The Flip Side to Competition: A little is Healthy but too Much Can be TOO MUCH!

It has come to an end but the 2010 Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Cup of Nations came to a close with a triumphant win by Egypt. Sadly the event got off to a very rough and unfortunately tragic start. On January 8 the Hawks from Togo fell under attack by a rebel faction travelling into the northern enclave of Cabinda. The attack ended in death and serious injury. So sad. (come on people really…when is this all going to stop…its heartbreaking). The team subsequently withdrew from the competition. Though difficult, after a while the game came back into focus now with only 15 teams competing. 15 teams. 29 games. (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo (withdrew) Tunisia, and Zambia). The following players were named best for their respective positions:


Goal keeper: Essam El-Hadary (Egypt),

Defenders: Madjid Bougherra (Algeria), Wael Gomaa (Egypt), and Mabiná (Angola) Midfielders: Ahmed Fathy (Egypt), Peter Odemwingie (Nigeria), Alexandre Song (Cameroon), and Ahmed Hassan (Egypt)

Forwards: Asamoah Gyan (Ghana), Mohamed Zidan (Egypt), and Flavio (Angola)

Geddo of Egypt was the tournaments’ top scorer with five goals. Egypt also made history, becoming the first team to ever with a consecutive three Nations Cups. So even with this being exciting and all, the day before the final CAF banned Togo for the next two Africa Cup of Nations Tournaments and fined the team $50,000. The CAF made this decision because of the Togolese government’s decision to withdraw their national team even though players decided they wanted to stay (Valk). Maybe it’s just me but aren’t people’s lives are more valuable than a game? There would be no tournament if there were no players. Was it not in the best interest of the players to be removed from an endangering situation even if the attack wasn’t actually targeted at them? People died. The team was most likely traumatized and distressed. We really have to do better; and I say we because we cannot remove ourselves from the human condition no matter how significant or trivial the problem is.



“Nothing can detract from Egypt's magnificent performance - but in the end Angola 2010 will be remembered for more than just football. (Kenyon)”

Cup Of Nations: An Opportunity for Unity and Healthy Competition

The Africa Cup of Nations* recently ended with Egypt taking home the big prize, their third consecutive Cup of Nations championship. The tournament, held this year in Angola, is a chance for African soccer teams to come together and compete on a continental level. But the Africa Cup of Nations is more than just a fun soccer tournament. In fact, it has much greater implications for the African continent.


Over the years, sports have proven to be a useful tool in the coming together of a people. From the local high school football team inspiring a community to the Jamaican bobsled team inspiring a nation, sports of all kinds have the ability to create a sense of shared identity and pride among diverse populations. It may seem that the Africa Cup of Nations is only inspiring to the Egyptians , but let’s not forget the 16 other teams who made it to the tournament. Also, with many African nations being notorious for their disorganization, the whole continent should be proud to show the world that they, like any other continent, are perfectly able to orchestrate such a large-scale, and ultimately, successful event.

Another reason sports are beneficial to the African continent is quite similar to the (good) reasons parents enroll their children in little league baseball and recreational league basketball: sports build good life skills. Playing on a sports team teaches kids teamwork, fair play and following rules and directions. It also injects a healthy dose of competiveness into their system, the kind of competiveness that inspires them to push themselves to be better. Although Africans may not necessarily be in search of life skills, there’s no reason to believe that teamwork, fair play, healthy competiveness and gaining respect for rules cannot benefit the continent.

The Cup of Nations also puts Africa on the world stage in a more positive light. Besides the terrorist attack on Togo’s nation team (a very serious and unfortunate occurrence)**, Africa gets to be mentioned in world media without the usual talk of corruption, death and poverty. Although these are very serious issues, it does help to hear something positive and uplifting about Africa every once in a while. It also helps to dispel the idea that Africa, as a whole, is some sort of desolate and god-forsaken place when it is actually rich in culture and life.

Although I speak of Africa the continent, I do realize that Africa is a conglomerate entity of numerous and diverse pieces. I do not mean to ignore that fact, like so many do. I only speak of it in this way because the Africa Cup of Nations, as the name implies, is such a good chance for all around African improvement. Many of the problems you find in Nigeria and Libya you will find in Zimbabwe, Madagascar and the DRC. Creating a continental African identity can lead not only to an improved image in the eyes of the world but also an improved self-image for Africans everywhere.

Memories of Africa Night!!

The first time I heard “Zouglou Dance” by Magic Systeme, I was sold. The song starts so energetically and makes you want to dance, never mind the fact that you may not understand French. They say love is the language of the world, but I say it’s music. For O.A.S.I.S’s annual Africa Night, musicplays a large role, there is the music for the fashion show, the music thatZankiliwa dances to, and the music we play during interludes and then of course, the music at the after party. Choosing music is just one part ofall the the preparation that goes into Africa Night. After months of preparation, a week of late night rehearsals, it is showtime. All the nervous energy and worry goes out of the window, this is not just a show, it is more of a celebration. A celebration of our cultures and the diversity of Africa. What makes Africa Night so special is that we not only tell the stories that we are familiar with as part of the diaspora, but we also learn things from each other that we are not so familiar with. Last year’s show was titled Unspoken Truths. A term so broad it gave us the opportunity to explore different subjects, with a play focused on asylum, political unrest, corruption, civil war and many of the themes we so often see, very heavy topics. We also had the dancing, the music, the humor from the hosts and in the play; all things that lightened the mood and showed a different side of our relationship with Africa. That is why I loved ‘Zouglou Dance”, the vibrance and energy reminded me of the optimism and happiness that is still found in Africa. Each year, the goal of Africa Night is to inform, discuss and celebrate all the aspects of our continent.
(Join us on March 20th on UNC Campus to witness the wonders and creativity in Africa NIGHT!!!)