The Debate: ‘Our continent demands that Africa alters its football culture’

Here we go again. Avram Grant, like so many Barclays Premier League managers, is fearful that this winter many of his players will be “taken African”. This is a condition that affects clubs biennially, when it is discovered that a 6ft 4in black striker purchased via a training academy in the Ivory Coast is actually leading a double life as an African and, as such, wishes to represent his country in the African Cup of Nations. Strangely, managers never seem to see this coming, no matter how many passports the club has on file.

Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel will be missing from the Chelsea squad for much of January and February, having fallen African, and Grant, the first-team coach, is outraged. “I don’t understand why the tournament is played in the middle of the European leagues and not in the summer,” he said.

Allow me. The African Cup of Nations occupies its place in the calendar because, with one exception, it has done since 1957, when it was first held, predating the European Championship by three years and the Premier League by 35.

Back then, it was created and tailored to the African season (just as the European Championship dovetails with the leading European leagues) and because nobody gave two stuffs about African football, nobody cared. Now that our continent has woken up to the talent coming out of Africa, it demands that its football alter its culture and traditions to conform to our colonialist needs. This is arrogance in the extreme. Europe can have African players, but African football gets to keep its soul.

What do you think? Should the Premier League be able to dictate African football?

Comments

[Shreerang]

"One minute too many foreigners, the next the ANC will determine the outcome of the EPL. which is it to be as i am confused !" - great line, Tony.

Personally, though, Mr. Samuel, I feel that a balanced approach would be best here. Tarring this issue as a Europe-plundering-African-talent colonialism situation would not benefit either side. This, I feel, is more of the decades-old club-vs.-country debate. African talent benefits European football, exposure to top talent and training benefits African international football. European clubs do not have the right to demand that the ANC shift its timetable; they do however have the right to ask for dialogue on the issue. I am not conversant with the African seasons, so cannot try and offer a solution; I do feel, though, that the ANC could not simply tell Europe to sod off. Till such a solution can be found, of course, idiots like Avram Grant would do well with a highlighter and calendar. It's called planning your season.

[Saleh]

The African Nation Cup is only moaned by managers who expect the worth and tries to ease it before it takes place. knowing how much these players represent to the club, a manager should not sign the most of them, or they musn't be the backbone of a team. it's that easy. it's not only the ANC that coaches shed tears on, but they also complain when players come back from int'l clashes, even on Europe soils and with european players. only good managers know how to deal with such crisis; mercy be upon you Jose..!!

[scvaughan]

Of course, The PL could itself take off some time in January like almost every other European league.

[Rob Jones]

Didn't the managers or someone realise that these players were African BEFORE they signed them!!??!?!?!?!?!
I'm sure they were aware that the African Cup exists and these players, whether they were African internationals before they were bought or whether they improved to that level after they joined a European club, would undoubtedly wish to play for their countries.

[Tayo]

While Martin is right that the reason the African Nations Cup is held in January is because it has been so since inception bar one time, he forgot to point out that weather wise, January/Feb is perhaps the best time to host the tournament. Playing the tournament in June/July will be smack in the middle of the rainy season. Has anyone put that into consideration?

Lastly, why is it that it's always the English Managers that perenially whine about the ANC when it approaches. I cannot recollect reading about Club Managers in france crying about this.And we all know there are more African Footballers in France than any other Euopean country.
To the club managers in England who moan, put up or shut up. The ANC is a great opportunity to see how far African football has come thanks to the likes of the premiership.

[Yao Ababio]

Too bad, Africans should not change thier tunes to start playing those of the colonialists again. If the Europeans need African players, they should adjust thier schedules accordingly. Africans have adjusted enough to the needs of Europeans, like playing in the cold, and all that. I feel really proud that unlike times earlier, African players including those who may not have even ever tasted playing on the mother soil are opting in recent years to play for thier countries, reversing rather than changing nationalities.

[aldo]

IF ENGLAND HAS A DROGBA OR ESSIEN THEY WHOULD HAVE WON THE WORLD CUP AND MAKE LIFE OF COACHES MORE EASIER...IF YOU DO NOT BRING AFRICAN PLAYERS OTHERS TEAMS WILL DO DO AND LET YOU GUESS THE OUTCOME...ENGLISH ARE VERY RACIST AS FAR AS DEVELOPPING THEIR MINORITIES...IF THEY REALISE THIS THEY WILL DISCOVER SLEEPING
TALENTS INSIDE BRITAIN AND THEY WILL NOT NEED TO HIRE THEM..FRANCE HAS BEEN ADOPTING THSI POLICY IN FOOTBALL FOR MANY YEARS...

[quophi]

after all that tony said....end of discussion!

[Stephen Lewis]

As an Australian, I can imagine how sports fans in African nations feel over the bleating by certain Premier League managers about this issue. Witness Sam Allardyce's whinging over Mark Viduka playing in Asian Cup. It is an honour to represent your country and managers should respect that players want to do so. In most cases, the managers found out about players by spotting them in internationals. I hope all the available African players in the Premier League represent their countries and do them proud.

[Mark]

Some of the comments here are a joke. How can you even suggest that because clubs are buying players from Africa that they should change the ANC to suit Europe. Are the clubs putting this money into Africa to help Africa or to take the best talent available? Another comment about the Asian Cup changing its schedule seems to forget the dire conditions that the players faced when playing in the Summer. Sending one or two of your players to Africa on a goodwill mission handing out a few t-shirts does not give you the right to change a football institution.

