Is Soccer The New People’s Opium?
BY CHRIS ONUORAH-(AFRICAMESSAGE)-We have all heard that religion was the people’s opium. But now, that
assertion is being questioned by the steady rise of soccer around the world.
Only recently, Cristiano Ronaldo, a Portuguese soccer player with Manchester United moved to Spain for a world
transfer record of 132 million dollars. For this tidy sum, he will now wear the colors of Real Madrid, considered one of
the greatest clubs that ever played the game.
Yet it is not just money that has made soccer a global phenomenon. It is the passion for the game. It is the players,
many of whose admirers swear are gods. And the temples to which they flock to worship. And the events which unfold
along with the sport.
Take a trip to Africa. A continent long left behind by the global march towards technological and economic
enhancement. Disappointed, the people have begun to seek their salvation elsewhere. Like religion. In Africa, people
have become more Christian than the Christians. They have become more muslim that the muslims. Now they worship
at the soccer alter, perhaps more than the English who invented the game.
Consider recent events. A Manchester United fan, just the other day, crushed a group of Barcelona fans who were
celebrating their European Champions League triumph over United with his mini bus. The incident took place
somewhere in Nigeria. A bunch of Africans. Two teams in far away Europe. And a trophy that people in African ca only
see on television or in pictures.
Before the Spanish and English champions got to the Champions League final, they had to by-pass several other clubs.
Like Arsenal for whom a Kenyan fan could not take defeat. He committed suicide after Arsenal got eliminated. And what
about Chelsea? Two of their Nigerian fans rode to their death while racing their motorcycle to the nearest spot where
they could watch the game on tv.
Soccer has been known to claim many other casualties by people who could not take a loss. An outraged fan once shot
and killed a Colombian player who caused the national team to get eliminated from the 1994 World Cup finals in the
United States. Before that, small Algeria inflicted a painful defeat on Germany, a known world soccer power. But before
the final whistle, Germany had already recorded a tragedy back home. A man was watching the game on his family’s
only television set. His wife could not see why she should miss her soap opera. She made attempts to flip the channels.
A big argument ensued. To settle matters, the man did the first thing that came to his mind. He threw his darling wife
out of their high-rise apartment window. To her untimely death.
Incidents like these and more are pushing the question, is soccer now the people’s opium? If so, how high can they
get? And why so much passion for the game in Africa?
The answer is simple. As in other parts of the globe, soccer is simply the number one sport in Africa. And in a world
where people love to follow their heroes, African soccer fans have found many stars to adore. Perhaps even unique is
that many of these heroes are African too. Didier Drogba is from Ivory Coast. Samuel Eto’o Fils is from Cameroon.
John Obi Mikel is from Nigeria. All Africans. All among the best in the world. And how their disciples worship them! And
how the fans dream of walking in the shoes of their heroes, the gods of the game, the merchants of their opium.
Africans are not alone in their love of the game. FIFA statistics reveal that the 2006 World Cup finals staged in
Germany had a total cumulative global television audience of over 26 billion. Next year’s finals in South Africa has been
projected to reach 35 billion. The big business that it is, the event that comes around every four years has a financial
outcome hovering around a billion dollars in advertising revenue alone.
Pele is considered by many to be the king of soccer. Today, he is one of the big ambassadors of the sport. Many listen
when he talks. In his book, he called soccer the beautiful game. He also observed that Africa had a deep well of talent
waiting to be tapped. That talent is now being spread all over Europe where most the stars go to shine.
Most of today’s African soccer superstars began their journeys from the dusty playgrounds that litter African cities and
villages. Just like their stars before them, African kids are found so very often kicking balls made of dirty rags and dry
banana leaves. With abundant skills and heads full of dreams, they all fix their gaze on Europe.
Indeed, most of Europe’s greatest clubs have several Africans playing for them. From Spain to England, Italy or
Germany, African players are playing and getting paid in millions. No wonder then FIFA awarded the hosting of the next
World Cup finals to South Africa. No wonder the game continues to grow on the continent. And no wonder the people
keep getting high on their new-found opium.
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