http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...rebels?cc=4716
Russian fears, Drogba & Libyan rebels
September 10, 2011
Tis week's Africa Report reads like socio-political football commentary, touching on why Libya's national team is extra-motivated by the political situation as well as why Africa's footballers r scared of flying in Russia.
Libya hv not lost a game since Jan 5, 2010. Surprised? While the world media has been scavenging 4 all tat is bad abt the North African state, the Greens hv been quietly keeping the national psyche intact with their displays.
A week ago, the All Africa Games started in Mozambique. Football, being 1 of the 23 sports being contested tis time, takes pride of place in tis predominantly footballing nation. B4 the tournament, the AAG was hit with withdrawals, 1st fr Mauritania & then Libya.
Mauritania had already withdrawn fr the African Nations Cup qualifiers 4 next year, so it was no surprise. Libya, on the other hand, r still in African qualifying & in with a shout, but the troubles @ home meant the decision had 2 be made. In the end Egypt, Libya's only opponent, qualified by default.
The withdrawal of the Libyan contingent fr the Games was keenly monitored by the Mozambican press, who were readying themselves 4 the crucial African Cup qualifier with the Greens on September 3.
Mozambique had already played Libya in the 1st leg a year ago &, despite home advantage, they had failed 2 win. Tis 2nd leg was supposed 2 be Libya's home game but was, 4 security reasons, played in Egypt. However, Mozambique hoped the political tensions would allow Libya 2 withdraw fr tis game as well, giving them (Mozambique) a bye in the process.
How wrong they were. At the moment tis Libyan side is, if anything, more motivated than it has been in a long time. Football has always been used by authoritarian governments 2 push their agenda, but in the case of Libya, the national team is currently firmly inclined 2wards the National Transitional Council, who used 2 be the rebel opposition.
Fr a propagandist point of view, tis has severely damaged the support 4 the Gaddafi regime, as the soul of people carried with the national team sits in the rebels' hands. Since June, when goalkeeper Juma Gtat announced the team's decision 2 side with the NTC, 18 notable players hv also publicly followed suit.
Since 2004, when Libyana took over sponsorship, there hv been a smattering of upgrades 2 the league but it still remains semi-professional. Tis has meant tat there is no real competition, as the sport is ruled according 2 the whims of the elite. The country is awash with money, but very little of it is seen in football development. The largest stadium seats 65,000 & is, predictably, home 2 the nation's most successful club, Al Ittihad.
They hv won 16 of Libya's 41 league championships. The rest r shared among clubs based in Tripoli & Benghazi. Then there is Al Madina, who share the same June 11 Stadium tat houses Al Ittihad. The rest of the stadiums in the league do not measure up @ all, ranging fr 2,000 to 20,000 seaters.
The best talents r usually snapped up in their youth by the big clubs, making the other teams perennial pedestrians. However, as in many cases, there is the occasional juggernaut. Despite playing 4 the small Akhdar club in Bayda, the country's 4th largest city, Abdelhameed al Zaidani scored 21 goals in the 2007 season. It remains the highest number of goals scored in a single Libya Premier League season. He still plays there, & is a rare success outside of the big clubs in Tripoli & Benghazi, where the power & money is centred.
All of tis has led 2 the current national side feeling a wave of patriotism they hv not felt b4. They went in2 the game against Mozambique with a swagger tat disconcerted the Black Mambas. Back home, hundreds had gathered near Martyr's Square 2 watch on large screens. It was the 1st match since rebels took control of the capital.
The team wore a new white jersey with the 3 colours of the pre-Gaddafi flag adopted by the NTC. Libya controlled the tempo of the game, which was played behind closed doors. On 31 mins, Rabie el-Lofi scored wat would be the only goal. Against all odds, Libya had temporarily gone top of Group C, meaning qualification 4 the next African Nations Cup is almost certain.
Watching Yaroslavl in fear
The plane carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl team of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League crashed near Yaroslavl on Wednesday. 43 ppl died, including players & officials fr 10 nations. The team was on its way 2 Minsk, Belarus, in order 2 start the 2011/12 hockey league season. Due 2 the international make-up of the league, tis tragedy reverberated throughout the hockey world.
