The main international men’s association football tournament has been marked by a devastating stampede as the host nation of Cameroon played a knockout game against Comoros last night. 



Tragedy has struck the African Cup of Nations&nbsp;late last night as at least eight people have been killed and another fifty injured during a stampede in the Cameroonian&nbsp;capital of&nbsp;Yaoundé, casting a pall over the&nbsp;football&nbsp;tournament, which the West African nation is hosting for the first time in 50 years.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; “CAF is currently investigating the situation and trying to get more details on what transpired. We are in constant communication with Cameroon government and the Local Organizing Committee” said the Confederation of African Football&nbsp;(CAF), which manages the African Cup of Nations, in a statement.&nbsp;CAF General-Secretary&nbsp;Veron&nbsp;Mosengo-Omba&nbsp;was expected to visit the injured in hospital late last night.&nbsp;



The incident took place as fans attempted to access the&nbsp;Olembe&nbsp;Stadium in&nbsp;Yaoundé&nbsp;to watch the match between Comoros and Cameroon, with witnesses reporting that the stampede began when officials closed the gates and stopped allowing further people to gain entry.&nbsp;Images from the evening show many injured laying on the ground outside of the stadium, with one man appearing to attempt to resuscitate a victim.&nbsp;



Olembe&nbsp;Stadium’s capacity had been previously limited to 60% of&nbsp;its&nbsp;total of 60 000 persons due to coronavirus concerns, but was raised to 80% in the runup to the highly anticipated match.&nbsp;Local soccer officials are reported to have said that some 50 000 people attempted to attend the game, which may have contributed to the incident. The stadium is scheduled to host three more games of the tournament, including the final on 6 February.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The stampede is the second tragedy to hit the capital of Yaoundé in days, after a fire at a nightclub left 17 people dead over the weekend.

FBL-AFR-AFCON-2021-2022-COMOROS

African Cup of Nations Game Marred by Calamity as Several Killed in a Stampede

Soccer players from the continent are kicking it up a notch as they become instrumental in their European teams contesting championships.



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A number of African footballers have excelled at their
European clubs in the 2018/19 season, growing their reputations and showcasing
the skill, artistry and power of players from the continent. 



But there have also been some new names to savor, players who
have stepped out of the shadows to boost their reputation and suggest they can
become not just stars in their own countries, but also on the global stage. 



Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who led Gambia in the recent
Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, has worked extensively in Africa and Europe,
and is highly-regarded for his tactical acumen and views on the game.



He keeps a keen eye on African players in Europe every week
and says there has been much to admire this season.



“You have to start at Liverpool with Mo Salah and Sadio
Mané,” Saintfiet tells FORBES AFRICA. 



“The impact that their goals have had for the club has been
immense and if they win the English (Premier) League, for the first time in 29
years, this season, then you can truly say this would be a triumph made in
Africa.”



Egyptian forward Salah and Senegalese striker Mane are
arguably the two outstanding talents from the continent in Europe, at present,
but Saintfiet reveals there is much more to admire.



“Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Iwobi at Arsenal have
had excellent seasons too, even if their team has struggled, a bit, at times.
But you cannot ignore the contribution they have made.



“But one player that has really stood out for me, who is
maybe a surprise, is Adam Ounas from Napoli. For me, he is the future. He is
only 22 years old, but he is already a fantastic player.”



The winger has had a growing influence at Napoli this season
as they emerged as the only real challengers to Juventus for the Serie A title,
even if they were some way off the pace in the end.



“He can score goals and provide assistance, and at his age,
his potential is simply huge,” Saintfiet says. 



“He played against my Gambian side for Algeria and I saw
that day a player who can become a star of the game. His opportunities with the
national team have been a little limited because of the quality of the
competition he faces, but I think in the next few years, he will emerge as a
top player from the continent.”



Another who was relatively unknown before the start of the
season was Togolese defender Djené Dakonam Ortega, who has been inspirational
for surprise-package Getafe CF in the Spanish LaLiga. Ortega has been virtually
ever-present for the side in what many consider the best league in the world,
and has played a large role in making Getafe challengers for the UEFA Champions
League.



“He can play as a left-back or a right-back, and sometimes
in the centre too, and he has been very consistent this season. He is a very
hard-working footballer who has obvious natural ability,” Saintfiet says.



“I don’t think anybody expected Getafe to have the kind of
season they are having, they have been exceptional. I doubt many people had
heard of Djené before the start of the season either, but they will know him
now.”



Saintfiet is also full of praise for Tanzanian striker
Mbwana Samatta, who has been banging in the goals for Genk in Belgium and
turned them into surprise championship challengers.



“He is scoring a lot of goals, the best season of his
career. I don’t think anybody in Belgium expected Genk to be challenging for
the league, but Samatta’s goals have given them the chance to do that.



“He has made a big contribution to the team and, in my
opinion, he is ready for a higher level [league].”



Saintfiet also pointed out the quality of Ivory Coast
striker Nicolas Pépé at French Ligue 1 side Lille, Burkina Faso forward
Bertrand Traoré at Lyon and Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli.



He has also been impressed by the Champions League exploits
of Cameroon goalkeeper André Onana, who plays for Ajax Amsterdam.



“He is a very good goalkeeper, but you know in the Dutch
league, he plays for a team [Ajax] that is very dominant and so it is hard to
judge his ability. Ajax do not allow their opponents to create many chances, so
Onana is, maybe, not tested as much as many other keepers.



“But having watched him closely in the Champions League, it
is a different story. There he has been able to show what he can do and for a
young goalkeeper, he has acquitted himself very well.



“He will get even better, but he has good physical attributes and comes from a country [Cameroon] that is renowned for producing very good goalkeepers.”



&#8211;Nick Said

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Africa’s Stars In Europe

It has been 22 years since he led South Africa to glory in the African Cup of Nations. In a new book, Clive Barker recounts his career as a salesman by day and taxi driver by night, and to FORBES AFRICA, that he is not done with the future of African football.

