For those of you going to South Africa for the World Cup, you’ll have some choices to make.  You can spend the entire time hanging out at spots listening to U2 and drum and bass and feel as if you’ve never left home, or you can seek out some spots that will play some kwaito, which shouldn’t be hard to find.

Kwaito is a style of South African music that emerged in the early 1990s that sounds like someone threw some hip-hop, house, and and a touch of South African seasoning into a blender.

I was introduced to kwaito in 1998 when I was studying/researching/playing soccer in Cape Town.  The group on everyone’s lips at the time was TKZee.  The song that you couldn’t avoid was called Shibobo and the video featured none other than West Ham’s South African, Benni McCarthy.  Shibobo quickly became the highest selling single in South African history.

TKZee’s collaboration with Benni wasn’t the group’s only connection to the footballing world.  Tokollo, one of TKZee’s members, is the son of former Bafana Bafana (the South African National Team) coach Stanley Tshabalala.  So perhaps TKZee and Benni were destined to collaborate.

In 1998, Benni was like ketchup in South Africa.  He was on everything.  A poor kid from the Cape Flats, one of Cape Town’s poorest areas, McCarthy climbed from obscurity to the top of South African football in the blink of an eye.  At the beginning of 1998, he was playing for Ajax in Holland.  But during February 1998, we were watching Benni in Burkina Faso at the 1998 African Cup of Nations.

Watching South Africa march to the final from Cape Town was electric.  As Benni set the tournament on fire en route to becoming the tournament’s joint top goal scorer, we danced in the streets, in the bars, and without fail, every time Shibobo came on, we simply lost our minds.  Benni scored four goals against Namibia and a brace against DR Congo on the way to the final.  He could do no wrong.

Eventually, South Africa lost to Egypt 2-1 in the finals.  But by that point, Benni was already positioned to be the next president of South Africa.  The memories of the 1998 African Cup of Nations are still fresh in my memory.  I’ll never forget the mesmerizing performance of South Africa’s stars from Benni McCarthy to Bolton’s Mark Fish and Leeds United’s Lucas Radebe (and to a lesser extent Manchester United’s Quinton Fortune).  But these events were nothing without Shibobo, the soundtrack to my memories.

Check out the video for TKZee’s Shibobo featuring Benni below.   Benni does his thing towards the end.

If 2010 World Cup Committee Chair Danny Jordaan can’t get Manny Pacquiao to do an official World Cup song, he should get Benni McCarthy to reconnect with TKZee to do a remake of Shibobo.  It’s time to revitalize Benni’s musical career.

Related posts:

1. The South Africa Series: Part III
2. The South Africa Series: Part I
3. When Reggaeton and Football Collide

Protest: Kim Jong-Il Style

In a strange case of life imitating art, or in this case football imitating politics, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea women’s football team pulled a move on the football pitch that only Kim Jong-Il would have been proud of. During an international friendly in Australia against the Matildas, the Australian women’s national team, the North Korean women walked off the pitch in protest over a controversial decision by the referee to award a penalty kick to their opponents. Television replays reportedly showed the call to be incorrect. In a display of defiance, the North Koreans were instructed by their coaching staff to walk. Can you believe that all this posturing was for a meaningless game? Nevertheless, after several minutes, sanity prevailed and play resumed.  Australia won 3-2.

Easy Way Out

In one of the more bizarre events of the week, Sir Alex of Manchester took umbrage with Wayne Rooney playing a significant portion of the England vs. Egypt friendly at Wembley. The player came into the encounter with a minor knee injury following United’s triumph in the Carling Cup at Wembley the previous week.  The Scotsman stated that he didn’t start Wayne in that game because the Wembley pitch was in poor condition. One would think that United’s manager would have ripped his England counterpart a new one for playing Wayne under such circumstances. Instead, he took a swipe at his top scorer for not ruling himself ineligible. And here I am thinking that players are supposed to follow their manager’s instructions.  That’s what Wayne did.  I never thought I would see the day when Fergie would shy away from a fight with another manager.  I guess the hair dryer treatment is reserved for anyone not named Capello.

