On
researching for an article or something that linked all the African
nations I could find nothing that actually they all belonged to or
linked them all together. There is one exception and that is Sport ~
Football. The African Nations
Cup. The first tournament was made up of
just three teams and originally held in the Sudan
in 1957. It was a
year or so laterthat first tounarment
was held in Khartoum organized
by the Confederation of African Football. There
were however many
obstacles to overcome namely the fact that South Africa was bared from
sport because of it's apartheid regime. Egypt,
Sudan and Ethiopia
played in the first two tournaments in odd years before it increased to
four, six, eight,12 and then 16 teams. It was some 39
years later and
it was South Africa that rescued the
Confederation of African Football
by staging the expanded 16 team tournament. Every adjustment increased
the chances of seeing the best players in the continent. Papa Camara,
Petit Sory and Cherif Souleymane were the cream of an excellent Guinean
side who could easily be compared to the devastating Nigerian
and Cameroonian squads of the last decade. Few Africans
today would have
heard of the Algerian Lalmas, Ghanaian dribbling wizard Osei Kofi or
Ethiopian captain Italo Vassalo - they were among a host of legends to
play in the Nations Cup tournaments of the 1960s. Since the early days,
North Africa - and Ghana
in particular - has maintained its reputation,
while the other pioneers Ethiopia and Sudan
have deteriorated.
In the space of 30 years there has been an amazing shift of power - a
classic between Ethiopia and Sudan
(both former champions) in the 1960s
is now overshadowed by a match between Cameroon
against Nigeria and
while there have been many highlights, few African Nations
Cup
tournaments have taken place without any problems. Indeed Mali, the
latest hosts, have had their own difficulties in getting the tournament
off the ground. As one of Africa's poorest nations, many felt the money
poured into hosting the sporting extravaganza could be better spent.
One thing is certain, though - that the Confederation African Football
or CAF and the Nations Cup are is still in existence is due to the
passion for the game on the African continent |