We are in Melville, a charming suburb in Johannesburg, and finding house number 55 is not as easy as Google Maps makes it out to be.
Finally, we arrive, there are two dogs by the gate, we ring the bell, and Clive Barker’s son answers the door.
The small room has a larger-than-life presence – Barker is on a couch watching a World Cup match repeat. It’s the right time and place to watch world soccer, in the company of a legend.
Standing up, shaking hands, the genial septuagenarian directs us to the patio not too far from the television and facing a landscaped yard.
The first South African coach to qualify for the World Cup in 1998, before that, Barker had led South Africa to victory in the African Cup of Nations in 1996.
For a country going through reconciliation and healing since the end of apartheid only two years earlier, it was historic. That moment changed a country’s destiny in sport, as also Barker’s life.
“People often say to me, ‘what was the biggest moment in your football career?’ And I say ‘it was when Nelson Mandela became the president of this country, he promised to come and watch us play football’. In those days, nobody came to watch us play besides the supporters and on his big day, South Africa’s greatest day, he decided to come watch us play against Zambia and of course we won. He gave us a speech which went on for 25 minutes and the Zambians blamed that for the reason they lost,” says Barker, a tear rolling down his cheek as he speaks about his interactions with Mandela.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/entrepreneurs/2018/05/07/from-football-to-fashion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: From Football To Fashion</a>
Barker made his professional debut at the age of 17, and has had a long history in the game, from being close to starting an international career with Leicester in England to now unearthing soccer talent in South Africa’s townships.
“I played football professionally and of course, everybody has a dream to play overseas. I was on track to do that. Unfortunately, over an Easter weekend, we played in Johannesburg against a team called Rangers. I injured my knee very badly and in those days, you could do the cartilage operation but you couldn’t do the ligament operation and so I had my first setback and three years later, when the other knee went, that’s when I decided to go into coaching,” says Barker.
Without throwing in the towel after the injury, Barker decided to go into business to make ends meet. The failure of his venture did not keep him down. To avoid bankruptcy, and to avoid losing his family home, more sacrifices had to be made.
<div id="attachment_37083" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-37083" class="wp-image-37083 size-large" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5-1024x649.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="469" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5-1024x649.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5-300x190.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5-600x380.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5-768x487.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/CliveBarker_GL-5.jpg 1654w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />Clive Barker. Photo by Gypseenia Lion</div>
“I had to make that decision. I was going to lose my house and of course my family stayed there. I thought the only thing I could do was work during the night and I found that driving taxis was good. And I became a taxi driver. A salesperson by day and a taxi driver by night. We were able to do our shopping on Saturdays with the money we earned during the week. I paid off the creditors because I did not want to cross the street and someone tells me I owe them money.”
Football is similar to business, he says. “You start out as an individual, you have an idea and you develop it.”
Starting his coaching career after working as a driver for almost a year in 1973, Barker has groomed and trained a number of soccer stars such as Andre Arendse, Shaun Bartlett and Steve Komphela who continue in their coaching careers.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/sometime-in-africa/2013/09/01/tattered-blue-banner-sea-gold/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: A Tattered Blue Banner In A Sea Of Gold</a>
This undiscovered talent in townships brought to light by Barker over the years shaped legends in South African football.
“Thank goodness I went to the townships because I would have never known what was going on in South Africa,” he says.
Coaching patterns have changed drastically from the classic tracksuit-wearing coach paying close attention on the 90-minute game while shouting at the referee from the sidelines.
“In the olden days, you were more refined and were looked up to as a father figure, making all these runs, turns and somersaults and obscenities to the referee, there was a pattern emerging. My pattern emerged when we [AmaZulu] played Kaizer Chiefs in KwaMashu [a township in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal Province]. We won by 3-2, and the team hoisted me up at the end of the game and they pickpocketed me, from there on, I learned tracksuits are nothing more than tracksuits.”
Barker is looking forward to set his feet on the green pitch – he has been on a break.
“At the moment, I’m recovering from an illness that I had. I am starting to feel better. It’s the reason why I hadn’t been coaching for the last year-and-half but I’m certainly feeling well and when I am recovered, I am hoping to go back to coaching.”
In South Africa, soccer has always been more than a match, it’s a heady mixture of emotions and the shrill vuvuzelas (plastic horn). In Barker’s time, players had signature moves or tricks to keep the spectators entertained. This is one element that remains unique to South African football.
“If we copy the likes of Brazil, we could never beat them; if we copied the Italian style of football we could never beat them. If we developed the style of football that we had, then there was a pattern to it. Imagine me going to Doctor Khumalo or ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu saying ‘you can’t dribble, you can’t back-heel the ball’. If I took the nice part of football away from them, we would end up with robots.
<blockquote>“I think we lost out on a great opportunity to make a huge imprint in football not only in Africa in particular but throughout the whole world”.</blockquote>
With the non-stop action and unpredictability of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, African representation has declined drastically nearing the final stages.
The 74-year-old patriot, with great disappointment, tells FORBES AFRICA he feels sad in many ways as he had always been one to root for an African country to be world champions. However, according to Barker, not all hope is lost for Africa.
“Once we go back to the drawing board, and have a look at why we are not dominating&#8230; I know the better players get pulled over to Europe, and they could control the destiny. If you look at the World Cup and the countries that qualified, I can tell you now that France is going to win. I think because they add a bit of the African flair.”
Coach, a book on the life and times of Barker, was launched in July.
“The game has been so good to me, the people of South Africa have been good to me. Always encouraging, even the reaction to the book is fantastic. I wasn’t sure if I was going to recover from my illness and I decided that the best time to write this book is now,” says Barker, set to return soon to coaching more soccer stars, and shaping a future that will one day bring the World Cup to Africa.
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CliveBarker_GL-2

