The BBC news presenter Komla Dumor, who passed away this weekend from cardiac arrest, was an exceptional broadcaster; read Nigerian writer Chimamanda Adichie’s obit here. Everyone loved him. He was probably the most stylish newscaster also, and was well on his way to becoming the first globally recognized superstar news presenter originating from the continent. Dumor took journalism seriously. Just […]
"Unlikely Sports Heroes" partially serves to reinforce the image of inferiority. They never actually win anything.
Can you name at least ten at least 10 black football managers who are in charge of club teams in the top leagues; and by top, we mean Europe.
Before Eusebio, it was unthinkable for a European national team to be dominated by or build around players of African origin.
Why should black players have the burden of calling out racism, while white players don't feel compelled to do the same?
A short history of football, nation building and the consolidation of pan-African solidarity in 1960s Ghana.
Stephen Keshi’s success as Nigeria's national men's soccer team coach, will perhaps encourage more African countries to look closer to home for coaching salvation.
The Newcastle United defender, Steven Taylor, is another no-nonsense (racist) English centre-half.
The news that a major studio is bankrolling a film about the Brazilian Pele, contender for greatest player of all time.
The decision by Spain's national football team to go play a football friendly in its former colony, Equatorial Guinea, has spotlighted how the latter country is run.
Eqatorial Guinea in West Africa was a Spanish colony. Few Spanish football fans know where it is or how the rulers continue the violent politics inherited from Spain.
How much of Equatorial Guinean's tax money did the Obiangs pay to the Spanish FA for a meaningless match between its national teams?
Asamoah, who just achieved milestone of 150 Serie A appearances, is not shy about publicly sharing his good fortune. He is a relentless tweeter, sharing pics of teammates including one of his son with Giorgio Ciellini (“Beauty and the Beast“), meeting the king of the Asante or — that staple of West African footballers — professing his love of Jesus (serial hashtag: #BecauseofHim).
I finally got around to watching “Thierry Henry 1:1” on iTunes. The promo material is written in breathless prose: “Who is the personality hidden in this dream career? … What are his ideals? What goals does he want to reach? … Thierry Henry is a world star torn between past and present.” This is all false advertising […]
European football officials may have missed it, but Palestine already scored several goals in this season’s UEFA Champions League.
The writer, Lloyd Gedye, can handle most things, but the mischaracterization of attempts to deracialize the Springbok rugby team, made his blood boil.
The love affair between Nigerians and Arsenal is an enduring one. Other English teams are also popular in the country, but the attachment many Nigerian football fans formed with the club during Nwankwo Kanu’s five year spell at Arsenal has withstood the frustrations of following the Gunners in the past few years. Following Arsenal’s impressive […]
Bob Hewitt migrated from Australia to apartheid South Africa. There he became a champion in white tennis. He is also accused of abusing children whose families trusted him as their tennis coach.
The meaningless football tournaments of the summer–mostly to the benefit of sponsors–are thankfully now over. Club football calendars from around the world have been synched (mainly to please European club owners), so this weekend was basically the start of the 2013/2014 season. This is also the first time North American fans of the English Premier League can watch every game. With the opening weekend out of the way, we can safely say NBC’s off to a good start–no one misses Eric Wynalda and Warren Bartlett or FOX’s plastic studio, but Piers Morgan as a guest host? And what’s with underestimating the football knowledge of American-based fans or presenting supporting a club is like picking different kinds of cereal? At least NBC have great commercials.
Hashim Amla’s appearances on the cricket pitch and its meaning, reflects similarly on South Africa’s own, ongoing, liberation struggle.