The Ugly Bits Of The World Cup!

  In South Africa 2010, the ugliest memory was the infamous disharmony and feud within the Les Bleus camp, when the then captain, Manchester United’s left-back; Patrice Evra led perhaps one of the worst football mutinies. The then coach, Raymond Domenech was literally roasted by a section of his players and as expected the team embarrassingly bowed out in the group stages. The coup by the players was so glaring and ugly such that Nicholas Anelka, Samir Nasri and Frank Ribery bore the brunt of a miffed up Federation Francaise de Football (FFF). The lengthy bans that took special interventions for Nasri and Ribery simply told it all. Africans too will forever hate Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, for his hand of hand that denied Ghana’s Black Stars an historic place in the World cup semis! He blocked a goal-bound header with his arm, and it, Ghana’s prospects of a semi-final place were vanquished.

  At Germany 2006, the infamous head butt Italian defender, Marco Materazzi by the French football genius cum captain, Zinedine ‘Zizou’ Zidane will forever remain etched in our football minds. Zidane alleged afterwards that the defender had said some not so kind words to his ears and that is why he took him down with the thunderous headbutt, that had moments earlier came close to netting the winning goal for France, only for Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Buffon to keep it out with perhaps one of the greatest reflex saves in the history of world cup finals. Materazzi and Zidane dominated the football talk for some time. The subsequent red card to the glorious France No 10, simply took the gas out of Les Bleus and The Azzuris went onto win the Jules Rimet Trophy on spot-kicks. The enduring memory from Germany 06 was the infamous Zizou head butt on Materazzi!

  Fast- forward to Brazil 2014, and perhaps we have already gotten the lasting memoir from the land of football. Uruguay’s football gem, Luiz Suarez dug his teeth into Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini during their penultimate match of Group D at Dunas Arena in Natal. For his cannibalistic habit, the dreaded Uruguay talisman was hit with the heaviest sanction in the word cup history. A staggering fine of Sh9.7 million and a lengthy four-month ban were slapped on the striker. But to those who know this potent striker, his mouth has landed him into trouble in the past. In November 2010, while at Ajax Amsterdam he sunk his teeth into PSV Eindhoven player, Otman Bakkal.  He racially abused Manchester United defender, Patrice Evra on October 20 in a Premier League match. Then in April 2013, Suarez was at it again, when he bit Chelsea defender, Bransilav Ivanovic on the arm. Suarez is never far away from controversy! 

  A local newspaper in Brazil branded him a man-eater after the Chiellini incident, and yes, Suarez has an equally potent mouth that has now given the 2014 World Cup, a major talking point and infamously so. The penalty meted on him by the world football governing body, has elicited a polarized debate from all football minds.

The Political malaise that is eating up our society

   The political air around the nation has been hot in recent days and politicians have been their true selves! The opposition has been calling for talks with the government over serious national issues. Security and the disbandment of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are part of the national dialogue that CORD has been clamoring for. On the other side of the patio, politician from the JUBILEE wing have dismissed all these, and branded it political witch-hunt. Just as in 2013 General elections, the battle lines have been dominantly been drawn between President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and the opposition doyen, Raila Amollo Odinga. Their sycophants are even making the most noise, and blurring the real issues.

  As a nation, we have learnt not to trust our politicians, and this national dialogue it is no different. Depending on which side of the political divide you stand on, this national dialogue is either political witch-hunt or an honest way to address the issues that have plagued our nation. Remember what has just happened to our brothers and sisters in Mpeketoni, Makutani in Baringo County, Garissa and Wajir? Vide some appointments in the government? When our political decibels go down, then we all realize that indeed we have hot issues to talk about. Sadly, our politicians are not the type to trust. The only political immorality that as a nation, we collectively take part in is that we talk, eat and sleep politics. We are mysteriously and inexplicably spell-bound by politics and sadly cheap politics. The same politics that are the bane of all the evils that are menacingly staring in our faces!

  As an electorate and the politicians, as a society, we have destroyed our moral fiber that patriotic Kenyans in the ranks of Reverend Timothy Njoya and others, fought so hard to build. Corruption, negative ethnicity and political skullduggery are all national sports and we proudly take part, war unto you, who doesn’t play ball, after all, this is a nation whereby we have a eating culture, no wonder we equate leadership posts in this nation to loaves of bread, or worse still, anything edible! We suffer from an inter-twined curse of eating and political that has clung onto our skins, like ticks to cows!

  We have a rotting part of our political life! The rot is fast spreading to the entire system. Appointments in successive governments have been aligned along political lines, our political class will never stop eating t the slightest opportunity that comes begging, most of our politicians are self-seekers and hide behind national issues to secretly propagate their interests, most of our Members of County Assemblies members are embezzling funds all under the guise of boarding planes to go to foreign lands to bench-mark and borrow ideas on how to effect devolution! We are sick and the political cancer is fast eating up the entire political system! Leaders in top positions in the government flatly refuse to listen to their conscience and cannot fathom resignations even when it is clear that they have horribly failed in their duties!

  Yet at the backdrop of all these political noise, security, terrorism, healthcare, education, unemployment are killing us at every dawn!

                          Reach the writer at mutuamaundu14@gmail.com, jeanmutua@yahoo.com

When in Amazonia, Jules Rimet belongs to South America!!!

