LOYALISTS and Patriotic Supporters! That’s the new trend in the corridors of global football. Yours truly has deliberately decided to interrogate the term loyalty, eventually seeking and finding refuge in my trusted companion – the Oxford Dictionary, the ultimate guide of all damn serious pen-pushers (scribes).
The definition of “loyalty” is being loyal to one’s friends, country, government or better still, the quality of being loyal is a feeling of friendship or duty towards some close allies.
Did I hear our football bosses singing praises for both FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter and CAF President one Issa Hyatou? This is absolute bootlegging, period!
HELLO! Blatter and his trusted sidekick Hayatou, the Cameroonian are not doing us or any football associations a favour by erecting new stadiums and building structures in the areas of their member nations – they have a moral obligation to do so.
Suffice to say that it looks like FIFA and CAF have both inadvertently or rather deliberately tailored a syndrome of dependability for their subjects, perhaps the old adage that one cannot bite the hand that feeds you.
As much as yours truly appreciates FIFA’s commendable efforts to improve standards and develop the game of football in several targeted African countries including Namibia, this should not be misinterpreted as favours.
Just simply because CAF accorded us, and rightfully so, the rights to host the CAF Women’s Championship, we have absolutely no obligation or any other business whatsoever in that regard to reciprocate the gesture.
We have blokes with proven pedigree such as Danny Jordan, Petrus Damaseb who are more than capable of taking over the mantle from the ageing Hayatou. The brother has certainly overstayed his welcome and it’s time to step down and give way for others to step in.
In the case of Blatter, the Swede keeps on reminding us that he still has some unfinished business after all these years.
Fair enough, the brother has done enough but FIFA is riddled with damning accusations of corruption and financial mismanagement and for the world’s governing body to cheese off these allegations – new blood is surely needed if the game is to restore its badly dented integrity.
However, Africans should guard against opening the way to the greedy and selfish Europeans to take over the administration of football at global level.
The next president of FIFA can be an African, Asian or American for that matter and does not necessarily have to be a Frans Beckenbauer, Figo, David Hill or Jerome Champagne.
Stars/BA leave football fans high and dry
In all honesty, I must confess that yours truly was extremely disappointed and dismayed by the poor standard of football on display in the potential MTC Premiership title decider between the country’s finest football teams African Stars and Black Africa.
It should be well understood that people pay lots of money on spending their precious time to go and watch football but the mediocre football dished out on Wednesday was not a good advertisement for the game. The fairly well attended match produced a dull goalless draw with very little to cheer about.
On the balance of play, Black Africa was by far the better team in terms of game plan and positive approach, although their determined opponents created the best goal-scoring chances during the match depending heavily on the counter-attacking game plan.
After a goalless first half where the Reds should have been safely in the driving seat by at least 2 clear goals – it was Ronnie Kanalelo’s charges that took the initiative in the second half launching attack after attack, but were badly let down by wayward shooting, notably from the erratic Muna Katupose.
It was very clear that Stars came for a draw as could be attested by the large number of bodies they threw behind the ball whenever their opponents were in possession.
Obviously coaches get paid for chalking up results but club bosses should also be obliged to encourage their coaches to introduce a decent brand of football because football is not only about results – it’s entertainment and that’s one department where the domestic game is lagging big time!
Before I sign off, let me take this opportunity to pay tribute to a departed hero, former Eleven Arrows defender Connie Samaria who took a bow from the game of life earlier this week after a long illness – may his soul rest in peace. I rest my case.