The Cab Driver, Coach And The Cup

Carl Ikeme was born in England’s Second City and retains it as his home while striving to reach the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers. But he has a flourishing other life, in Africa.
The 29-year-old Brummie – the term for an inhabitant of industrial Birmingham – is the new safe pair of hands for Nigeria’s Super Eagles, setting out on the difficult mission to fill the gloves of Vincent Enyeama, the country’s undisputed number one for 12 years.
Eight seasons on from when he was first selected for the squad, Ikeme has found opportunity knocking again and grasped it superbly. National treasures Nwankwo Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha have been united in their praise.
Flattered though he was to hear the former Arsenal striker saying ‘we gain a son’ after his debut in Tanzania last September had turned into a starring role with his saves during a 0-0 draw in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Dar es Salaam, this taking-to-hearts is no lopsided arrangement. Ikeme’s feelings for his family’s ancestral homeland are equally strong.
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“The timing of the call-up to the squad was a surprise because it was 2007 when I was first named in it,” he says. “Berti Vogts was in charge then and it wasn’t too long after Glenn Hoddle had given me my Wolves debut. Unfortunately, I had to withdraw through injury.
“I had long spells out of the Wolves team after that and time on loan elsewhere. Although I have regained a regular place in the last few years (he now has around 170 appearances for the club), I thought it was a wind-up from a mate when I had this call last summer. I was actually out of the side, with Emiliano Martinez just signed from Arsenal, but things happen when you don’t expect them to.”
Ikeme, 6 foot 3 inches tall and unfailingly laidback as Wolves near the end of an underwhelming second season back in Championship football, may speak with the twang of his West Midlands birthplace but is no innocent on this vast continent.
More than once, he has used the phrase ‘I haven’t dropped from the moon’ if asked how he is coping with the African experience. When we meet at Wolves’ training ground, three miles from their famous Molineux home, Ikeme is at pains to stress that he tries to fully embrace a culture with which his upbringing familiarized him.
“People seem to assume that because I live in Birmingham and was born nearby in Sutton Coldfield that Nigerian life was alien to me,” he says. “But I had been there many times from the age of eight – for funerals and family things. I was certainly aware of my roots.”
“I went about four years ago when my dad, Ikemefuna Ikeme, was made a chief of the village he’s from, near Onitsha in the east of the country. It’s an ancestry, bloodline, thing but the ceremony went on for two days and he hardly slept. He stayed in a shrine where my granddad is buried.”
“Dad came to England in about 1983 to study computing at Aston University. He still lives in Birmingham and I was brought up watching plenty of Aston Villa and Birmingham City.”
“I have tried cooking a few Nigerian dishes but I’m nothing like as good as him, so he brings something round each Monday. Stew, with chicken, goat and mutton, are typical. So are yams and rice. His pepper soup blows my mouth off!”
“I have three or four aunts and uncles over there, some in Lagos. One or two family members were doubtful when I went into football and thought I should get a proper job! But they can see now I made the right choice.”
Ikeme, restricted to a solitary game when Wolves rubbed shoulders with the Premier League elite from 2009-2012, lifts his shirt to show how family pride has influenced his appointments with a tattooist on Wolverhampton’s outskirts. Onora, his middle name and the one given to his great granddad on his dad’s side, appears high on his chest. Those of his dad and granddad show on his left arm. His mother’s dad, in military uniform, is seen on his stomach. His Dad has accompanied him for all his early Nigerian games.
The workload of Wolves’ 46-game league season dictates that trips have been about little more than airports, hotels, training grounds and stadiums. The window on his other world should open wider, though, in a few weeks’ time.
“I will be hoping to stay for an extra few days as long as I am in the squad against Chad in June,” he said. “I plan to take my daughter Mila, who is two-and-a-half, over for the first time.”
“It would be good to learn more about the culture and get better at the language. I’m not the only player to have been born in Europe, so the coach speaks in Pidgin English and am picking up bits of Nigerian as well as having some tapes to listen to.”
“The travelling has been an experience. It’s exhausting because it’s seven or eight hours to Abuja, then a few more hours if it’s an away match. But I’d still rather do that than have the games in Europe. There was a friendly against Cameroon in Belgium where we still had good support but I am keen to visit Nigeria as much as possible.”
“In England, the bus can be quiet. Some players have headphones on, some are having a chat. With the national team, there is singing and dancing in the aisles. That eradicated any nerves I had on the way to the Tanzania game. It’s all in English, a bit religious and spiritual&#8230; someone starts it off and everyone joins in. They have to! It’s more than gentle swaying. There’s a lot of clapping and foot stamping. It’s very rousing and inspirational.”
In case I’m not getting the picture, Ikeme accesses film on his mobile phone of the fans, complete with small band, welcoming the bus in similar fashion for a game against Swaziland.
“It’s good for togetherness because it creates a bond. I might try it on the Wolves lads!” he says.
“We pray together on the bus and before and after training and before and after a game; some Christian, some Muslim.”
So who inspired him? What are his dreams in an international career that is still at the fledgling stage but with an encouraging proportion of clean sheets?
“My heroes were Daniel Amokachi with his famous goal celebration at Everton and in the 1994 World Cup – and Kanu, of course.”
“As well as reaching the Premier League with Wolves, my aim is to qualify and play in the Africa Cup of Nations and then the World Cup in Russia in 2018. That would be a dream. We have a young side, so results should get better.”
“Long term, I would like to do something to help in Nigeria. I have looked into setting up a charity there. It’s not just about chucking money at it. I would like it to be something football-based so I can give back to the people in the community when I have finished playing.”
You can take a man out of Nigeria, but you can’t take the Nigerian out of him.