How Bill Gates Helped Lars Get The Job

According to a Forbes Magazine interview with the agent of newly appointed Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback, his client got the job because of his skillful use of Microsoft software. According to Greg Keenan, head of  Aspire Management, Lars’ PowerPoint presentation “was widely perceived as an integral factor in his appointment.” So take that Clive Longbottom-Fellow.  Who needs local knowledge and genuine concern about the development of Nigerian football in order to land a job as a national team coach? Besides, Lars read background papers on African and Nigerian football and he touched base with other Aspire clients with first-hand knowledge of the nuances of African football. How else would one go about winning a contest to get paid millions for approximately five months of work?

Football Chants outside Parliament

Controversial Dutch MP Geert Wilders’ anti-Islamic film, Fitna, sparked protests outside the British House of Lords. The controversial film has caused an uproar in the Islamic World (and elsewhere) since its 2008 release for its sectarian views. In a show of support for the MP, some members of the English Defense League marched past the House of Parliament chanting football songs and waving the cross of St. George.  In typical football fashion, this event was not without opposition.  Protesters were present requiring the police to keep the two groups apart.  Who knew football was the new medium for voicing socio-political discord?

Fútbol en La Clausura

Independiente made quick work of River Plate in the clásico at the Libertadores de America stadium providing another sign of how far the mighty have fallen. Were it not for the incessant singing and stomping in the stands, this game would have been a snoozer. Dario Gandin and Andres Silvera both scored in the 2-0 win. River Plate reside in the lower half of the Clausura, while Independiente now top the league.

Related posts:

1. Random Musings About The EPL (Feb. 27-28)
2. No MLS Referees At World Cup: Steps to Improve Standard Raise Eyebrows
3. Nigeria Might As Well Hire Me Next: Systemic Problems in African Hiring

Colombianitos is a Colombian non-profit created to help child victims of armed conflict in Colombia. Founded in Atlanta by a group of Colombian professionals in 2002, Colombianitos started in one of the poorest parts of Bogota, and has since expanded into four other Colombian cities, Cartegena, Puerto Tejada, Barbosa, Sincelejo, and Medellín.

Through the Colombianitos Football School, the organization uses football to tempt children away from drugs and crime that plague their communities.  The Colombianitos football curriculum teaches children self control, decision making, values, and ethics through the laws of the game.  But participation is not free for the kids.  The kids are required to attend school and comply with a set of behavioral requirements.  If the kids can comply with these requirements, then participation is free.

Parts of Colombia have been embroiled in conflict for the better part of the last four decades.  A history of fractious politics, armed conflict, and illegal drug trade, has led to years of unpredictability, especially for children whose lives have been, and are still being, touched by a combination of these influences.  For many Colombian children, there is a void of positive influence.  Colombianitos steps into this void to provide direction to children who might otherwise fall through the cracks.

Colombia is like many of its South American neighbors when it comes to football.  Football is as much a part of the nation’s identity as Catholicism.  Football’s unique place in society makes it a perfect medium to capture the attention of children who have been surrounded by poverty and conflict, and show them that there is another way.

Drugs and violence too often dominate the Colombian narrative in international media coverage.  For years, movies and media coverage highlighted drug cartels.   The tone set by years of drug coverage has clearly seeped into the Colombian narrative, and to this day, seems to be the underlying story behind anything that the international media deems worthwhile to cover in Colombia.  You can expect to read about Colombian players in the mainstream media when they are victims of violence that fit within the “violent Colombia” narrative.  Previously, iconic figures like Carlos Valderrama opened doors for coverage outside of this stereotypical narrative.  But when there are no iconic figures like Valderrama, it’s easy to fall back into the typical storylines about the country.

Colombia is so much more than drugs and violence.  The country has miles and miles of absolutely stunning scenery.  Colombian musicians Shakira, Juanes, and Carlos Vives are just the front line of an incredibly dynamic music scene that includes amazing cumbia, reggae, salsa, and rock artists.  Add Colombian football to the equation and you just start to cut into what makes Colombia a culturally vibrant nation full possibilities.

