Opinion: Senegal can win against Egypt by surpassing the latter’s patriotism

By Dak Buoth Riek-Gaak,

February 5, 2022 — I am an ordinary but not a professional soccer player who is a staunchest fan of African football. There was a time I found myself ceasing from watching club games. So, I rarely and selectively watch premier league matches, and please don’t bother asking why, because it has something to do with philosophical shifts which I cannot articulate and argue here and now.  But when it comes to the Africa cup of nations, I always don’t miss out.  Even when I don’t have ample time, I strive to get a chance not just to follow the match, but to offer moral support and to continue talking from the point of experience with a view to nurture soccer Africa. 

An old adage says ‘‘seeing is believing’’ and hence, I can’t purport to be an African football fan without watching African football unless otherwise. In view of this, I obligated myself to watch these soccer events that take place in our lifetimes. 

For instance, this particular Africa cup of nations commenced at a moment when my schedules were very tight, but I made sure I watched most of the memorable games.

Interestingly, on the day the tournament began on Sunday 9th Jan, I knew I was traveling to a far distance of about five to six hours drive. I had to leave earlier on that day in order to arrive ahead of time, to rest and watch the opening match between the host Cameroon’s Indomitable lions and Burkina Faso. 

More interestingly again, these two teams, Cameroon and Burkina Faso are now and today 5th Jan playing in the third place after the duo were eliminated in the semi-final by Senegal and Egypt. 

More often than seldom, I watch and follow these football games with a passion. When I was still an active and regular player for my clubs and school teams, I could watch to gain skills both as a striker and winger et cetera. But now I watch it for leisure, and more so, to learn, compliment, and contribute ideas that can expedite the growth and development of African football which still need to be taken to the next level, where we can see one of our African teams reaching and playing not just in the quarter, semi but in the world cup final too. 

Without much ado, let me at the onset unreservedly commend and congratulate the Gambia football team for their magnificent performances in the ongoing Africa cup of Nation in Cameroon. In their debut, they managed to qualify and reached the last 16 teams.  They really deserve our appreciation and acknowledgements, owing to the fact that they’re first timers in this tournament. 

At the beginning, I had wanted Cameroon to clinch the cup, for their home runs, but after finding with disgust and disappointment that Cameroon was without a quality game this time round, I strongly settled for the idea that the cup should not be taken to north Africa again. 

Luckily, the defending champions, Algeria, started as an underdog, and indeed they were soon relegated in the first round. The Super Eagles of Nigeria came and showcased mature football. However, they later became over confident after their numerous wins in the first and rounds leading to their humiliating defeat by Tunisia. 

President Kwame Nkrumah’s black stars of Ghana came and played a dirty game like black charcoal. They came and died on arrival in Cameroon before exiting the group stage. The Ayew’s annoyed Ghanaians as well as their continental and global fanatic fans. 

Now, the only remaining and surviving North Africa team is the Pharaoh of Egypt that will be playing against Senegal in the final tomorrow on Sunday. At this point, let me reiterate that I don’t want the cup to be returned to North Africa. 

So, Senegal’s Lion of Terega should roar like a real lion more than ever before. But roaring alone is insufficient to clinch the cup. They need to go extra miles. 

Since 2002, Senegal has had quality players, but some fundamental things are lacking in them, one being patriotism. The word patriotism derives from the Latin patria, meaning a country. Sara Beden, in her article entitled ‘‘elements of patriotism in ‘‘Pahlawan Pasir Salak’’ Novel,’’ stated that, ‘‘patriotism is a feeling of deep love for the motherland based on an awareness of citizenship and loyalty that one is so willing to sacrifice his life for his motherland. Through patriotism, the nation will be strong, brave, resilient mentally, emotionally and physically in the form of national security and the challenges ahead.’’ 

Due to this visible lacuna, the Lions of Teranga have always played like ‘slay kings’ devoid of accountability, commitment and concern for their country and the continent at large.

Whereas Egyptians coming from a country governed with Pan-Arabism and socialism philosophy developed by the likes of Gamel Nasser and his successor, Answar Sadat are guided by the principle of patriotism. I had seen each time Egyptians’ Pharaoh comes to play, they carry with them three tools to fight and win the Africa Cup of Nations, one being the superiority complex, and with this, they think they’re more superior to any African team on the continent, and so they play without imagining to lose, maybe in the world cup. Second, they come as the representatives of Egypt and the entire Arab nations, and third, they pray and play for their God, Allah. As a counter strategy, the Senegalese players majority of whom share the religious faith with the Egyptian team should be praying to the African ancestors by voiding to kneel down. Alternatively, they should just grab the soil, taste it and look up for godly intervention. Another thing to do is for them to play with the concept of Pan Africanism and feel proud and brave like founding fathers of African independence leaders who resisted foreign dominations across Africa, and third, they should bear in mind that they’re not only representing Senegal but Africa from East to West, and from South to North. Good luck. I rest my case.

The Writer is the Chairman of Liech community Association in Kenya, the views expressed here are his own, and he can be reached for comments via eligodakb@yahoo.com