By Takura Zhangazha*
There are
two world class African players who since the beginning of this year have had
to play for their countries in two major international competitions. They played
against each other in the final of the delayed 2021 edition of the African Cup
of Nations. And only this week they have
played in a final qualifying match for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. These players are Mohamad Salah of Egypt and
Sadio Mane of Senegal. They also
incidentally both turn out for and are stars for English Premier league side,
Liverpool FC.
In both matches in which they turned up for their countries, Senegal defeated Egypt by way
of winning close penalty shootouts. And
as many football fans will know, penalty shootouts, no matter how much you
practice, are essentially about luck.
Given both
players’ global football stardom and also the fact that they are national icons
in their countries of origin, the last three or so months have probably been an
emotional rollercoaster for them individually but also most significantly for
their fans.
On the broader
African continent, the fact that Senegal and Egypt met twice in a row in a final and final qualification rounds of major tournaments was both intriguing and
entertaining. Media stories and social
media posts were all about the rivalry between Salah and Mane for country. Including
assumptions that because of this they probably would not get along when turning
out for Liverpool FC. Such arguments
while reflective of both players footballing global superstardom are yet to be
proven true. Either by word of mouth or
by actions on the pitch.
There are however conversations that also emerge in fan circles about regional footballing rivalry
between West, South, East and North Africa.
And this is why I am using these two star players as examples. Except that the perspectives in these
conversations rarely end up being only about football. They tend to get mixed up in convoluted conversations
about political, cultural, economic differences which border on racism between regional oriented supporters. Or at least assumptions of exceptionalism by
way of geographical location and or claims at being more African than the
other.
In
football, as any fan would know, racism and any other forms of discrimination are
a big issue. So much so that many
leagues around the world are still taking the knee before the beginning of
every match in having to remind fans of this. (Especially in global north leagues were racism remains present and yet the majority of prominent leagues stars are black or people of colour.)
And it is regrettable that "taking the knee" still needs to be done.
But
stories of enslavement of emigrating people in war torn Libya and human smuggling
in the Mediterranean show us that away from the football stadiums there are
some grim realities that we should never ignore. And that the colour of one’s skin is still
used to determine one’s eligibility to be considered human.
Though less
prevalent South of the Sahara, again notions of discrimination and hate speech
are sometimes found in footballing conversations. All based on false
accusations of ‘claims of superiority’ of the North of the Sahara. Such fan conversations ignore the simple fact of the historical ties that bind North, West, East, Southern African regions based on incredible acts of solidarity in struggles against colonialism and for human equality regardless of geographical location or proximity to the Middle East. And how these acts in light of ongoing struggles for democracy, though not as prevalently reported in the media, still exist to present day.
It is
perhaps these narratives that Salah and Mane are challenging by default. Not just because they are global superstars
playing at the highest levels of the game.
But because they represent the fact that football is a game that can beautifully demonstrate our common humanity and talents. And in doing so it reaches out, based on its popularity, to younger generations to challenge disciminatory tendencies and enable each other to flourish regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, class or regional origins.
It is a
default combination of football, stardom and shared African identities and
values that becomes progressive Pan Africanism.
One that sees the beautiful game for what it is despite competitive
rivalry at the highest level. So even
if they do not know it or acknowledge it directly, Salah and Mane are emerging symbols of
this.
*Takura
Zhangazha writes here in his personal capacity
(takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)
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