Musing Moment: DANGER of an African Team Winning the World Cup....

In my view, there is danger lurking around the corner if an African team ever wins the World Cup or truly threatens to do so. There is too much at stake for an African team to do so and for Europe sitting around. At the moment, it isn't a major question because no African team has ever threatened to win the World Cup. None has ever come really close. In almost a century of the Cup, African teams have not even reached the final-four stage! But it is getting close. What happens when it occurs? Can Africa fight back?

With African teams increasingly seeking to co-opt players developed in Europe but born to African parents, the stage of the emergence of a competitive African team is not far removed. Yes, Africa is currently attracting the dregs of that talent but it will not be long when the real talents among that group begin to declare for their parents' home teams. We already saw the building of France’s World Cup wins in recent times. But France is part of Europe. The challenge is how will Europe react when it is Africa, not France, at the zenith? Make no mistake about it. It won’t be pretty. 

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Yes, Africa is currently attracting the dregs of that talent but it will not be long when the real talents among that group begin to declare for their parents' home teams . . . The challenge is how will Europe react when it is Africa, not France, at the zenith? Make no mistake about it. It won’t be pretty. 

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What is that Reaction?

Europe has, thus far, held off the challenge from the upcoming footballing nations in Africa, Asia and elsewhere by refusing to give up World Cup places. The result is that FIFA has compromised by increasing the number of teams in the World Cup finals with intention of recognizing the growth of national team football in Africa and also placating Europe's concerns. However, this compromise has its limits and that limit is being approached at a breakneck speed. Already, the World Cup finals will have an extraordinary number of teams -- 48 to be exact!

The tension between placating Europe and addressing the development of national teams in Africa and Asia will explode when Africa or Asia wins the World Cup or even seriously threaten to win it. At that point, Europe can no longer make the case that it deserves more teams at the World Cup finals on account of curated good performances. Not that such claim had ever been truly convincing. Yet, Europe will not give up its hold on majority of World Cip berths that easily, whether or not Africa or Asia wins the World Cup. Take that to the bank. However, because Europe's age-old argument of dominating the World Cup would have come crashing down, Europe will find a way to address this challenge. So, what would Europe do?

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. . . because Europe's age-old argument of dominating the World Cup would have come crashing down, Europe will find a way to address this challenge. So, what would Europe do?

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In my view, Europe will develop another global competition to compete against the World Cup. It will be one that Europe can dominate again! So, what is that competition? It will be one based on leagues and not one based on citizenship. European leaders would argue that it is (1) a way to prevent the constant travel of players to distant places and shortchanging of clubs that pay the wages of the players, (2) they would demur the absence of players from club games and argue that league-based international competition ensures that clubs and players control fixtures under FIFA’s watch, (3) that this will prevent the disruption of players' family lives, (4) that the fans will be attracted to this because of familiarity with players that represent them, and (5) additional bullshit.

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European leaders would argue that it is (1) a way to prevent the constant travel of players to distant places and shortchanging of clubs that pay the wages of the players, (2) they would demur the absence of players from club games and argue that league-based international competition ensures that clubs and players control fixtures under FIFA’s watch, (3) that this will prevent the disruption of players' family lives, (4) that the fans will be attracted to this because of familiarity with players that represent them, and (5) additional bullshit.

                                                            __________________               

But the real reason? The fact that the often-dominated Africa has suddenly challenged Europe at the World Cup. However, this very excuse shall not be brought up or advanced. It is shameful to admit. Instead, wordsmithing an excuse will suffice.

What Happens to Africa then?

Unfortunately, the African football leaders who are already married to their support of European clubs and their present and persistent travels to watch European leagues will compromise. For them, the future of Africa is never important. What dominates is personal and ever-present self-interests and inducements. They will sell Africa short. Africa will comprehensively become the farm for football. The football backwater. The dream of ever winning global laurels will dim. 

While this era of football leadership in Africa will be recorded in ignominy, the perpetrators will come out as fat cats. They would compromise and sell whoever is in their way of individual riches. Meanwhile, Africans in their millions will smile sheepishly in their dream wearing the recently purchased Arsenal colors, EPL colors, Barcelona colors and much more. For them, it is glorifying to cheer for those and a new dispensation of English Premiership, La Liga, Serie A, among others but not for TP Mazembe, Al Ahly, Enugu Rangers, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Zambia, and the like. It will be total football re-colonization. It harkens back to a neocolonialism that will be complete and deeper than the first ‘capture.’ While the first introduced European sport, the new one shall co-opt fans. This will not just be political and mental, it will include extreme mercantilism. The signs are there, already.

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It harkens back to a neocolonialism that will be complete and deeper than the first ‘capture.’ While the first introduced European sport, the new one shall co-opt fans. This will not just be political and mental, it will include extreme mercantilism. The signs are there, already.

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Can it be Checkmated?

The final nail in creating an eternal football subjugation of the rest of the world by Europe would have occurred by the introduction of a global competition among national leagues and the archiac-ation of the current regime of the World Cup. But can it be checkmated? 

Checkmating this move is impossible given the present state of the world and the complete European hegemony. Yet, we still can dream. We can dream of a possibility, no matter how remote. That dream is that there is some miraculous economic upsurge in Africa. It is after all economic power that has led us down this part of football colonization by Europe that is currently sweeping the entire world. The checkmate to that domination is the economy itself, a certain reversal that rescues the rest of the world from Europe's tentacles and dictates. It is only then that a truly balanced global competition can be restored.