African Soccer Captivates World

by Abigail Knowles Wolfe (BPRW)

Soccer, that slightly elusive European sport called football that Americans have caught onto, little by little to the point of unbridled devotion, holds much of the world’s attention during key tournaments. Every two years the Africa Cup of Nations is held, bringing players from across the globe home to compete for their respective countries of origin. The nation of Ghana won the right to host the 2008 MTN Africa Cup of Nations held from January 20th through February 10th.

It is little known fact to many African Americans and most other groups in this nation alike that the continent of Africa’s top 16 national teams convene every other year in what is now being described as a competition rivaling the astounding “football” dynamism of South America and European soccer. The 2008 Africa Cup of Nations is the 26th of such meetings of the soccer titans, and this year, not only are a handful of African players being pulled from their prestigious spots in European leagues to compete, over 100 of this year’s Africa Cup players have left their high-status positions on renowned teams to play for their home countries.

Players from the leading clubs in England, France, Germany and Spain reportedly took the field for their homes nations of Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and others to compete for the prestige of winning the African title as well as going on to represent the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. This 2009 tournament will be held in South African a year prior to the 2010 FIFA World Cup which is the largest soccer event in the world to which people will fly from across the globe to attend games in support of their nation or nations of origin.

As teams across Europe and other parts of globe experience the temporary absence of some of their best players, at least the rest of the world can tune in to view African’s Cup on TV and witness electrifying sportsmanship in action.