Tanzania soccer fans’ love for foreign soccer clubs, and in particular, those in the premier league in England and Spain is such, that it has almost replaced the erstwhile attachment to Dar es Salaam’s big guns, Simba and Young Africans.
What is more, this enigmatic love for foreign soccer clubs which is more prevalent among the younger generation, has taken another interesting development, the entry into the arena of the fairer sex whom, I’m told, mostly belong to England’s Red Devils, Manchester United.
Although no study has been made over this interesting development which has, to a great extent, been fueled by the entry into the country a few years ago of cable television networks led by the DStv, however, the trend can be attributed to the failure by local soccer clubs to rise to the expectations of their fans.
Over the years, Tanzania soccer fans’ expectations have been to see Simba and Young Africans winning continental clubs tournaments such as the Club Champions and Confederation Cup.
Unfortunately the two clubs have failed, miserably, to quench Tanzania soccer fans’ growing appetite for victory.
In fact, the farthest local clubs have gone in the continental tournaments is finals and semi-finals.
Both feats were clinched by Simba, in 1993 (CAF against Ivory Coast’s Stella) and the Club Champions (1974 against Egypt’s textile team, Mehalla el Kubra).
While fairly younger and new African clubs have come and won continental clubs tournaments, soccer fans have been forced to witness the transformation of conflicts in clubs into a profession!
Gone are the days when planned Simba, Yanga clashes used to generate such soccer fever that businesses in Dar es Salaam used to be brought almost to a standstill.
That fever is today slowly, but steadily being transferred to foreign clubs and it is just a matter of time local clubs’ league matches will be played in empty stadium.
This growing, but nevertheless, shocking trend has also seen the development, again over a long period of time, of another queer behavior on the part of local Tanzanians, the shifting of alliances, during international matches pitching local and foreign clubs.
This queer fans’ conduct/behaviour which appears to be only confined to Tanzania in the world, has tended to emerge whenever Tanzanian clubs start losing matches against their foreign opponents.
Personally, I have no problem with fans from one club supporting, during an international match, a visiting club against their local arch-rivals.
In fact, such behavior should be considered by local clubs as nothing more than a challenge to them to do well, hence shame their arch-rivals.
This is a technique that has over the years been used by black players in European soccer leagues whenever they are confronted with racist taunts from white soccer fans.
For instance, Dutch’s charismatic skipper, Ruud Gullit, who steered his country to victory during Euro 88 (European nations’ cup) in the then West German had employed a similar tactic.
It involved scoring of as many goals as possible against his opponents. In that way, he silenced those engaged in racist taunts against him.
Therefore instead of complaining and calling for patriotism, Simba and Yanga should use heckling against them as a catalyst for firing them into victory.
Meanwhile an exciting foreign fixture is presently in store, involving arguably the best clubs in the world, Manchester United and Spain’s Barcelona.
The showdown is set on 28th this month (May) on one of the world’s most famous stadia, Wembly.
This is a venue that has for a long time been every player’s dream in the world to play on.
The stadium has been rebuilt in a bid to meet present day sports requirement and preserve past fond memories on the venue.
Apart from being the venue which saw England win the controversial 1966 World Cup under its maverick skipper, Bobby Moore, Barcelone also won the coveted cup at the same venue in 1992 when Netherland’s Ronald Kuhman fired them into victory from 40 meters.
During the time, Barcelona’s present club manager, Pep Guardiola was a midfielder in the victorious team.
However, this time around, Guardiola will be trying to win the trophy as a coach as he tries to emulate Germany’s most celebrated soccer idol, ‘Kaiser’ Frans Backenbauer who won the World Cup both as player and a coach in 1974 in Munich and 1990 in Italy respectively.
Tanzania soccer fans are already arguing, heatedly, over who would emerge victorious between the soccer giants who soccer experts tell us that both lead the world in playing as a team.
Although I’m not an astrologer in the mould of Sheikh Yahaya Hussein, my prediction is that Manchester United stands a better chance of beating Barcelona.
During my short tenure as sports editor at the government’s Tanzania Standard Newspapers (TSN), Simba’s former coach, James Siang’a once told me that it was very difficult for a very good team under a very good coach to lose twice, in a row, against another equally good team under a good coach.
If we are to follow this theory by Kenya’s former international custodian, then Man United who lost to Barcelona during their last encounter and under the same team manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, are unlikely to lose against Guardiola’s charges.
Another thing that stands against the Catalans, and that is according to British commentators, is the fact that Guardiola has been playing the same players every time his club took on strong opponents.
Therefore Barcelona is no longer a closed book it was for Sir Ferguson when his team last lost to the Catalans.
However, Guardiola’s position is not as good as that of his counterpart.
The Scottish has kept on changing his first team every time Man United took on their top-flight opponents.
When Sir Ferguson’s charges took on Germany’s Schalke 04 in their return leg at Old Trafford, he held back four first eleven players, hence denying Guardiola the opportunity of studying Man United’s team.
Another thing that is likely to play against Barcelona come May 28th revolves around the claim by Real Madrid’s team manager, Jose Mourinho that the Catalans are supported by referees.
Mourinho’s claims are likely to benefit Man United as those who will officiate the Man United/Barcelona match will be very careful not to be seen to be aiding, in any way, Barcelona.
Other factors favouring Man United include the proverbial twelfth player, namely British soccer fans who unlike their Tanzanian counterparts will be behind the British club.
And in terms of both commitment and speed, Man United players are tough customers.
Their never-say-die attitude, especially by their younger charges like Nina, Rafael and Valencia are likely to create a lot of problems for Barcelona’s defence built around Puyol.
Barcelona’s defence will certainly have to be extremely careful in handling players like Nani who can easily force clumsy defenders into giving penalties, what with blending of their speed and dribbling.
In conclusion, I’not a fan of any British team although I enjoying watching fluid football like the displayed by Barcelona and Arsenal.
May the best team win. Cheers.
By AttilioTagalile
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