The Super Eagle With Snowflakes And Stars In  His Eyes

At the age of 16, while his contemporaries were barely able to hit a football on target, Daniel Amokachi was already a fully-fledged international for Nigeria, and was competing against the best on the continent.
He began, like all African boys of his generation, by kicking an improvised ball in the streets of Kaduna in north-west Nigeria. Strong for his age, he stood out like a sore thumb. Before long, he was elevated to the youth sides of the city’s many territorial leagues.
He also featured for his secondary school team which won the state trophy and went on to play in the national championship, where, against overwhelming odds, they became champions.
In 1989, he was called up for a trial with his local Kaduna team, Ranchers Bees, who played in the top national league. The transition from playing in front of a few hundred students to suddenly finding himself displaying his skills in front of tens of thousands of Kaduna loyalists was a huge gulf but the confident 15-year-old was determined.
When Ranchers Bees faced Ivorian giants, ASEC Mimosas, in a regional tournament, he had no idea that the national team’s recently recruited Dutch coach, Clemens Westerhof, was present. Ranchers Bees won 3-1 with the effervescent Amokachi scoring twice. After the match, Westerhof sought him out.
“Do you know who I am?” the Dutchman asked.
“No,” replied Amokachi.
“I’m Clemens Westerhof, the national team coach, and I want you to play for the national team.”
Amokachi found himself at the 1990 Africa Cup of Nations in Algeria a few months later. Nigeria went all the way to the final where they fell to a solitary goal against the hosts. They had gone to the tournament with little expectation and it was the first step of a journey that would see their star rise over the next decade.
Amokachi’s outstanding performances led to a move to the top Belgian side, Club Brugge, where he initially struggled to adjust to the the unfamiliar environment. He lived with a Belgian couple, Magda and Willie, who became his ‘foster parents’ and made his transition less stressful.
There were some memorable moments.
“I saw the great Jan Ceulemans, Belgium’s World Cup star, carrying a bag of balls to the training session from the dressing room and in true African culture, since he was much older than me, I went to carry the bag for him. He said no and told me that this week it was his turn and that my turn would come, and offered to show me the timetable for players’ duties. It was a learning process for me because it showed that as a team we were all equal irrespective of age, experience or form,” says Amokachi.
He spent four successful seasons in Belgium and was prominent in the Nigerian team that won the Africa Cup of Nations for only the second time in 1994, and that went on to the World Cup in the United States (US) the same year. It was here that Nigeria showed their class by topping their group, beating Bulgaria 3-0, Greece 2-0 and narrowly losing to Argentina 2-1.
In the second round, Nigeria led Italy by a single goal and were two minutes away from reaching the quarterfinal when a defensive error allowed Roberto Baggio to equalize. Baggio went on to score again in extra time and Nigeria were out of the tournament but left an indelible mark. Amokachi believes they could have gone much further.
<div id="attachment_4566" style="width: 230px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-4566" class="size-medium wp-image-4566" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/GettyImages-102304017-220x300.jpg" alt="" width="220" height="300" />DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; JUNE 22: Lars Lagerback head coach of Nigeria speaks to Daniel Amokachi, assistant coach during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Group B match between Nigeria and South Korea at Durban Stadium on June 22, 2010 in Durban, South Africa. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Lars Lagerback;Daniel Amokachi</div>
“It’s the mentality of an African team. We always think it’s over when it’s not over. We were celebrating like we had already won. We forgot that football is 90 minutes.”
Amokachi scored one of the goals of the tournament against Greece, a scorching volley from outside the box, and earned accolades for his strength and skill. Shortly after, Everton Football Club came calling and he became the club’s most expensive player when they paid £3 million for his services.
Moving from the Belgian league to English football was a culture shock and initially Amokachi struggled.
“It’s a totally different ball game. The toughness, the speed is a reality. My nickname was ‘The Bull’ and I had strength and speed but after the first game I knew I had to really work hard. We played Blackburn Rovers in the first game and I had three opportunities that under normal circumstances I would score but each time a defender took the ball away from me. It took me six months to adjust. It was only towards the end of the season that I found my rhythm.”
He won the hearts of the Everton fans when he came off the bench to score twice in the FA Cup semifinal against Tottenham Hotspur to take the team to Wembley for the final. His two goals in 10 minutes etched his name into the club’s history books. Everton went on to beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final, with Amokachi making a substitute appearance.
He made his second World Cup appearance at the 1998 tournament in France, and was hoping Nigeria would go further after their second round exit in 1994, but it turned out to be a torrid time for both him and the team. An errant tackle in training saw him limp off the field.
He missed the first game against Spain, lasted 70 minutes against Bulgaria, but in the third match against Paraguay he felt his knee give way as he warmed up.
“I just walked off, didn’t tell anyone and went to the dressing room and locked myself in the toilet, in tears.”
He had surgery and played for another year but could feel that something was not right and underwent a second operation. A long period of rehabilitation followed. After unsuccessful spells with the Colorado Rapids in the US and Besiktas in Turkey, he made one final attempt with Créteil in France but when his injury recurred during the trial, he informed the club that he wouldn’t be able to continue.
After a discussion with his wife, he decided to give up the game at the young age of 28. It was a heart-rending decision that opened his eyes to life’s realities.
“One day you are up there and then you are down here. All the people you thought were your friends disappear. But that helps you because you now see who your real friends are. It makes you become a man and know what the world is really about. Even in your family, you find out who is really your true family.”
When the dollars were flowing, Amokachi was known for living the highlife and he made choices that he regrets.
“When you are living in that world and you wake up every morning, every week your bank account is credited, whether there is training or not, whether you play or not, that account is credited and you have endorsements left, right and center. You’re making money. You have style, you have class and you want to show it. But, when you sit down and think about it, the reality hits you. It’s not just about making money. You go back to Nigeria at that age of 28, and you see how people suffer and are really struggling, and it makes you realize that the life you were living is a totally different ball game. You think about the money you waste,” he says.
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“Someone will come and tell you they need some working capital and they ask for less than $100. You ask them what they can expect to generate from less than $100 and they just want to have enough to make small cakes and sell on the street to survive. Meanwhile you take out $120,000 to buy a car, and park five cars that you don’t really need and maybe drive them once a month. What are those things for?… You then realize that you need to use money to impact people’s lives and that’s how I’ve been living my life since, helping where I can.”
After his playing days came to an end, Amokachi took up coaching and has served the Nigeria national team as assistant and caretaker coach. In almost a replication of his playing career, he was assistant coach when Nigeria won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 and reached the second round of the World Cup in 2014.
At the age of 42, the African game will definitely be hearing the roar from The Bull in the future.

