The Africa Cup of Nations, the continent's bi-annual soccer showcase, is
scheduled to run from January 17 to February 8, 2015. Sponsors are
contracted. Qualifying is well underway. There's just one problem: The
tournament doesn't have a host country. Morocco had agreed to host the
tournament, but the North Africans, fearing a possible Ebola outbreak,
balked.
The Moroccans had asked to postpone the tournament, but that request
was met with a resounding "no." Instead, in a meeting yesterday, the
Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF),
African soccer's governing body, expelled Morocco from the tournament.
The CAF must now scramble to find a new host nation.
It's hard to tell who is being more ridiculous, the CAF or Morocco. On
the one hand, Morocco has a responsibility to consider the health and
welfare of its citizens, and that responsibility goes well beyond any
contract to host a soccer tournament, which is something the CAF should
respect. Furthermore, the Moroccan soccer federation isn't the same
thing as the Moroccan government, and, even if it was, to punish the
players of the Moroccan national team for such a decision is misguided.
On the other hand, Morocco's concern about Ebola is pretty overblown.
Yes, it's a dangerous disease, but it's also localized to only three of
the CAF's 56 member associations, none of which are Morocco or
neighbors of Morocco. And while it would be theoretically possible for a
person with Ebola to travel to Morocco and infect a bunch of people,
it's not likely. For one thing, Ebola is far less contagious than people
tend to realize. For another, none of the teams from any of Africa's
three infected countries have yet to qualify for the tournament. Liberia
was already eliminated, and Sierra Leone and Guinea are both in last
place in their respective qualifying groups. If none of them qualify,
there's not a great incentive for fans from those countries to attend.
And anyway, you'd think they have better things to worry about than a
soccer tournament in Morocco.
That the CAF decided to move forward with the tournament has surprised
many observers. There isn't a long list of countries in Africa capable
of putting on a major tournament with two months' notice. Such an event
takes a great deal of coordination and planning—security, hospitality,
transportation—not to mention a baseline of critical infrastructure,
like stadiums.
To make matters worse, in the 24 hours since yesterday's decision, many
of the countries on that shortlist have taken themselves out of
consideration. South Africa, which recently hosted the 2010 World Cup
and the 2013 Cup of Nations, has already declined.
"No, South Africa, or the South African Football Association, is not
one of the countries to have shown a latest desire to replace Morocco as
hosts for the 2015 AFCON finals," the South Africa Football
Association's Dominic Chimhamvi said late yesterday. "That's the
position we were on a few days or weeks ago, and it hasn't changed."
Nigeria, a country that has successfully eradicated Ebola, also bowed
out. Nigeria's Punchspoke to an unnamed, "very highly placed official of
the sports ministry," this morning. "No, we are not in any way asking
to take over," he said. "Nigeria won't host the competition and that is
the position."
Algeria is probably the last remaining host option, at least in Africa.
There are widespread reports that a country in the Asian federation has
stepped forward and offered to host the tournament. The CAF has yet to
comment, but France's L'Equipe is reporting the country is Qatar.
If Qatar does go on to successfully host the Cup of Nations, it would
be a major coup for the tiny Persian Gulf nation. Since being selected
to host the 2022 World Cup, Qatar has come under heavy criticism. The
working conditions for laborers in the country are slave-like, and
concerns over the heat are so widespread that FIFA is apparently
considering moving the 2022 World Cup to the winter, when temperatures
are lower.
By hosting the Cup of Nations, which takes place in winter, Qatar could
prove the viability of a winter World Cup while flipping off its many
doubters and critics.
It's kind of a perfect solution, and it definitely fits the
tournament's tone. AFCON has always had an element of fuck you about it.
It takes place, unapologetically and much to the chagrin of many
European managers, right in the middle of the European soccer season,
meaning many of the world's best players miss a large period of European
club competition. It's the showpiece event for the world's most
disenfranchised and misunderstood continent, a chance for Africans to
exert a little power, to throw a little party by Africa, for Africa. And
if that comes with a chance to take a dig at Europe, all the better
Story;GhanaWeb
Read more here
No comments:
Post a Comment