Nutmeg Radio

The two-part video below from CNN of Diego Maradona’s recent visit to South Africa and the Maceira United football club in Angola points out the impact that football has on people’s lives.  The video is a testament to the game’s power as an uplifting force in people’s lives across the world.

Maradona’s visit to South Africa came amidst the growing debate about the country’s ability to successfully host the World Cup.  Although this video does nothing to put the debate to rest, aside from Diego’s vote of confidence amid a small army of security personnel, it does shift the focus back towards the game, the people who shape it. It’s a welcome sight to see that Diego has not become removed from the countless fans that still adore and idolize him, as many lesser stars so often do.

The story on Maciera United Football Club of Luanda provides a stark, but often needed reminder about the state of the world.  We truly do live in a world split into two camps, those who have and those who don’t.  It is shocking and somehow heartening to see kids playing football without shoes on a dirt road in the middle of Luanda.  These kids obviously don’t subscribe to the notion of victimization.  Far from beaten by the hand life has dealt them, these kids show a resiliency that belies their age. For them football offers hope and allows them to dream of a better tomorrow.

It’s great to see that playing football is a simple pleasure that doesn’t discriminate.  Rich or poor, the game is a focal point in the lives of many people around the world, which uniquely enables it to transform lives.  Sometimes it takes Diego Maradona and a group of kids to remind us about that.