Tears of a wouNded bull

The KK 11, Zambia’s team of yesteryear, was so aptly named after our great leader, the father of our nation, Kenneth Kaunda. The name came with great power and strength. It was almost like a weapon we could use when we ran into battle on the pitch.
The first time I heard of the KK 11 was on the radio. I remember it like it was yesterday. In 1974, on an evening when Zambia was playing in its first Africa Cup of Nations final, the high pitched voice of commentator Dennis Liwewe streamed through the wireless safely secured in the corner of the house. I followed the match between the KK 11 and the Leopards of Zaire intensely. Liwewe shouted the names that still ring in my mind today as two great sides battled for the honor to be African kings in the finals in Egypt. I still remember the stadium name being belted out in loud voice, ‘El Nasser in Cairo!’
My memory of this day is still clear as Mulamba Ndaye scored for Zaire, followed by Brighton Sinyangwe and Simon Kaodi Kaushi equalizing for Zambia to take the match to a replay.
There were other great names. Names that have remained etched in our history, such as Dick Chama, Dickson Makwaza, Edwin Mbaso, Boniface Simutowe, Jani Simlambo, Bernard Chanda, Brighton Sinyangwe and Emmanuel Mwape.
That team covered every blade of grass as they battled from box to box, ran from man to man and dug deep into their energy reserves in search of victory. Their determination forced the match into a 2-2 draw against a highly rated and favored Zaire side. This forced a replay which saw Zaire winning and qualifying for the 1974 World Cup in Germany. Nevertheless, that Zambian team epitomized pride and commitment. They were a collective force, a powerful team full of big names that made them a powerhouse.
A few years later, I was privileged to watch them at Dag Hammarskjöld stadium in Ndola. They were playing Zaire again, this time in a qualifier. It was the first match I watched live in a stadium and the epic battle remains one of the most unforgettable events in my life. I was with my late dad and my late elder brother, Benjamin, when Zambia savoured a 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals by Richard Stephenson and Peter Mhango.
We were able to see many matches because my dad was a member of the executive committee of the Football Association of Zambia. He used to take us to a lot of stadiums while we were growing up and we could play football all day in local grounds.
From merely following the team in the newspapers and watching them in training, I came to admire and respect this mighty group of men. Imagine then how I felt as a 19-year-old when I was first called up to join the KK 11 in 1982. I was immensely proud to wear the Zambian shirt and have the chance to feature in tense battles before capacity crowds, playing alongside the greats of my time.
President Kaunda came to almost all the games. I was in awe the first time I met him. I remember his trademark white handkerchief, his presence, his height and his strong handshake. He would come to the stadium in his impressive motorcade just as the game was about to start. We would line up and shake his hand, which motivated us to go out and do our best. Then he would ask the referees for the match ball and he would charismatically and stylishly kick the ball around with his right leg, much to the delight of the crowd.
When I first heard that we were going to State House for a luncheon I was totally mesmerized. Me, a 20-year-old from Mufulira, going to State House? It was 1984 and we had just returned from Uganda after winning the East and Central Africa Challenge Cup. The KK 11 was invited to dine with the president. I remember using the cutlery and crockery with state insignia emblazoned on them. We all looked forward to that and it inspired us to keep winning.
It was the first of many dinners and luncheons hosted by Kaunda. But, what was most memorable of Kaunda was not the state banquets, it was that he attended the matches, he ate with us and in those interactions, he shared a lot with us. In his humility he inspired us and his call to the team was to play with dignity and honor and for the people.
Kaunda always told us that we had to go out on the pitch to die a little for mother Zambia. He galvanized us and garnered a lot of support for the team.
That culture of hard work, sacrifice and dedication to duty has carried on with the Chipolopolo; we never forget what is now our tradition.
This new generation also had an encounter with Kaunda when in 2012, during the greatest moment of Zambian football, President Michael Sata sent him to join the team in Gabon for the final of the Africa Cup of Nations which we won.
It was meaningful for Kaunda to have been there on that great night in Libreville. He was emotional and he used his traditional white handkerchief to wipe away his tears of joy. The culmination of his dedication to football came full circle on this historical day.
The new generation of players coming through the ranks will find the same values, messages and encouragement as they go on to play for Chipolopolo. Kaunda left an indelible mark in our footballing history. He taught us about pride and nationalism, he taught us to be humble yet proud, he taught us One Nation, One Zambia. We will be eternally grateful for his part in our footballing history.

The President That  Taught Us To Die A Little

The house in Mbalenhle Avenue, Secunda, in Mpumalanga, is a monument to May Mahlangu’s maternal grandmother, Joanna. She brought up the football star and his younger brother, Bafana, after they were orphaned.
“It was a tough time, and it builds your character. There is no one to look up to—no mother or father to advise you. My grandmother was there to inspire us. She told us that nothing comes easy. You have to work very hard to be successful,” says Mahlangu.
Mahlangu built the house for his grandmother after glory at the Africa Cup of Nations in January.
In this tournament, Mahlangu grew into one of Africa’s most exciting attacking midfielders since Steven Pienaar. His equalizer against Morocco ensured his country safe passage to the quarter-finals.
“I dedicated that goal to her and I am happy she saw me scoring that goal. She raised me from an early age and I would not be here if it were not for her. She also allowed me to join Remember FC in Secunda, at age 12, and Stars of Africa Football Academy at 15. I owe her my life as a professional soccer player,” says Mahlangu.
Teko Modise was another pivotal figure in Mahlangu’s life; he inspired Mahlangu to pursue football professionally.
“I always watched him, while he played for Orlando Pirates, Sundowns and Bafana. He was my childhood hero,” says Mahlangu.
For the past two seasons, Mahlangu, a Bafana Bafana midfielder, has been linked with several top European clubs, but his Swedish side Helsingborg IF has managed to hold on to him. The 2011 Swedish Player of the Year has been a revelation for South Africa during the past six months.
Gavin Hunt, former coach of SuperSport United, considers him and Dean Furman to be the best midfield-combination for the national team.
Boebie Solomons—a former Bafana Bafana under 20 coach and current assistant coach at Bloemfontein Celtic—agrees.
“May and Dean have been the biggest difference between the current Bafana Bafana team and the national group under its predecessor Pitso Mosimane. Take those two players away, and we are back at square one.”
David Nyathi, current under 19 coach at Ajax Cape Town and former Bafana Bafana stalwart, adds  Reneilwe Letsholonyane to the mix, calling the three midfielders: “a pleasing triangle”.
Farouk Khan, director of the Stars of Africa Football Academy, says Furman plays the defensive role as midfielder, while Mahlangu is the offensive spark, with Letsholonyane excelling as distributor and organizer.
Khan saw Mahlangu evolve at the academy, when the young 15-year-old player joined. Mahlangu’s speed and endurance made him the best amongst the academy’s intake at the time.
“His bleep test [or 20 meter shuttle run test to estimate an athlete’s maximum oxygen intake] was a 16 or 17,” says Khan.
Solomons says Mahlangu’s awareness and vision separate him from the rest.
“He has the ability to determine, almost immediately, when he receives the ball, whether to counterattack and initiate a speedy build-up with turn over possession to release the strikers, or not. He can keep the ball glued to his feet while looking up, almost like a Zinedine Zidane. May is a three-in-one player: an initiator, a participator and a finisher,” he says.
Mahlangu must still improve his final pass, according to Hunt.
Lucas Radebe, former Bafana Bafana captain, says that Mahlangu is not a total player until he improves the defensive side of the game.
No player becomes a part of the elite without pain and some luck. Mahlangu has to survive setbacks and injuries for years if he is to become one of the greats.
“What impressed me about May, is his character. He is a born leader, with no fear of failure, with self-belief, confidence and a coachable spirit. He is the epitome of a complete modern-day footballer,” says Khan.
Mahlangu has already overcome tragedy and poverty—surely he can take anything life throws at him.