Focusing on programs like Colombianitos shows that Colombians are on the front lines of showing what tomorrow’s Colombia will look like.  Colombianitos recognizes that tomorrow’s Colombia starts with today’s children.  Tomorrow’s businessmen and women are now learning life skills at Colombianitos.  But don’t be surprised if the next Valderrama comes out of the program as well.

Visit www.colombianitos.org to learn more about how Colombianitos provides Colombian children the opportunity to maximize their potential.

Related posts:

1. Football for Change – Carolina for Kibera
2. Football for Change – Grassroot Soccer
3. The Soccer Power Index – Removing All the Fun From Football

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Ian Wright may have been a legend on the pitch, but he lacks the same fine touch off of it.  Wrighty is at it again, giving misguided career advice to his son Shaun Wright-Phillips.  It was Wright who steered his son towards a massive payday at Chelsea, even though Wright-Phillips consistently found himself firmly planted on the bench.  The Chelsea move was so detrimental to Wright-Phillips’ development that he went from being in contention for the England squad to ultimately being nowhere close to the plane that left for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

You would think father and son would have learned their lesson, but no. The dynamic duo is now at odds with Manchester City executives over Wright-Phillips’ new contract offer.  Wrighty has accused City’s chief executive of not knowing what he is doing and treating his son like a (drum roll please) … youth-team player.  Apparently, youth-team players are offered contracts that pay upwards of £70,000 per week.  Come on, Wrighty.  Might all this have anything to do with the massive paydays bestowed on the new arrivals at City?  Do you think Wright-Phillips is owed a similar payday?

Wrighty didn’t stop there.  He also criticized the play of young Theo Walcott and reminded everyone that there is a lot of competition for his place.  Why would he do that you ask?  Well, little Shaunie needs to make the England squad as well.  Granted, based on current form, Theo has no business even dreaming of South Africa, but Wright-Phillips shouldn’t exactly book his flight just yet.  Wright’s expertise on  English team selection is humorous at best.  After all, this is the same guy who thinks Fabio Capello should take an injury prone Michael Owen to the World Cup.  Seriously?  The guy can’t even stay healthy long enough to finish a game, let alone a tournament.

Wright’s advocacy for his son is fast becoming embarrassing, especially since it may have a detrimental impact on his son’s career.  Wright-Phillips’ only leverage with City is his play on the pitch.  If his son’s play warrants a massive pay raise, he will get it, at City or elsewhere.  Additionally, implying that your son’s bosses are inept may not guarantee that your boy gets the playing time he so dearly needs in order to impress Mr. Capello.  Wright needs to back off and let an agent, who probably has a better sense of what he’s doing, advocate on his son’s behalf.

Anything you can do with your hands, they can do better with their feet.  Check out the behind the scenes footage from a Kasabian video shot in West London that shows a slightly different way to play Guitar Hero.  The team of programmers and football freestylers were brought together to create a music video to promote Kasabian’s single, Underdog.  I thought Guitar Hero was hard, how sick is this?

These guys seem to find ways to work with footballers.  Underdog is also used in the Sony Bravia ad with Kaka below.  Not really surprising since they are on the Columbia Records label, which is part of Sony Music.  Sony seems to like this Kasabian-football combination.  I wonder what other interesting synergies Sony has lined up for them next.  First, Sony uses Kasabian and football to promote a game on a Sony video game console.  Then, Sony uses the same formula to sell their televisions.  What’s next?

For more on the band, visit them here.

Nigeria has appointed Swede Lars Lagerback as their new national team coach on a five-month contract.  I’m still trying to figure out why.  I wrote an earlier piece about African nations’ perpetual need to hire foreigners to lead African teams.  With the firing of Nigerian Shaibu Amodu, there’s only one remaining African coach poised to lead a side at Africa’s first World Cup, Algeria’s Rabah Saadane.

