By Farid Omar
The timely decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) not to call off the African Cup of Nations (ACN) tournament in Angola despite the deadly gunfire by secessionist rebels, who targeted the Togolese national squad two days before kick off, should be hailed as a brave and bold move by the continental football authority.
In a grisly incident that shook millions around the world, the bus ferrying the Togolese players came under heavy fire from rebels shortly after crossing into Angola’s Cabinda enclave from Congolese territory. The restive enclave is cut off from the rest of Angola by a strip of Congolese land on the Atlantic Coast. The Cabinda Enclave Liberation Front (FLEC) has been fighting to breakaway from Angola in attempts to establish an independent homeland in the oil rich enclave that accounts for 60 percent of Angola’s oil production.
The Togolese contingent suffered heavy casualties as the bus driver, assistant coach and team spokesman all died in the attack while several players were injured. The reserve goalkeeper, reportedly in critical condition at the time of the incident, was airlifted to South Africa and is now listed as stable.
When news of the attack started trickling in, skeptics called for an outright cancellation of the ACN, citing security concerns. But calling off the event, expected to be the continent’s largest ever, would be seen as giving in to political violence as this would encourage violent militants to target other international sporting events in future.
Despite the deadly incident, the ACN went ahead and kicked off to the best start it could ever dream of, with the Freddie Kanoute’s marshaled Mali, wiping out a massive 0-4 goal deficit in spectacular fashion by scoring four times in the last 11 minutes to tie with host nation Angola 4-4. It was an explosive opening game that elevated the spirit of a tournament overshadowed by the tragic event.
It is understandable that Togo had to pull out of the tournament to allow its players who are in state of shock, to mourn their dead. But it would be pointless to ask CAF to scrap the competition as it would reward the cowards behind the attack and mean that any competition is stoppable at any time. The Cabinda incident should be seen as an isolated one and participating teams should certainly put their faith on reassurances by Angolan officials who have vowed to guarantee their security.
The ACN is the largest football showpiece in the continent and it is unfortunate that the attack in Cabinda came less than six months before the continent hosts Football’s biggest tournament, the FIFA World Cup, slated for South Africa in June.
In some footballing circles, the Cabinda shooting has raised security questions for the FIFA World Cup. But given South Africa’s successful hosting of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, it is clear that the land of Madiba has already passed the World Cup test. It is worth noting that the rainbow nation has elaborate security measures in place and can guarantee the safety of all world cup teams.
Following the Cabinda incident, detractors were quick to attack South Africa’s security credentials for the FIFA World Cup. There is no reason why the incident in Cabinda should have any impact on the World Cup in June. In fact questioning South Africa’s security capabilities speaks of double standards.
Speaking to the BBC, Danny Jordaan, the South African World Cup boss, was clear on this. "When there was a bomb in London no-one said we should not have 2012 (Olympics) in London so we cannot have double standards."
Certainly, South Africa cannot bear any responsibility of what has happened in Angola. Jordaan noted that the majority of the world is not influenced by a distorted understanding of the African continent. He told the BBC that "If there is a war in Kosovo and a World Cup in Germany, no-one asks if the World Cup can go on in Germany, everyone understands the war in Kosovo is a war in Kosovo”
"The world must be balanced and must not apply different standards when it comes to the African continent. Our World Cup is secure and we are confident because we have employed a lot of resources to safeguard the event in our country." He said.
South Africa should not be singled out for any perceived lapse in security. This is because terrorism and political violence in general are global and no single country in the world can offer 100 percent guarantee against any security threats.
President Obama described the botched Christmas Day airline bombing as constituting a “systemic failure” and a “catastrophic lapse in security” - an indication that even the most sophisticated security systems in the US and Europe where the Detroit bound plane originated can be breached
The 2010 ACN is poised to live up to its billing as the continent’s most spectacular tournament ever. And come June, South Africa is ready to host the world in what promises to be a scintillating World Cup to remember.
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