MAY TALENT TRIUMPH

The last time Nigeria’s football team won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994, the infamous General Sani Abacha was president; South Africa had yet to hold its first democratic elections and Google didn’t exist.
Nineteen years on, the Super Eagles were transformed from outsiders to champions in just 21 days. This unexpected triumph sparked frenzied celebrations across the football-loving nation. As fate would have it, both teams featured Stephen Keshi, who captained the 1994 team and is the current coach of the freshly-crowned champions.
Like most fairy tales, Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso came against the odds. It followed uninspiring performances leading up to the tournament, including a drab one all draw in their first match against eventual finalists, Burkina Faso. Most Nigerians lost faith when the team scraped into the quarter final against tournament favorites—Côte d’Ivoire. But a masterful display of skill and spirit saw Nigeria record a 2-1 victory.
<div id="attachment_1637" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1637" class="size-medium wp-image-1637" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/161388585_10-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA &#8211; FEBRUARY 10: Joseph Yobo and team mates celebrate with the trophy after winning the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations Final match between Nigeria and Burkina at FNB Stadium on February 10, 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Ian Walton/Getty Images)</div>
Belief restored, the Super Eagles soared even higher, comfortably dispatching Mali in the semi-finals, before defeating Burkina Faso by that lone goal scored by Sunday Mba, who plays for Warri Wolves F.C. As the final whistle blew, social media sites ignited with elation. Tweets rolled out by the second.
“Burkina Faso boasted that they would deal with us but we said ‘Mba’ [which translates to ‘No’ in Igbo], not on a Sunday.”
The billionaires went mad too. Aliko Dangote and Mike Adenuga put up cash rewards of $820,000 and $1 million respectively, to the victorious team.
As the celebrations continued late into the night, the memories of previous disappointments were expunged in the excitement. The Super Eagles and their fans now look forward to the FIFA Confederations Cup, to be held this summer in Brazil, where Nigeria will fly ‘Africa’s’ flag.
The fans demand nothing less than a top notch performance at the Confederations Cup and qualification for the World Cup in Brazil next year. It is a huge task for the country’s football administrators. Nigerian football is notorious for squabbles and infighting among its administrators, many of whom are political appointees. Indeed, barely 24 hours after the victory, controversy raged as the coach, Keshi, resigned in an apparent attempt to spite the Football Federation for threatening his position over poor performances. Keshi subsequently rescinded his decision after the Nigerian presidency stepped in to mediate.
It is now hoped that the drama that played out following the victory, will gather a new wave of commitment to put the Federations’ house in order. For Keshi, and his gallant men, the euphoria of securing their place in the history books is a tonic that they will surely savor before worrying about anything else.

Mba! On A Sunday  Of Madness And Gladness

To qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations 2013, was no mean feat. Zambia had to work extremely hard for the right to defend its title. Football today is tougher than people know. It is interesting that Egypt—AFCON winners in 2006, 2008 and 2010—was absent in 2012 and will again miss out on next year’s tournament after being defeated by minnows Central African Republic.
There are no longer weak teams in Africa. African football has become unpredictable. On no other continent, do rankings mean so little. FIFA rankings can be misleading because friendly matches also count, which means that football associations with larger budgets can afford more significant high-profile friendlies, earning them false gradings. My opinion is that rankings should only be calculated through official qualifying international matches. If one were to use rankings as a true measure for the grading of teams, how do you explain the likes of Ethiopia, which is ranked 33rd and Niger ranked 42nd in Africa qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations, over Egypt, Senegal and Cameroon? Each of these teams is brimming with international stars.
In order for Zambia to qualify for the AFCON 2013 we were drawn against Uganda—a team ranked 22nd in Africa and 90th in the world. As African champions, we went into this battle confidently, yet cautiously. Uganda had a track record of being unbeaten in Kampala. They are also reigning CECAFA, Eastern and Central African champions.
The AFCON qualifying format is home and away. Chipolopolo went into their home game to a capacity crowd at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, with only one thing on their minds: to score enough goals to win the game outright. Zambia won the game 1-0, yet were left with a dangerously narrow comfort margin.
In Kampala, we were confronted by a formidable Ugandan team. A team that never let up; a team that kept their shape and that fought until the bitter end, which ended in a 1-0 win to Uganda. Notwithstanding, with an aggregate score of 1-1, we went into penalties. Zambia’s composure and big match temperament paid off in the end, Zambia winning 9-8.
The Africa Cup of Nations was always a very exciting period throughout my career. I relished the opportunity to represent my country and did so with enthusiasm and ambition. All the effort, preparation and sacrifice is rewarded with incomparable satisfaction. National pride and honor are the greatest  incentives.
Becoming continental champions is the ultimate goal for any football association. As the Zambian Football Association president, Zambia winning this coveted title in 2012 filled me with immense pride and satisfaction.
The 2013 edition of this prestigious tournament will be held on South African soil. A host most worthy of this tournament after staging one of the most successful World Cups, in 2010. The world-class infrastructure that exists in South Africa is hard to beat.
The final 16 teams have qualified, the groups have been formed and the battle lines drawn. Next year’s tournament will see the return of powerhouses such as Algeria and the Super Eagles of Nigeria. Rookies Cape Verde, which qualified by overcoming the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, proved that no country is to be underestimated.
In fact, there are probably eight or nine countries which could conceivably become the champions. Zambia proved, in 2012, that a happy camp and a good result first up, builds momentum that can see a less fancied side go all the way.
Certainly, Zambia believed it had a squad capable of winning the tournament, but not many outsiders gave us a chance before the event. Now we go into this tournament with a weight of expectation both at home and across the continent. Many have become new fans of Chipolopolo, after what was achieved in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Group A hosts South Africa and Morocco, are probably the two favorites to advance, but Cape Verde has made great strides, in recent years, and even Angola has a squad, which can surprise.
Bafana Bafana has proved to be very difficult to beat at home. Over the last 20 years, they have lost just a handful of times to African opposition in South Africa. Morocco underachieved in 2012, of that there is no doubt, and their squad is better than recent results suggest.
Group B features perennial favorites Ghana and Mali, who finished third in 2012. They are two very good sides and it is hard to see past them when looking for candidates for a quarter final spot. But the Democratic Republic of Congo has been buoyed by the recent success of TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League with coach Claude Le Roy, a seasoned tactician, who served as mentor to Zambia’s Hervé Renard. Niger is not the same force outside of Niamey as they are at home.
Zambia were the top seeds in Group C, as defending champions, and they have been drawn in a difficult pool. Nigeria is an obvious threat, though they are rebuilding under Stephen Keshi, while Burkina Faso can be a match for anyone on the day. Ethiopia has held South Africa and Nigeria in recent times and did very well to get past Sudan in the qualifiers. They will be no pushovers.
Group D could be the Group of Death. This could be the final chance for CÔte d’Ivoire’s golden generation to win the Africa Cup of Nations and it is something Didier Drogba is desperate for. He has had so much success at club level in his career, it seems incredible that he may end his glittering career without a Nations Cup win.
Algeria has proved to be one of the top teams on the continent since the last Nations Cup, while Tunisia may not have the strength of old, it still has some top individuals. Togo make a welcome return after the horror of the events preceding the tournament in Angola in 2010 when their bus was attacked by guerrillas. I think the whole of Africa is glad to see them back on this biggest of continental stages.
The open nature of the field, the wonderful stadia and surroundings, and the passion of the African people for football will, I believe, make this one of the best Africa Cup of Nations tournaments in history. African football is on the rise and this is our chance to prove this to the rest of the world.
May the best team win!