This isn’t about xenophobia.  It is about understanding why African FAs always end up paying so much money to foreigners who, more often than not, end up turning in the same results as local coaches.

Over the past few decades, the Nigerian coaching job has been just about as stable as the Nigerian Presidency.  Since 1994, Nigeria has made seventeen coaching appointments.  That’s seventeen coaching changes in sixteen years.  Granted, four of those appointments have been the same guy, Shaibu Amoudu, the coach they just fired.  So let me amend my statement.  Given that Nigeria has had only four heads of state since 1994, the Nigerian national team job is actually significantly less stable than the Nigerian Presidency.

Stability is essential for the development of national football, especially right before a World Cup.  Looking at other nations, managerial stability is a common trait of teams heading into the World Cup.  It’s a sad state of affairs when the Argentine FA is an example of how to do things.  But so far, even they are sticking by their man by giving Diego Maradona a chance to implement his vision, whatever that may be.  I can get behind that.

Here’s a multiple-choice question for countries that are not yet soccer powers.  Which of the following should be requirements in a national team coach?

A.    Someone who has experience in your country/culture.
B.    Someone who actually cares about the long-term development of the game in your country.
C.    Both

Correct, the answer is ‘C’. Now let’s apply this list to Nigeria.

The list of candidates for the Nigeria post included Swedes Sven-Göran Eriksson and Lars Lagerback, the ever-English Glenn Hoddle, and the journeyman Frenchman Bruno Metsu (who also goes by Abdul Karim, a name he took on after converting to Islam).  Of the four candidates, Metsu is the only one with any significant experience in African football.  Metsu’s most notable exploit in African football was leading World Cup debutant, Senegal, past France, their former colonizers, in the 2002 World Cup.  But let’s not focus on Metsu since he was actually qualified.  Rather, let’s look first at Sven, someone who has no experience in African football, and likely has no vested interest in the long-term development of Nigerian football.  Here are a few recent gems from the Swede:

On his preferred destination: “I’m a gypsy – it doesn’t matter where I live as long as it’s a good project.”  (via BBC)

On coaching Nigeria: “I think the squad is talented and I’ll like to work with the team. I love the warm weather here and I think my experience with England will be useful in leading the team (Eagles) to do well in the World Cup in South Africa.” (via Next)

Interesting.  So Sven likes warm weather.  I’m glad that works for Sven, but the World Cup is in South Africa where it will be (drum roll) … winter.  It won’t be as cold as it gets in Sweden in the winter time, but it will also not be “Africa hot” as Sven may have been hoping.

But it’s really the first comment that boils down the problem with mercenary coaching.  “It doesn’t matter where I live as long as it’s a good project.”  The thing is, it should matter.

Look at U.S. National Team coach Bob Bradley.  Say what you want about Bradley (who I like), but it’s clear that coaching the U.S. National Team matters to him.  If you look at the aforementioned requirements for national team coach selection, Bradley is ‘C’.  Both.  He knows U.S. soccer culture inside and out, coaching at Princeton, in MLS, and now with the U.S. National Team.  From Bradley’s days at Princeton, he understands the roots of American soccer, everything from how youth clubs work to how young players are developed and the systemic problems facing U.S. soccer.  Bradley actually came on a scouting mission to one of my high school matches long ago.  So I know he gets around at one of the lowest levels of U.S. soccer, high school soccer, or at least he used to.

Nigeria needs a Bob Bradley.  Someone who knows.  Someone who cares.

Nigeria’s predicament is not just Nigerian; it applies to many countries in Africa where stability is chronically absent.  Nigerian football needs someone who understands the local mentality, the players, where they come from, and the root causes of what leads Nigeria to be champions at the U-17 level, only to repeatedly falter at the senior level.  That person doesn’t have to be a Nigerian, but the person probably shouldn’t be someone whose closest connections to Africa are Sol Campbell and Mexican football.  Yet, Sven was a final candidate.  Nigeria must do better.  Africa must do better.

