The third lecture in the annual Teach-In, this year entitled After the Thrill has Gone: Reflections on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, took place on Wednesday this week. Foregoing Res food, an exuberant crowd gathered to hear Peter Alegi talk about the historical phases of the beautiful game in an African context, giving a broader significance to South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup.
Alegi is an associate professor of History at Michigan State 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网. He is currently a Fulbright Fellow at the 老虎机游戏_pt老虎机-平台*官网 of Kwa-Zulu Natal and is the author of a number of books, including “African Soccerscapes – How a Continent Changed the World's Game” and “Laduma! Soccer, Politics and Society in South Africa.”
Alegi connected with the audience immediately, recalling how the global media described South Africa's hosting of the event as a triumph. Tabloids were made to eat their dire imprecations: an exhausted South African populace, drained from “feeling it”, agreed with Archbishop Desmond Tutu when he said “Anyone who wasn't thrilled by the World Cup needs to see their psychiatrist.”
The history of soccer on this continent goes back to long before July's euphoria. Alegi divided his talk into three phases, the first being Marginality and Struggle, stretching from the 1930s to the 1970s.
The Soccer World Cup was first played in 1930, when most African countries were under colonial rule. Egypt was the first African team to qualify, in 1934, by beating Palestine but were then knocked out of the tournament by Hungary, in a match marred by controversy.
In 1961, South Africa was isolated by FIFA due to the apartheid regime, and as late as 1966, there was no guaranteed berth for an African team in the Soccer World Cup. Ghana led a boycott of the 1966 World Cup in protest, which was successful, and led to the second phase outlined by Alegi – that of Liminality, or transition. A place for an African nation was guaranteed in the 1970 tournament, and Morocco qualified, making a dignified first round exit. However in 1974 the Leopards, from Zaire, lost all their first round matches due to a player's strike over bonuses, which became known as the show of shame. It took Tunisia winning 3-1 against Mexico and holding West Germany to a 0-0 draw in the 1978 Cup to restore African dignity.
The 1980's represented a phase of Gradual Integration, with more guaranteed berths awarded to Africa. In 1982 Algeria beat West Germany in the first victory of an African side over a European team and in 1986 Morocco became the first African side to win their Group. In 1990 Cameroon reached the quarters with a tough but exuberant display, transforming the image of African football on the world stage.
In the 1990s the African continent became an exporter of football talent. The vast majority of emigrant players play in lower level teams, although of course there are the high flyers in the premier leagues. Also in the 1990s Sepp Blatter took control of FIFA, and promised to bring the World Cup to Africa.
South Africa's economic gain from the 2010 Cup has been small, and Alegi made the following points. Firstly, soccer needs to be accessible, with reasonable ticket prices and free-to-air TV. Secondly, emerging nations need to sign fairer hosting contracts; thirdly, vastly more grassroots investment into the game is needed and football, as the game of the majority, needs greater research resources devoted to it.
During the course of his talk, Alegi referred to the feeling of unity engendered by the Cup as being real but superficial. A member of the audience asked if even 90 minutes of unity had not been beneficial, to which Alegi replied that yes, it had. The feeling was ephemeral but it was real, and it gives hope that structural changes can build something more lasting – a legacy of enhanced national pride and unity.