Which side are you on?
By K. Abdullai Kamara
While
If one passes around certain communities, you see clear, passionate and festive signs of support activities. This colorful solidarity is reflected by loud, widespread, noisy and sometimes violent arguments about one side or cream of players being better than others, as well as the wanton display of colors, showing support for one side or another.
Aside from turning out in huge numbers to watch the games at nearby video clubs or in neighbors’ residences, hundreds of fans wear home-designed t-shirts and flaunt colors of their sides. You should not be surprised to see flags of opposing teams -
If you would ask which teams are supported around
Supports are also shown by the communities present in
At the end of each 90-minutes of plays, then you know that these fans are really crazy about their sides. In some communities there are long parades extolling their victory as being the result of hardwork and talent, while downplaying the others as being "fee-see" and not worth being at the cup. After a recent match involving one of the neighboring countries, the victors sang, "you nah wan see us, you will feel it." On another occasion, the victors sang, "no more Fula bread, we want Fanti bread."
Though the bulk of these fans do not hail from these countries, they only exemplify what we all perceive as a united African continent. While thousands have paid hard earned fares to watch the games on site, millions of others are sharing the joy, thousand of miles away through the magic of technology. In effect, the love of football (sports in a general sense) is breaking down barriers and providing an opportunity for people of all age and diversities to come together.
Taking sides with other Africans brings forth a form of love that we envision would eventually bring all Africans together under a common body politic. Blyden, Nkrumah, Garvey, DuBois, Padmore and other pan-Africanists should have thought out football as the vehicle through which the dream of a common African body politic would be organized. Despite this optimism, I wonder what each of us are thinking on a personal and non-football level? As recent as last week the West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) was protesting the manhandling of its staff by Beninoise immigration personnel, as they were traveling to
Beyond that, richer North African states and
For now, we will watch the games, shout up and down about one team or another, and fold up after the trophy is snatched by one side or another. Thereafter, the Sudanese and Zambian will be asked to justify while he stayed one day beyond his "visa." Also, the Ivorian will detain the Sierra Leonean for traveling after hours, even though that very African had traveled to
So far for the politics, and now the teams I support. My sides have been selected more because of proximity, and not necessarily because of exile status. To that effect, the nearest countries to
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K. Abdullai Kamara is a Media, ICT & Peace Building Specialist; a Human Rights, Democracy & Development Advocate; and an Expert on Liberian Affairs (socio-political, cultural, historical & geographic). He lives in
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