June 28, 2010
Almost 100 years after the debut of what is today known as the world cup, the round-leather game widely christened football has finally assumed its global character and appeal by the allowance granted South Africa to host the quadrennial global fiesta from 11th June to 11th July, 2010 and starting with host country and Mexico. In all, thirty-two countries are representing six different continents/regions of the world, including Nigeria as one of the 6 African countries participating in the global event.
Almost 100 years after the debut of what is today known as the world cup, the round-leather game widely christened football has finally assumed its global character and appeal by the allowance granted South Africa to host the quadrennial global fiesta from 11th June to 11th July, 2010 and starting with host country and Mexico. In all, thirty-two countries are representing six different continents/regions of the world, including Nigeria as one of the 6 African countries participating in the global event.
The Political Economy of the Fiesta: -Since the hosting rights was given to South Africa over six years ago, various multinationals and domestic lumpen capitalists have swung into action with MTN, a South African-based telecommunication giant serving as the official sponsor of the game. Different promotional jingles and travelling packages were designed to encourage customers to part with more of their meager earnings and the allure of first-hand witnessing of the universal event has been too strong to resist forcing many to drain their pockets the more in search of illusory mother-luck.
On the home front, workers in South Africa were made to expend more working hours without noticeable appreciations in salary while costs of living have skyrocketed, with costs in transportation, hotel lodgings/accommodation, etc, going through the roof. And even the broadcasting rights for interested media come with stringent prize-tag that only the big players could readily afford.
Nigeria’s Participation and Implications for the Country-
Since Nigeria’s fortuitous qualification for the world cup, many have dimmed their hopes in the national team, though their opening match with a formidable Argentinean team that ended 1-0 in favour of the latter sort of belie their less than average qualification performances. At long last, Nigeria and 4 other African countries representing Africa had been eliminated, leaving only Ghana that sailed through to the second round of the competition.
What could be deduced from all this is that even against the backdrop of efforts like recruitment of a foreign coach, Lars Lagerback from Sweden, Nigeria’s representatives on the field of play could only secure a draw and two losses in the competition, because the Team lack in character and depth, devoid of the African ruggedness that defies all odds, ditto for most other African countries.
On a lighter mood, the world may have been jolted by the incessant and irritating noise coming from ‘vuvuzelas’ the South-African made horns aired in all the stadia, it symbolizes the cry of a continent that produces more than 60% of world’s natural wealth but remain most backward, economically, etc. And where best to view these contradictions than South Africa where the white supremacists with less than 30% of the population dominate over 75% of the economic and armed-forces power, leaving the majority of blacks with a political conundrum that defies all solutions to the apparent disequilibrium.
The Political Economy of the Fiesta: -Since the hosting rights was given to South Africa over six years ago, various multinationals and domestic lumpen capitalists have swung into action with MTN, a South African-based telecommunication giant serving as the official sponsor of the game. Different promotional jingles and travelling packages were designed to encourage customers to part with more of their meager earnings and the allure of first-hand witnessing of the universal event has been too strong to resist forcing many to drain their pockets the more in search of illusory mother-luck.
On the home front, workers in South Africa were made to expend more working hours without noticeable appreciations in salary while costs of living have skyrocketed, with costs in transportation, hotel lodgings/accommodation, etc, going through the roof. And even the broadcasting rights for interested media come with stringent prize-tag that only the big players could readily afford.
Nigeria’s Participation and Implications for the Country-
Since Nigeria’s fortuitous qualification for the world cup, many have dimmed their hopes in the national team, though their opening match with a formidable Argentinean team that ended 1-0 in favour of the latter sort of belie their less than average qualification performances. At long last, Nigeria and 4 other African countries representing Africa had been eliminated, leaving only Ghana that sailed through to the second round of the competition.
What could be deduced from all this is that even against the backdrop of efforts like recruitment of a foreign coach, Lars Lagerback from Sweden, Nigeria’s representatives on the field of play could only secure a draw and two losses in the competition, because the Team lack in character and depth, devoid of the African ruggedness that defies all odds, ditto for most other African countries.
On a lighter mood, the world may have been jolted by the incessant and irritating noise coming from ‘vuvuzelas’ the South-African made horns aired in all the stadia, it symbolizes the cry of a continent that produces more than 60% of world’s natural wealth but remain most backward, economically, etc. And where best to view these contradictions than South Africa where the white supremacists with less than 30% of the population dominate over 75% of the economic and armed-forces power, leaving the majority of blacks with a political conundrum that defies all solutions to the apparent disequilibrium.
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