Mamadou Gaye, Pan-Africanism, and the Black Stars

During our time in Durban, Bill and I spent a fair amount of time watching SuperSport's World Cup coverage. They have an outstanding crew of announcers and studio analysts. Our favorite was a guy named Mamadou Gaye (left), from la Côte-d'Ivoire. Gaye shoots from the hip and offers his unvarnished opinion, which is often critical, a nice break from announcers who demur from criticizing the athletes they cover. He is also an unabashed homer. His pick for the matchup in the final game of the World Cup is Côte-d'Ivoire vs. Ghana, and he wore a Nigerian track suit on the air.

Mr. Gaye personifies the general feeling of solidarity among the African nations at this World Cup. Sure, every African wants his or her own country to do well. But if that does not work out, his or her next choice is one of the other African countries, especially one south of the Sahara (putting Algeria in a somewhat awkward position). They really view this as the Cup for the whole continent. The advertising for the Brazil-Côte-d'Ivoire match billed it as "a massive game for the continent."

My sense is that Africans suffer from a general inferiority complex, not just in soccer, but in all world affairs since the first Europeans arrived and the first slave ships sailed. Their rich land has been plundered and exploited, their people subjugated and enslaved, their traditions rejected. All they want is a measure of respect and dignity. All of Africa feels like this is truly a chance to show the world that they CAN DO IT!, both on and off the pitch.

Off the pitch, they're doing great. Millions of visitors, including myself, will leave Africa with a newfound appreciation for all things African: the friendly, welcoming people; the dramatic and beautiful landscape; and the rich history and culture. It's not all famine and AIDS; the continent's billion-plus people have a lot more on the positive side of the ledger. And the tournament itself has been well-run, albeit with a few logistical issues (i.e. Rustenburg post-game, running out of beer at Germany-Australia).

On the pitch, the six African nations in the Cup (one more than normal because they are hosting) have not lived up to their fantastic nicknames:

• The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon were swept out with three losses
  
• The Super Eagles of Nigeria only managed one draw and blew their match against Greece
• The Desert Foxes of Algeria did not score a single goal, drawing only once against England
• South Africa's Bafana Bafana (Zulu for "The Boys, The Boys"; didn't get a straight answer for why they say it twice) drew with tough Mexico and slayed France, but sandwiched in between was a crushing, deflating 3-nil loss to Uruguay that ended their hopes
• Les Eléphants de la Côte-d'Ivoire, the strongest African team on paper, got stuck in the "Group of Death" with Brazil and Portugal where a draw and a 3-0 over North Korea were not enough, despite having Africa's best player, Didier Drogba
  

That leaves the Black Stars of Ghana to carry the torch for all one billion Africans into their match against the United States tomorrow. Ghana is tough, having eliminated the USA 2-1 in the 2006 Cup. Many of its players ply their trade in the top leagues in Europe. But the game tomorrow in Rustenburg is vastly different than that game four years ago in Nuremberg. The stands should be almost entirely pro-Ghana, with a lot of Bafana Bafana supporters blowing the vuvuzela for their African brethren. Will the home crowd help the Black Stars rise to the occasion and take down the USA one more time? Or will the pressure and expectations be too much, leading the team to be nervous and tentative?

The USA will be focused and ready; our team thrives on going into the hostile environments of CONCACAF. (The Mexican have thrown bags of urine on the Americans at Estadio Azteca.) Can Ghana seize the moment? That's why they play the games. Should be fun! U-S-A!!!