It is very interesting to see how countries outside Africa participating in
World Youth Cup soccer championships has reacted to conditions in Africa.
I have never heard of any African country and their players complaining
about how cold it is to play in temperate countries.  Most European
football clubs are anchored today by very talented African players who play
in temperate climes and are very happy about the money they make just as
the clubs are happy about the accolades they bring them.  Clearly, this to
me is a good deal for the players, who are making money for themselves
personally and also families and countries.

It seems to me,  if it is to make money in Africa, non-Africans have
creative ways of going in to Africa and will sacrifice everything to go
make that money. You name it.  It could be a bunch of deadly mosquitoes,
and they would go  in and get the gold and cocoa.  It could be the heat and

humidity, and they will go in and get the oil.  It would be rampaging
savages,
corrupt governments and what have you, and they will go and get whatever
they want.

But if Africans should beat them in soccer, it becomes an unpleasant
situation and there ought to be reasons why. Kaduna is too hot, Port
Harcourt is too humid, and Ghana and Nigeria played in the late evening,
etc., etc.  I would imagine that the participating countries would have
complained first when they saw the schedules.  Obviously, they would have
been helped if they had bothered to learn more about the conditions in the
host country.  (In my geography and history courses in school I know more
about North America and Europe than the average American or European).

Scheduling international tournaments is not new to FIFA.  FIFA knows hot
conditions in Africa are, and hopefully FIFA will schedule future
tournaments at appropriate times of the day.  Because, unquestionably, the
future of world soccer is Africa and it is about time more the
international tournaments were brought to Africa, once the facilities are
in place.

Africans fought for several years to have more representation in the World
Cup series.  One Britain (or the United Kingdom) as we all know has ever
had a seat in the United Nations. Yet when it comes to World Cup Soccer,
England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland have a chance of being represented
individually.

We are on the verge on the millennium now, soon it will be the 21st
Century, and all those who thought that Africa will remain as it is today
have
better readjust their thinking. Forty years ago Asia did not exist as an
economic power house.  Today all the new technologies are being tested in
Africa and the young and fledging countries are finding countries and its
peoples now know who they are in the world.

To me, the big question is what we Africans are doing to change the world
in our life time and for our forebears.  Like this soccer situation.  Kwame
Nkrumah, Jomo Kenyatta, Juluis Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda, Modibo Keita, Abdel
Nasser, Patrice Lumumba, Sekou Toure, and many others did their part forty
years ago.  What will our children and grand children remember us for?

We Africans are content will continue to play soccer in the hot and humid
conditions, bear footed, on our dirt fields without a blade grass in sight,
and we will
still dominate in the world of youth soccer. If the rest of the world is
interested in joining us, they are very welcome.

Cheers.
----------
> From: Felix Ossia <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Soccer-Coaches condemn games in searing heat
> Date: Saturday, April 17, 1999 12:19 PM
>
> Soccer-Coaches condemn games in searing heat
>
> By Brian Homewood
>
> LAGOS, April 16 (Reuters) - Ireland have blamed the sweltering heat of
> Nigeria for their World Youth Cup exit.
>
> Coach Brian Kerr said after his team were beaten by the hosts in a second
> round penalty shoot-out on Wednesday: ``The boys are drained because of
the
> heat. Without it, we would have beaten Nigeria.''
>
> Costa Rica, Zambia, Spain, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and Croatia have
also
> claimed their poor performances were caused by a problem which Diego
Maradona
> once predicted would eventually kill a player.
>
> Matches have often been played in unsuitable conditions in the last two
> decades but rarely have players been expected to perform in the furnace
> temperatures experienced here.
>
> Even though the tournament is being played at the hottest time of year,
teams
> have been routinely expected to play in late afternoon with conditions at
> their fiercest.
>
> Temperatures touching 40 Celsius have been common in northern venues such
as
> Kaduna, Bauchi and Kano. The coastal cities of Port Harcourt and Lagos
are
> slightly cooler but stifling humidity makes decent football impractical.
>
> Costa Rica coach Carlos Watson echoed Kerr after his team lost 2-0 to
Ghana
> on Wednesday. ``Today, it was too hot for us to play our normal game.
>
> Zambia and Spain blamed soaring temperatures after their sides played a
dire
> goalless draw in the southeastern city of Calabar.
>
> Like many other afternoon matches, the game was almost farcical and
played
> mostly at walking pace.
>
> Argentina coach Jose Peckerman, whose team lost to Mexico in an evening
game
> on Thursday, said enough was enough and that governing body FIFA should
end
> the practice of forcing players to run around under a merciless sun -- at
any
> age level.
>
> ``They should stop playing matches in these conditions. No matter how
well
> you prepare your players, you cannot compete normally,'' he said.
``Around 25
> Celsius is the maximum temperature at which you can play at a normal
speed.''
>
> Only Ghana and Nigeria, who have so far played all their games in the
> afternoon, seem to have been enjoying the conditions.
>
> ``Ghana have played all their matches at four o'clock and we don't know
why,
> added Peckerman. Nobody knows who decides these things. We have come here
to
> Nigeria in a positive frame of mind and then these things happen.''
>
> 09:28 04-16-99
>
>
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