Was Roger Milla Right when he lashed out on Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o just before the World Cup for being more committed to his club than his country? I don’t know about you but i sometimes question the moral standing of Africa’s so called stars. May be Milla crossed the line but hey, being La Liga top scorer on more than one occasion and not replicating that with your country is bound to raise some eyebrows.
It is no secret that the money going into football nowadays is literally insane. When you have one player earning as much as 221,000 Pounds in a week! it does not matter what they tell the press, money is always a big factor. The ‘it was not for the money’ or ‘it has always been my dream’ excuses no longer cut.
In fact, the reason we see many African nations under performing for their countries is because of money. Mnay african nations can’t afford to motivate their players financially, or when they do, the money ends up in the wrong hands (self serving officials).
I am sure am not the only one who has asked this question. Just recently we had the World Cup in South Africa and there was an air of optimism in the continent that may be this could be Africa’s time and why not? I mean, we had the strongest teams representing the continent and the players to match .
However, the displays save for Ghana were poor to say the least. Not only did the continent fail to make any meaningful impact but even worse, the chances created were not utilised!
Fast forward a few weeks later and the same players who could not find the back of the net in the biggest stage of all, are now banging hat-tricks and braces at will. Can anyone explain this to me because i fail to understand how this is possible.
It not only portrays a negative image about the player but also on the young crop of emerging talent who have been led to believe that playing club football is better than representing one’s own country.
This ideology has become so fixed in these young minds that they are willing to settle for any amount of money just so that they can live this dream lifestyle. What happened to the days when missing a World Cup match no matter who was playing could literally bring your world crumbling down?
What happened to the passion and determination to succeed at all costs? Many of the stars who play in this tournament have a plan b. Whether they win they cup or not, they can return to their clubs and still be assured of a 6 figure salary at the end of the month. I think its time Africa changes its approach to the game or have their fans totally desert them for other nations en masse (not like its not already happening).
Photo credit: from Pyngodan
