Why Tanzania will never win a world cup

Presently in Arusha, Tanzania, I casually asked a guy who talked to me in the street if anyone played football in Tanzania. He said yes, and mentioned a field where a few days prior, I had seen some kids play. They were really bad.
"So where are the great Tanzanian players"
"Oh!", he said indignantly; "That is because the government doesn't support football!"

I was surprised and said that in South America no kid needed government support to play football. Instead, you see kids everywhere kicking balls or whatever with a medium round shape.

"Did Pele or Maradona need government support!?", I asked him.
He didn't say anything.

At least I know why Tanzania has never been to a world cup, and likely never will. You can't expect your government to support something the people are not really playing. Football, in spite of all the political involvement, the capitalism that today has totally overtaken the sport, still belongs to the people of the world, and any kid playing with whatever, may one day turn into a new Pele. No need for government support.

Milan Champions

I watched last night's final. It was a typical final, quite predictable in the sense that Liverpool fought, while AC Milan were the better organised. In the end I believe it was the right team that won.

Don't know when I will bother to watch football again.

FA Cup and Champions League Final

I recently climbed the Kilimanjaro. That has nothing to do with football, but actually felt for a moment the old fever return. A friendly englishman was also climbing it, and one of the days, he was eagerly following the scores of the champions league semifinals. I had hardly followed who had played, but when he told me, I happily engaged in a discussion of the possibilities, as well as on some of my many random football anecdotes. For a moment, I was a football fanatic again. I tried to grab on to the fleeing moment, but it left me.

Last weekend, I was in Arusha, Tanzania. Having little to do after a long stroll in the city, I overheard someone say that the FA Cup final was that same day. The teams were Manchester United and Chelsea. Last year I watched a great FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham in Nairobi. Maybe I could watch this final and maybe find that little football mojo again...? I decided to find a nice bar to watch the match.

I would be very nice if I said I found a nice bar. But it was a bar, and they were showing the match. And that was it. No feeling of football mojo as I watch a long boring goalless match between two teams that disappointed me a lot. Only good thing was Drogba's goal, but that deprived me of at least the excitement of pentalty kicks. In spite of this, being an ex-grumpy football fan, I would like to congratulate all Chelsea supporters.

Tonight is the Champions League Final. Liverpool and AC Milan: A repeat of the amazing 3-3 match in Istambul two years ago. Incidentally, I watched that match in a small hotel room in a random north Ghanaian town called Wa. I almost cried when the light went out just as the penalty kicks were starting. That was back in the day when I was young a cool...

If anything, I have good stories with football matches in random places.

I don't know if I will watch the match tonight. Don't feel like it. Should hardly expect something like 2 years ago. Nevertheless, at the same time, a small hope of finding little football mojo was lit inside me on that mountain.

Valencia brawl

What a huge fight Valencia and Inter had in their CL match. It is a disgrace. Although I support Valencia, this support is limited to the qualities of the players on the pitch. And Inter... well, they are not much better.
David Navarro is truly a coward, and I hope he is no longer seen on the team.
There is a reason football just ain't the same any more. And it ain't just because of fan violence, but seems the players are as bad at least - they should know better and be more responsible.

Barcelona out

Last night I went to watch football. I haven't done it for long, but went to a local bar here in Maputo called Mondos, where they show many sports. The place is full of South Africans though. In spite of they having the next world cup, they know absolutely nothing of football.

It's tuff to watch football not drinking beer. The result was rather predictable nevertheless: Liverpool was surely going to pull home the victory over the two games, although the Barcelona pressure would give tham a narrow victory, which would keep the fans of both teams awfully nervous.

Barcelona is out, the champions are out. Still, no team has ever managed to defend the title in the CL!