   The action in Brazil has separated boys from men. Tonight is the last day of the group matches as teams battle for the last three slots in the Round of 16.  In Group G, Germany, USA, Portugal and Ghana all stand a chance of advancing and the Germany-USA, Portugal-Ghana clashes promise explosive action in Recife and Brasilia respectively. In Group H, Algeria, South Korea and Russia will be seeking to join Belgium in the second round. Hosts Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Colombia, Greece, France, Switzerland, Chile, Argentina and Nigeria have all sealed their places in the Round of 16 that starts on Saturday in Belo Horizonte.

  However, a chilling statistic that should perhaps offer the biggest scare to European teams is the fact that no European team has ever lifted the Jules Rimets Trophy, on South American soil. The closest they have come is a runner-up spot. In 1962, at Estadio  Nacional in Santiago Chile, Brazil thrashed Czechoklovakia Republic 3-1, Brazil walloped Italy 4-1 at Estadio Atzeca, Mexico City in Mexico ( 1970). In 1978, Les Albiceleste beat Netherlands 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires, in front of their home crowd and then a Diego Maradona inspired Albiceleste went on to pip West Germany 3-2 in the 1986 final at Estadio Atzeca in Mexico. The beautiful game is never known to defy some of these patterns, and history has its place in soccer. On July 13, at the historic Estadio De Maracana, history will once again see South America’s most favorite football child Brazil’s Samba Boys or Les Albiceleste of Argentina, lift the coveted Jules Rimet diadem!

  The Oranges play flair and posses devastating counter attacks, the German machine is as efficient as the Mercedes Benz. It would be great to see Robin van Persie or Philip Lahm lift the trophy on July 13 and pop the champagne, but as the statistics suggest, this might not come to fruition. Three of Europe’s best in Spain, Italy and England are already out. Tonight Portugal could be on the plane home too. Europe is almost vanquished in Brazil, while the South Americans are growing in potency as the tourney enters its crucial and penultimate stages. Lionel Messi and Neymar Jnr are lighting up the tournament with splendid breath-taking displays. One of the planet’s best, Christiano Ronaldo has failed to live up to the huge football expectations and the defenders in Brazil are not as scared of him, as the defenders in Europe. He has failed to torment them and his Portuguese team might as well be headed home tonight after the Ghana-Portugal clash.

  South American teams have taken over the show in Brazil, while their European counterparts have flopped and miserably failed. The footballing gods have once again conspired to deny Europe glory in Brazil. Runners-up is the best that Europe has ever gotten on South American soil and Brazil 2014 might be no different. When held in South America, the world cup belongs to South America.

  In the meantime, let us enjoy the scintillating football that the Netherlands and Germany have treated us to. But word of caution, their fans should not over-blow their expectations in them. Spain’s La Roja Furia brought the Jules Rimet Trophy to Brazil. They came with the tag of defending champions and favorites, but miserably exited after the first two games!

                                 You can reach the writer at jeanmutua@yahoo.com, mutuamaundu14@gmail.com

THE UZALENDO DAY!

  From the matatus and radio stations across the nation, patriotic beats and hymns dominate the air. It is the day when other genres of music take a back-seat and our Uzalendo beats become a national chorus. Miniature flags and national colors in all forms flush the environment and the entire nation is in a patriotic mood. As the President enters the Nyayo National Stadium in his ceremonial car, we all stand up. Ululations and cheers relegate our worries and problems to the backseat! It is Madaraka Day!

  Despite being the victims of terror-loving souls and blood thirsty vampires who take fun in pounding us with grenades, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), illegally owned guns and all manner of crude weapons, we brave the chill and become patriotic for a day. Even the near-impossible cost of living, un-ending corruption laden-scams and sagas, disappointments and heart-breaks from the government cannot deter us. Politicians shed their cheap political skins for a day and feign the people’s interests at heart! It is Jamhuri Day!

  Hard-bitten Kenyans who wake up early and sleep late, those who trek to Industrial Area in their swarms each day, just to eke a living, fill the Nyayo National Stadium. Even our dedicated and disciplined police men and women, for a day leave their tough and deplorable working conditions and put on splendid performances in front of the President! They can afford a healthy smile, a far cry from their harsh conditions at work.  The Kenya Defence Forces show off their military might and the Kenya Air Force in particular leave the entire nation gasping in awe and disbelief as they display their might and power in the air. It is the President’s Day.

  Patriotic Kenyans, come from all corners of the republic, just to perform a play or two before Baba wa Taifa and it is really an honor (I once performed before former President Mwai Kibaki at the State House Gardens, while in the university). Then the president caps the sunny day at Nyayo National Stadium, with a well-scripted speech that suddenly reignites the hope in an otherwise disillusioned state! This is the moment that those who thronged the stadium and followed the action from the comfort of their television sets had been waiting for.

  However, as soon as the President in his armored escort leave the stadium, announcing the end of yet another national Day celebrations, Kenyans quickly put on their old skins. We all open our eyes only to meet the insecurity, high cost of living, scams and scandals in the government, the evil of corruption that is a national sport and the tough Kenya, that is a far cry from the delirium and ecstasy that had filled Nyayo National Stadium moments ago, for the celebrations.

  Maisha ni magumu’, Tunaomba serikali iingililie’ and others are some of the tag lines that Kenyans murmur to each other and wake up to the next morning, after a day of showcasing patriotism, albeit the hell on earth that we live in!

       Reach the writer at jeanmutua@yahoo.com, mutuamaundu14@gmail.com