This Could Be The Best Ever

As I’m sure you can imagine, right now I am a very proud man. To see the Zambian players lift the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in Gabon was a truly incredible moment for me, as I’m sure it was for every Zambian.
There are no short cuts when it comes to winning a major tournament like this. If you’re an underdog, sooner or later you will come up against the big teams and if you want to succeed, you have to be able to beat anyone. And that is exactly what we did.
This success has been the result of many years of planning, going back to Zambia’s failure to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. It was then that we went back to the drawing board and set out four points for the next five years:
<ul>
<li>To take Zambian football into a new dawn, both on and off the field; nationally, continentally and globally.</li>
<li>To galvanise the nation by re-igniting the passion of each and every Zambian for their national teams and clubs.</li>
<li>To strive to attain the highest standard of football through sustained development, key partnerships and international exposure.</li>
<li>For Zambian football to become a continental powerhouse and reclaim its rightful place in African football once again.</li>
</ul>
<div id="attachment_697" style="width: 520px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-697" class="size-full wp-image-697" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/RTR2XK1S.jpg" alt="" width="510" height="322" />Zambia&#8217;s soccer team players pay homage to victims of the Zambian Air Force Buffalo DHC-5D plane crash, along the Atlantic Ocean in Gabon&#8217;s capital Libreville, February 9, 2012. The specially arranged Air Force Buffalo carrying Zambia&#8217;s national football team ditched into the Atlantic Ocean about 500 metres offshore from Libreville on April 27, 1993, killing all 25 passengers and five crew members. Zambia will play Ivory Coast in the final match of the African Cup of Nations football tournament at the Stade De L&#8217;Amitie Stadium on February 12. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya (GABON &#8211; Tags: SPORT SOCCER DISASTER)</div>
This dream was well documented and one that we followed for six years. We put various structures in place, we stuck to our beliefs and I am so happy to look back now and see all that hard work has paid off. Our vision has been achieved; now we have to work even harder to maintain and to improve.
Our biggest asset is our team spirit. The Cup of Nations winning squad isn’t full of superstars playing for top European clubs; it is a predominantly African-based group of players. Five of the squad are based at home in Zambia; eight in South Africa; and five with the DR Congo giants, TP Mazembe, while midfielder Jonas Sakuwaha is with Al-Merreikh in Sudan. Captain Chris Katongo and James Chamanga play in China and the young midfielder, Chisamba Lungu, is in the Russian second flight with Ural Sverdlovsk. Only the centre-forward, Emmanuel Mayuka, plays for a top-flight European club, Swiss side Young Boys.
But they are a very tight-knit team. The players all know one another’s strengths and weaknesses, and that comes from having been developed as a unit over the past few years. We have generated a new crop of players, who are young and determined. As I said, we may not have big names, but we have a team unit, and teamwork is vital for success. You can list all the superstar players you like but if they can’t play together as a team, they won’t win anything. Our togetherness has been our defining strength at the Cup of Nations.
We are also blessed with a fantastic coach in Hervé Renard. He is very popular and respected among the players, but he is also not afraid to impose discipline. And perhaps most importantly, the players believed in and embraced his philosophy and tactics.
Hervé ensured the players were prepared for everything and anything. We rode our luck at times, but slowly the boys started to believe in themselves. We believed in the system we played, we believed in the tactical approach, we believed in the substitutions that were made at key points in games.
Before the competition, we told the players that we had one opportunity and that all we could do was give it our best shot. And as the competition progressed, the more they believed in themselves, the better they played.
Of course, it is particularly poignant that we were crowned champions just a few kilometres away from the exact location where my team-mates perished after their plane went down some 19 years ago. I thought it was important, before the tournament started, to tell the players that if we got to Libreville, it would be emotional because not a day goes past without us thinking about what happened in 1993. When we went to the Sabelir Beach in Libreville to lay wreaths in remembrance of the team that perished there, something truly magical happened. The loud single clap of thunder when we arrived, the curiously warm Atlantic Ocean water and the way in which the waves came up and took the wreaths straight back into the sea were all small, unexplained and enchanting signs that something special was happening.
Since that fateful day in 1993, there have been many highs and lows. But to finally be crowned champions of Africa is the ultimate tribute to those we lost that day. If they were still with us, they would be very proud of this team. Their dreams are our dreams, and the dream to become African champions has come true. For me personally, after reaching the AFCON final in 1994 as captain, with a brand new squad, and narrowly losing to Nigeria, to finally raise the trophy in Libreville at this year’s final is nothing short of the stuff dreams are made of.
We went to the Cup of Nations with humility and soulful inspiration; our boys were incredibly motivated and had great aspirations. Before the competition started, no one would have given us a chance. Now Chipolopolo have made history. Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