[Ces]

In fairness to Grant, he inherited a team choc full of fantastic African internationals.
That said, one's first instinct is to perceive his and other European managers' attitude towards the ACN timing as arrogance. However, it could be argued that the European game is greatly assisting the development and funding of African players and associations although through a differently tinted set of political glasses this could also be viewed as yet aother example of rampant colonialism and exploitation.
My suggestion is that the ACN is moved forward by a few weeks to coincide with the winter break that many associations already take. This allows Africa to celebrate its footballing prowess at a time conducive to climate and tradition and gives added impetus to UEFA to enforce the rest from domestic football that our clubs and players seem to have been clamouring for. The drawback is that I won't have an excuse to get out of the house during the Christmas holidays but at least we'll be able to add an argument about watching the ACN on the box to the seasonal bickering!

[Owen]

To be fair to Mr Grant, he (or at least his club) are paying Messrs Drogba, Mikel, Essien and Kalou godknows how many thousands of pounds per week. Club should always come before country. Someone should tell Michael Owen that too.

[Terry]

I notice with some relief that Manchester United will not be affected by the AN Cup. I hope the same will not apply to Euro Nations 2008.

[James]

Lazy journalism! Please please refrain from writing anymore about this Mr Samuel. It happens every 2 years and will continue to do so. Your promotion of the issue will give poor managers another token excuse for a bad run. Anyway when European players, bar the English, will be competing in the Alps next summer, Im sure managers wont be complaining that their African players have had too much rest in the summer!

[Ed]

Boring boring boring martin. This is the same debate as the Owen situation. Clubs play the players wages and it should be they who decide if players are allowed to go on this silly little jolly to Africa or not. If the african nations were happy to pay the player's wages while they are away then fine.

[tal shanker]

I don't imagine the likes of Chelsea, Arseanal and Portsmouth will be complaining when they see some of their top players resting in June, whilst the Euro's are on.

[Victor, London]

Every two years we have the same debate. The simple answer is: Don't buy African players. Some people may claim we are doing Africa a favour by developing their players. But that's nonsense. The truth is, we're just plundering the best talent of the continent for our own needs. Football clubs aren't the IMF or Oxfam.

The only time I have ever sympathised with a manager over the ACN is when Kanoute suddenly remembered he a Malian father and decided he was no longer French.

[M Brown]

I agree, the ANC should go ahead and carry on tradition. Its the clubs fault for not taking it into account nor making contingency plans.

If rooney were plaing in Africa, I'm sure they would let him play in the European cup for england no problems.

[Tyrone]

Tony, spot on.

It is doublethink of the highest degree to at once criticise the influence of foreigners upon our game and then claim that our game will fall apart once they are absent!!

[Tyrone]

It is very condescending of certain Premier League managers, commentators and fans to speak about the African Cup of Nations as if it is some kind of irritant.

It should be no surprise that a talented player who is eligble should wish to represent his country in a tournament that will feature some of the very best players in the world-if CAF choose to organise their tournaments according to what is suitable and convenient for African, as opposed to European, football calendars, then so be it.

They could just as well argue that every two years the Premier League should take a two month break to accomodate the tournament.

[Jayden Johnson]

If the Africans want to have their own tournament right in the middle of the European calendar then fine. However, European clubs should ensure that FIFA money, which is largely generated from the European game and its participants, is not then used to subsidise it or the respective African countries. As long as African football supports itself financially then no problem.

[Nii]

I also think Portsmouth is another team that would feel the effect of the MTN African Nations Cup in Ghana. The Pompey roll call includes; Sulley Muntari(Ghana); Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal); John Utaka and Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria), Lauren Etama Mayer (Cameroun). It may be a good omen that Zimbabwe-top scorer, Benjani's country-didn't qualify

[Stephen, Northampton]

Mr Samuel, we had home internationals in 1957 and we all know of your opposition to them being reinstated so in that way tradition has given way to common sense.

The clear fact is that football is becoming more and more global in its reach and it is inevitable that the football calendar will require some kind of synchronisation further down the line. The Copa America (est 1916) and the Asia Cup (est 1956 and which has recently changed its cycle to once every four years on a odd numbered year so not to clash with other events) are both summertime football tournaments.

Given that European football with its wealth could potentially be the driver for global football development if directed correctly, the real issue is what European clubs are giving back to African football development in return for the talents we are fortunate to see week in week out at home. Cue Platini's UEFA.

[Bobby]

It's a good point you raise about the African Nations. But Chelsea fans need not fear. I wouldn't bet against Essien and Drogba missing the tournament through a conveniently timed hamstring strain sustained over the Christmas period.

[Tabe Tangie]

The African Nations Cup was programmed to tie in with the end of the African national championships. However, the trends has changed dramatically overtime as the game has grown beyond the African borders. European clubs actually help in developing African players and place them on far better salaries than thier home nations can do. Therefore, its but normal that the ACN be planned to suit the European championship as most of the players have added thier voice to see this done. This will help the African players on thier part to pin down thier places in thier respective clubs while helping those that butter thier bread(European Clubs) have good value for thier investment.