary, about African Football and why the African Continent will continue to be poor.
Par avance, first of all, we must thank the Fifa president Gianni Infantino and his Football World Cup organising team for expanding the tournament to 48 qualifying teams, 10 from Africa, including nos freres from Democratic Republic of the Congo and the most sensational, Cabo Verde.
That most of them, nine of 10, or 90 percent, are now out is not surprising because such is the nature of eliminatory football. No prizes for those who do not reach the round of eight. But there is something that is symptomatic of Africa, the failed content, and failed people.
Africa is the only continent where failure to progress is celebrated. Even in World Cup Football. For example, the Cabo Verde team arrived home to a rousing hero’s welcome. You would think they won the Football World Cup. But, no. They were celebrating how far they had advanced and for scaring Argentina and its Messi. Only. What that means is that they never dreamt of reaching that far. Small people with small dreams. Yes, we are.
Some people argue that for a tiny nation of only approximately 500 000 inhabitants, that was unprecedented. Yes, but these pundits forget football is played by 11 people. Even one village can win that trophy. Talent matters more than national numbers. Otherwise, India and China (1.4 people apiece) would be dominating and winning the competition.
Cabo Verdeans were not the only celebrating failure. South Africans were, too. The Congolais were, too. Ghanaians were, too. This mentality of celebrating failure is symptomatic of us Africans. This is why we can’t move forward with our development. We set ourselves very short and easy goals and even celebrate failure, or half success. Our evaluation expectation is bola, nkhasako, ntchinkhu viyo. Even in Manebo examinations, sometimes 30 percent is considered a pass. Time has come to celebrate success or not failure.
In the same world Cup, we have seen players, of some teams that have been defeated, in tears or red eyed (Mwamuna kulira kuthera m’mimba). Portugal’s Ronaldo wept. Brazil Neymar wept. But contrast that with South Africa, Cabo Verde, Ghana, etc.
In football, the referee is the boss. He is assisted by two able linesmen and, lately, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Of course, behind the VAR are people. But the final person, the boss of bosses, the biggest man, chimtekete, the king, is the referee. He can reject the VAR and the linesmen decisions.
Now, here is Egypt crying about unawarded penalty (or penalties) because they lost to Argentina. They never saw that unawarded penalty as a problem until they lost the match and started thinking in reverse searching for potholes in the football decision making.
Typical of Africa, the only continent where the winner of tournament is determined away from the pitched by football bureaucrats. The referee’s decision can be reversed and the cup taken away from the team that won, declared so by a person determined qualified and competent enough to make football decisions on the pitch, and given to the team that the referee said had lost.
That scandalous African football decision seems to have set a precedent. President Donald Trump of the USA forgot that it is wrong for politicians to intervene in decisions relating to football, where only decisions of the referee are binding.
President Trump called the president of Fifa Gianni Infantino, and cajoled him to reverse a decision of the referee and reinstate Folarin Balogun so he could play in the next match. And, indeed, the red card was reversed and Balogun played.
We are so happy that the USA emphatically lost that match, 1-4, to Belgium.
