Bill Shankly famously stated; “Football is not a matter of life and death… it’s much more important than that.”
In the Arab world, all 22 countries located in the Middle East and North Africa, this statement seems to resonate loudly.
Here, in a melting pot of economic and religious tensions, football is a form of political expression. November 1st saw Algeria celebrate the historic day that they fought France for independence, a commendable cause that began 60 years ago. On this remarkable day back in 1954, specifically targeting symbols of colonial government power, a handful of passionate Algerian revolutionaries detonated 30 bombs around various parts of the capital. The revolution had well and truly begun, and it took eight years before a newly independent Algeria was recognised.
The Holy Trinity: Life, Death and Football
Now, decades on, the very same revolutionaries are still in power. Take President Bouteflika, for example; a key member of this heroic generation. Presiding for more than 15 years, his legitimacy as a leader is in decline, especially amongst Algeria’s younger voters, all 26 million of them. An extremely youthful nation, close to 70% of Algeria’s population is under the age of 30, so a certain irony lies in the fact that a stubborn 77-year-old is desperately clinging to power. In response to his rather prehistoric political mentality, a resolute group of Algerians are establishing their very own identities.
Doing so through the beautiful game, these football fans have made a conscious effort to separate themselves from a crippling economy and an array of political failings. Shortly before Algeria’s latest election, this group of football fans expressed their disgust through the adoption of a new chant, something they regularly recited during televised matches. From Bouteflika to swindling businessmen, the chant highlighted the corruption of Algeria as a state. Singing; “Elections are coming up, and Bouyahaya (a derogatory term for the Prime Minister) got dressed up and elected himself again,” these fans demand change like never before.
The World Cup in Brazil saw Algeria name a 23-man squad; nothing strange there, right? But 17 of these players were born in France, roughly 80% of the squad, many of whom do not speak a word of Arabic or Kabyle. While in Saudi Arabia, during last summer’s tournament, officials in Ward, a city in the Mecca province, banned live games being televised in public places. Why? This was a direct attempt to dissuade men and women from mingling. In Iran, a nation with a similar chauvinistic mentality, women are banned from entering sports venues. If football is to thrive in nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia, then, certainly, imposing governmental influence must be minimized. Speaking of men in suits meddling, just look at Qatar and allegations that senior powers had bribed football officials to back their farcical 2022 World Cup bid… but that’s a story that has been well documented.
In Israel, a nation experiencing severe hardships, a recent brawl during a politically-fuelled derby highlighted palpable, escalating tensions. After a reported raid by the Israeli military on the offices of a prominent Palestinian soccer club, many agree that the Israeli-Palestinian divide is only hardening. If Israel passes legislation that seeks to recognise the Jewish national rather than the idea of democracy, then this would basically deprive Israeli Palestinians of their identity, not to mention their equal rights as human beings. The PFA, aka the Palestine Football Federation, have authority that is strictly limited to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and they quickly condemned the raid on the headquarters of Bnei Sakhnin, a Galilee-based club. Interestingly, Sakhnin is a member of the Israel Football Association (IFA), however, it was the PFA that publicly criticised the raid.
Cairo and Tunis, the capital cities of Egypt and Tunisia, are two cities where football has played a pivotal role in challenging rather tyrannical regimes. The importance of football in Cairo cannot be emphasized enough. Hooliganism is rife here, with Tahrir Square a prime location for some unsavoury militant football fans to flex their muscles, quite literally. These tough, self-proclaimed anarchists oppose any kind of hierarchical system imposed by the government. Recent clashes between these football fanatics and security forces were extremely heated. The anti-government section covered their faces so police could not identify them from their behaviour in various stadiums around Cairo. Although protests turned violent, these ‘fans’ obliterated any barriers of intimidation that had silenced people previously. In addition, many of the protesters are young, well-educated males. For example, Shubra Muhamed, the leader of the Ultras White Knights, an aggressively politicised, militant group, is a 20-year-old computer science student.
In January of this year, the Ultras, a passionate Al Zamalek SC support group, marched around various neighbourhoods within the capital, eventually amassing a 10,000 strong brigade that stormed through numerous security barricades. When they reached their final destination, Tahrir Square, Muhamed announced that this was just the first day of the protests, assuring all concerned that this was just the beginning of the revolution. One truth is clearly evident; the beliefs of Egyptian football fans have been emboldened ever since they played a pivotal role in the deposition of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak after three decades at the helm. Bolstered by this newly-acquired sense of realisation, Egypt’s post-revolutionaries, including militant football fans, will not stop until the remnants of the former regime have well and truly been erased.
Amidst all the palpable tensions within Egypt, this sense of success and strength has united ultras across the country, people who, up until this revolt, only ever met when battling on the street. This optimism among Egyptian football fans has radically transformed the beautiful game in a country where more than half of Egypt’s 16 Premier League teams are manipulated by government and military personnel. Possessing one of the more competitive professional leagues in Middle Eastern and African football, Egypt has seen the introduction of transfer pricing and salary caps that allow cash-strapped clubs to at least try and compete in the transfer market.
Due to the global fear surrounding the Ebola virus, the recent refusal by Morocco to host the upcoming African Cup of Nations shed a glaring light on the intricate relations between the continent’s Arab and sub-Saharan countries. Morocco’s decision, one that directly violated the terms of the initial agreement, led to the Confederation of African Football banning the nation from competing in the next two Africa Cup of Nations. Issa Hayatou, the CAF president, admitted the decision was harsh but fair, a ruling that ‘gifted’ Morocco an early Christmas gift; a $20 million fine. Scheduled for a January 17th kick-off, Moroccan FA officials failed in their request for the competition to be postponed. The North African state’s replacement comes in the form of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, a nation that co-hosted the edition three years ago.
It doesn’t take an elite historian to recognize that relations between Arab nations and sub-Saharan Africa are as complex as they are intriguing. Reel back the years and you realise that the Arabs are responsible for conquering and liberating the African continent. From widespread slavery to the introduction of radical, fresh ideas, Islamist beliefs and commercialism have left an indelible mark on Africa.
Quite simply, no other sport in the Middle East and North Africa evokes such rousing responses like football. Arguably, in terms of providing alternative public outlets to voice disgust and frustration, football is the only other institution that can rival Islam. Without entering the realms of religion, if a mosque can be seen as somewhere that abhors extreme Jihadist beliefs, the football stadium is an arena that actively seeks to undermine the government by giving people a 90-minute podium to showcase the true power of the greatest game on earth.
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