Though not directly affected, football also took notice. Russia has 16 teams in its premier soccer league, spread around a geographically large area. Moscow alone has 4 teams, 1 of which is CSKA, home of the league's joint top scorer, Seydou Doumbia. "Obviously the airlines try hard 2 get us 2 & fr games but we can't help thinking abt our safety when we r supposed 2 fly," he said.
Fr Ivory Coast, the man many hv called "the new Drogba" is the reason CSKA sit atop the league, with his 13 goals in 20 games making them fav 2 take 1 of 2 Champions League slots next season. Like most, he was shocked @ the demise of the hockey players, but was also worried abt the problem of air safety.
The Ivorian hitman has been courted by many European sides, so the logical question is: why has he not left if he is so worried abt air safety? "Any African player you ask tis question will tell you it's abt money. The money is quite good in the Moscow clubs." He also explained tat clubs r aware of the poor air safety record in Russia & do their best 2 make getting 2 games by air as infrequently as possible. "As much as possible we go 2 games by bus. But playing against Zenit, 4 example, means we hv 2 go by air." Zenit is the northernmost team in the Russian league.
Doumbia has scored 3 in CSKA's last 2 games, getting a brace against FC Tom Tomsk, 1800 miles east of Moscow."4 distances like tat u hv 2 go by air. Just b4 we left Sheremetyevo [Airport], our flight was delayed becos our club officials were not satisfied with the pre-flight checks. It's normal."
Apart fr FC Tom Tomsk in Siberia, all the Russian league teams r in the west of the country. But in Russia, the world's largest country, the word "west" comprises a huge landmass. Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston told me abt the transport fears players faced. He played in 3 diff Russian teams betw 2004 & 2007.
"I played 4 Krylia Sovetov, Terek Grozny & Lokomotiv Moscow & @ all 3 places, players spoke abt how poor air services were." According 2 him, players in other European leagues usually love flying 2 games since it was safer. Not in Russia. "It was very common 4 us 2 hear funny noises in planes if we travelled over long distances. When u tell the club bosses, they will say there is nothing much they can do."
The situation needs urgent attention, as Russia has already had 15 plane crashes tis year alone. However, it seems the lure of $ keeps pulling African footballers there. Are they doing it @ the risk of their lives? We hope not.
Drogba: Le politicien
Obviously, it's great 2 be Didier Drogba - with the $, fame & the glamour. It is esp so in the Ivory Coast, where he is almost deified. However, in the past few months, being Drogba has meant taking responsibility & effecting roles tat do not involve scoring goals - @ least not on the football field.
Following the country's post-election conflict tat plunged everything in2 chaos, the Ivory Coast government contacted the Chelsea man 4 a special assignment. He was asked 2 be part of a special 11-member commission with a difficult job: reconciling a nation thru advocacy & dialogue.
He accepted. His specific role would be 2 score goals in the hearts of his countrymen, esp those in the Diaspora. Due 2 his current injury, Drogba could not attend the 1st sitting of the commission tat took place during the recent international break. But what made Drogba so appealing 4 tis political job, outside his popularity?
The player is Catholic, which guarantees him accessibility with the country's Christian minority - the bulk of whom r Catholic. His wife, Lalla, is a Muslim which scores him valuable points among the religious majority who mostly live in the north. She is also Malian, which means he will beat the offside trap set by traditional apathy fr the large foreign West African population, who live & trade in the country.
Ivory Coast's economy is also heavily reliant on remittances fr its citizens abroad, & Drogba is expected 2 hold meetings with them whenever possible. The msg will be obvious: help me kick ethnocentrism out & let's get Ivory Coast the 3 points.
He has started brilliantly, alrdy. Aft the injury he sustained @ Norwich, he sent emissaries 2 speak on his behalf in a meeting with Ivorians in London. In the video message, he apologised 4 his inability 2 be there but relayed the message clearly. He ended by asking his countrymen 2 push 4 peace.
But not every1 is hapi with the striker's decision 2 accept tis latest challenge. Drogba is fr the Bete tribe, where the deposed Laurent Gbagbo comes fr. At the height of the post-election troubles tis year, the rebels attacked Drogba's village, burning down his home in the process. Although Drogba has asked 4 the incident 2 be forgotten, many of his tribesmen r dishing political yellow cards @ every opportunity.
So far, Drogba is dodging the flying tackles. Here's 2 hoping he goes unbeaten.