Enchanting Signs That  Something Special Is Happening

The stadium was chanting his name. People were everywhere—in the aisles, hanging on the railings—all pushing for a glimpse of the game. The match was sold out and the crowd was moving constantly. Every person was shouting out one name. 
“Madiba! Madiba!” 
Nelson Mandela was out on the field wearing the captain’s jersey of Neil Tovey—a carbon copy of his appearance at the South African rugby triumph the year before. 
It was the Africa Cup of Nations final at FNB stadium, in Johannesburg, on February 2, 1996. 
Bafana Bafana or ‘Boys Boys’ were playing Tunisia. En route to the final, South Africa had beaten giants Cameroon in the group stages and Ghana in the semi-final.
<div id="attachment_506" style="width: 484px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-506" class="size-large wp-image-506" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Par6857705-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="474" height="316" />Zambia national football team players celebrate their victory at the end of the African Cup of Nations final football match between Ivory Coast and Zambia at the Stade de l&#8217;Amitie in Libreville, on February 12, 2012. AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI</div>
The nation was behind them and 80,000 people crammed into the stadium as Bafana Bafana lifted the cup as the undisputed kings of African football; confirmation that South Africa—after years of exile because of apartheid—was the vibrant and emerging power in African football. 
Sixteen years later and the national team is an embarrassment. As small nations from Botswana to Gabon vied for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in recent weeks, the South African team could only watch on TV. It was even more embarrassing because one of the reasons South Africa failed to qualify is that no-one had bothered to read the rule book. 
Playing the final game of the qualifiers, Bafana played at home against Sierra Leone in Nelspruit. The team and the coaches believed they only needed a draw to progress to the continental tournament on goal difference. They played to a 0-0 draw, and at the final whistle the crowd erupted as the home team danced on the pitch in celebration. 
Minutes later, the team was informed that they had better stop celebrating because they had not made it. Rule 14.1 clearly states the team with the “greater number of points obtained in the matches between the concerned teams” will go through. 
In short, only an outright win by Bafana in Nelspruit would have guaranteed them qualification. 
The South African Football Association (SAFA), in a knee-jerk reaction, launched an appeal to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). 
SAFA president, Kirsten Nematandani, infamously told TV news station eNews: “Those rules are wrong.” 
When it became abundantly clear that the rules were not wrong and South Africa had not, in fact, been victimized and cheated, SAFA admitted to misreading the rule book. 
Many were quick to call for the head of national coach Pitso Mosimane, and while he should share some of the responsibility, his job is on the pitch. 
The coach always has to fight to get players released from the local clubs when they are called up for national duty and SAFA does not always help. It’s quite simple; to get players released, international fixtures have to be scheduled on FIFA-sanctioned dates as clubs are then required to allow players the national call-up. 
But this is seldom the case, and clubs then have the right to refuse players. It means Mosimane will rarely have the luxury of calling on a first choice team. Then, when the team underperforms, he is the one to feel the criticism. 
Matters came to a head in January, when Mosimane was forced to pick what was effectively classed a ‘third team’, for matches against big guns Zambia and Ghana. 
SAFA downgraded the fixtures from international friendlies to ‘practice matches’, fearing South Africa would plummet down the rankings with this side. As it turned out, Mosimane’s charges were able to draw both matches, which was particularly impressive against Ghana—one of the favorites for the Africa Cup of Nations. 
After the Ghana match, Mosimane—with the pressure seemingly getting to him—launched a verbal tirade against the media. 
“How many times have you written my obituary?” were his first words in the post-match press conference. 
The rift between Mosimane and SAFA is clear for all to see, but the mighty association of football in the rainbow nation does not seem overly concerned. 
Another problem the national team has, and it is not a new one, is that the best South African players head overseas and do not see the honor in representing their national team. 
A prime example is Benni McCarthy. He is South Africa’s all-time leading top goal scorer and in his prime snubbed Bafana. 
After making his debut for the team in 1997 as a 19-year-old, he soon rose to superstar status and was the joint top scorer at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations. 
Then, after his second FIFA World Cup in 2002 where the team failed to make it through to the knockout stages, he announced his retirement from international football at the age of 25, when he would have been just reaching his prime. 
He came out of retirement after two years, but South Africa did not qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and effectively ended his world cup career. 
The reason, one can only surmise, is that a national contract would not be able to offer him anything close to what he would get at his club side, where he was just starting out at Portuguese side Porto. 
His story is typical of the situation in which South Africa finds itself: players who are world-class leave, never to return. The national side is made up of a collection of decent club performers, but will never be a team that can compete with the best in the world. 
SAFA needs to start being proactive—year after year, they make the same promises and the media and the public are tiring. 
Bafana Bafana should not be seen as the ugly step-child that nobody wants, and SAFA needs to stop making simple problems complicated. The national team have to be allowed the best possible team whenever they play and SAFA must realize that in a football-mad country, the beautiful game can help unify a nation as it did all those years ago.

Cry, The  Beloved Country

<h4> FORBES AFRICA (FA): How is Samsung’s partnership with the Africa Cup of Nations boosting the development of football in Africa and what was the company’s strategy behind its involvement in the tournament?</h4>
KK Park (KKP): Football is a passion we share with our customers in Africa, and Samsung is thrilled to play a part in this celebration of African football. As an official sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations since 2008, Samsung has provided many programmes for fans to engage both inside and outside the football stadiums. For example, we have sponsored the ‘Samsung Fair Player Award’ for each game, contributing to the spirit of good sportsmanship in football. Our Africa Cup of Nations sponsorship forms just a part of our commitment to sport on the continent.
Our commitment to football in Africa is also part of our broader strategy of constantly looking for opportunities to engage with our consumers and to help them do the things they love. Just two weeks ago, Samsung and Chelsea FC hosted a Youth Football Camp in Ghana and Ivory Coast to improve the skills of children, aged between nine and 13. We also sponsor the Nigerian national football team.
By supporting sports and recreation initiatives at local, regional and international levels, we believe we can make a tangible difference in the lives of young people and our customers across the continent.
<h4>FA: How important is the African continent to Samsung’s bottom line? What is your growth target for the next five years and how do you tailor your products for the continent?</h4>
KKP: Our belief is that Africa is an incredibly important market for a variety of reasons. The growth of the market is tremendous, and so is the opportunity to develop new lines of business and even new products. For us, Africa is blazing a new path, and Samsung plans to be part of that. One of the ways in which we’re supporting African consumers is our Built for Africa product line. ‘Built for Africa’ was born from our legacy of constant innovation. Our specific insight was to take our products and to look for ways of making them even better. Often this means improving a product to help our consumers navigate their local environment. For example power surges often damage electronic products in Africa. Therefore we created products such as our SurgeSafe TVs, Triple Protector Air Conditioners, and Duracool Fridges—ll with built-in surge protection. This initiative has already seen enormous success, and we are very excited about the next generation of Built for Africa products that we will be unveiling at our Africa Forum 2012, this March in Cape Town.
<h3>FA: How does Built for Africa fit into your overall strategy for the continent?</h3>
KKP: The key to our engagement with Africa is our belief that we need to contribute to African society not only through localized products, but also by supporting the development of talent in the region. This means that Samsung is deeply committed to growing capacity in Africa. You can see this reflected in our Hope for Children program, which consists of three initiatives meant to help ensure the education of the next generation of Africans. First, we are opening our Samsung Electronics Engineering Academies, which support the development of African engineers and then help graduating students find jobs within Samsung. Our current goal is to develop 10,000 electronics engineers across the continent by 2015. Second we have developed unique Schools, Solar Powered Internet  portable schools aimed at increasing accessibility to education and connectivity in remote rural areas with limited or no access to electricity. Finally, we have our Mobile Education program, which involves working with universities and content developers in different African countries to customize mobile apps and educational content for Africa.

Tag: Africa Cup of Nations

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Tears of a wouNded bull

The President That Taught Us To Die A Little

MAY TALENT TRIUMPH

Mba! On A Sunday Of Madness And Gladness

This Could Be The Best Ever

Enchanting Signs That Something Special Is Happening

Cry, The Beloved Country

Built For Africa