When it comes to sports, they bring joy and delight, agony and ecstasy, a unity that spans continents, and a loyalty that brings countries and nations together as one, watching their favourite stars and teams battle it out in the sporting arenas. Few things, it can be argued, unify towns, cities, regions and countries more than sport. From the World Cup of Soccer to the Olympic Games, national football leagues to Premier League teams that are popular around the globe, cricket nations to the slew of North American sports, the passion is evident, and the supporters are global.
Going back to the 1990 World Cup, when Cameroon delighted and entertained the soccer world, and looking at the South Africa hosted World Cup of Cricket in 2003, and then the soccer version in 2010, this is continent rich with sporting tradition and proud of its heritage. Whether you are looking at soccer stats, the greatest players in sporting history, such as George Weah, or enjoying the lighter side of sport by researching the 5 weirdest sports injuries of all time, you will likely come across African representation that highlights the elevated status and place of sports across this vast continent.
Considering what sports mean across a plethora of African nations and to millions upon millions of African sports supporters, it is perhaps a worthy cause to look at what impact this has. From the obvious economic boost that hosting global tournaments delivers, to the way in which so many see the chance to build a prosperous life if they can excel that their particular sport, there are many facets to why such joy can be derived from the fields and arenas that so many people love.
Sporting Success Brings Global Focus To A Complicated Continent
Much like Europe, North America, and Asia, Africa is a sprawling continent that has a beautiful, sometime beleaguered, often complicated but unfailingly proud history. Even today, some countries there are more prosperous than others, some more politically stable, and some more relevant or influential on the world stage than their African counterparts. Politics are often at the heart of national complications, much as they are when it comes to a nation’s success, struggles, or international status, but sport is often, and paradoxically, both entwined and detached from this.
When South Africa, for example, emerged from the horrors of the Apartheid system and was welcomed back into the world of sporting competition, it brought not only a sense of national pride back to the nation, but it also made sporting success possible again. For years, the world had not been able to see the rugby, cricket, soccer, or any other teams from South Africa compete against other nations, but when they did come back into the international field, it mattered, and it was significant in many ways. As well as shining a light on the brilliance of African sporting stars, it ensured that a global audience was able to enjoy what these players and teams had to offer which was, frequently, some of the best sporting skills in the world. This alone brings to the forefront the overarching theme of this article, how African sports bring joy to the continent and beyond, but also give it a global relevance that is both outward looking and positive.
When African Sports Stars Shine Overseas, A Continent Salutes
From Mo Salah at Liverpool to Sadio Mane at Bayern Munich, to name but two African soccer superstars, more and more players from this continent are making their names in European leagues and bringing greater recognition to their respective African nations. As well as being some of the highest paid stars in these various leagues, they are forging the way for young people in their countries, showing how success can be achieved and making a nation, and a continent proud. Rarely does something inspire and unite in this way, and it is truly wonderful to see when it does.
From Egypt to the Ivory Coast, Nigeria to Cameroon, South Africa to Morocco, we have all seen the success these teams have enjoyed. Whether that has been in soccer world cups, the Africa Cup of Nations, or even the cricketing world, the sport is almost irrelevant, we have all seen the pictures and videos; thousands lining the streets to toast success, watching matches together, sharing the moments of success and failure, celebrating the players and showing the world how African sports men and women are among some of the best in the world.
As someone who loves sport and adores the way it has the power to unite disparate people across society and bring unbridled emotions to the surface of so many, I can attest to the way African sports, and in particular soccer stars and cricket players are making the continent cheer as one, if only during the games and the tournaments. Though these sporting moments cannot solve all problems, they do allow African sports stars to shine overseas while simultaneously making their homeland proud. By this alone, it is good to acknowledge that African sports teams, and the individuals therein, really do bring joy to the continent and beyond.