Obviously, Sven is the most entertaining example.  But the selection of fellow Swede Lars Lagerback as Nigeria’s new coach is almost equally as curious.  Lagerback spent his entire career in Sweden.  No, not the Sweden that borders Togo (because there isn’t one), the Scandinavian one.  Quick, name five similarities between Sweden and Nigeria.  Can’t think of any?  Neither can I.  What is the likelihood of Lagerback moving to Nigeria for a long-term stint?  I’d guess not likely.  Unless Lagerback has been going to Nigeria for years, he’ll learn quickly that Lagos is very different from Stockholm.

Lagerback will know that Nigerians are passionate about their football.  It is common knowledge that Nigeria supplies players to top sides and leagues around the world.  In youth football, Nigeria won the first FIFA U-17 World Cup in 1985, and followed that up by winning the tournament in 1993 and 2007.  In fact, since the FIFA U-17 World Cup began, there have been thirteen tournaments.  Nigeria has come in first or second place six out of those thirteen times.

So is the problem talent?  Obviously not.  The problem is more likely a fundamental lack of understanding about how to best develop Nigerian football from top to bottom, from youth football to senior football.  But is Lagerback willing to address this problem?  Maybe, but five months is an awfully short time for someone with no experience in African football.

Here’s a nice non-soccer-related parallel.  For those of you who paid attention to the World Bank in the 80s and early 90s, you might recall structural adjustment programs.  For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, structural adjustment programs quite simply were loan programs where conditions were placed on developing countries looking to get new loans or amended loan terms.  The goal was to make developing countries behave responsibly by saying, “We’ll give you X, if you do Y,” which theoretically is all well and good.

However, the notion of charitable conditionality imposed by outsiders began to break down when the so-called experts showed that they didn’t really have an understanding of the problems on the ground and the mechanisms necessary to implement change.  I know, bad, bad, foreigners.  But the finger should not just be pointed at foreign nations and institutions.  For ages, African leaders have bought into the external expertise hook, line and sinker, often just because conventional thinking has been that foreign is better.  This is one of African football’s biggest problems in a nutshell.

African teams have been playing the follow-the-omniscient-foreigner game for years.  And just like the World Bank had to deal with failure after failure from this game, African teams can look forward to systemic failure after failure until countries can find a coach, wherever he or she may be from, who understands the needs of African football, and who, like Bob Bradley, actually cares about long-term development.

I am confident that Bradley doesn’t have an exit plan from U.S. soccer.  But I would wager that the same couldn’t be said for Lagerback, or Sven if he had landed the job.

A last point. It’s not the foreigner’s fault.  Sven recently left English Second Division club Notts County only months after accepting the job.  Taking the Notts County job was a consummate display of shortsightedness and desperation.  Yet, he was on the short-list for the Nigeria job months later.  Although this may provide some insight into Sven’s motives, this does not show that there’s a problem with Sven.  It does, however, reveal that the real problem lies with the Nigerian Football Federation.

There’s an element of self-respect that’s required here.  Nigeria needs to have the decency to hire a coach who wants them as badly as they want him. Nigeria needs to hire someone who has the intention of staying for longer than five months.  But no one with the right credentials will accept the job if you can’t show that it can be a stable job.  I can’t believe I’m writing this sentence, but perhaps the Nigerian FA needs to be as painfully stubborn as the Argentine FA.

Let’s fast forward a bit to July 2010.  Lagerback might succeed in getting results in South Africa, but then what? Sadly, I imagine that Nigeria will be starting from scratch again.  Foreign coaches, get your resumes ready.  I know I am.

(Cut to a room full of Nigerian school children standing up one by one.  “I am Lars Lagerback.  I am Lars Lagerback.  I am Lars Lagerback.  I am Lars Lagerback.”)

Related posts:

1. Hiring foreign is not always the answer
2. Random Weekly Football Review: Around The World in 90 Minutes
3. Greatness in One Thing Doesn’t Presume Greatness in Another, Diego