As soon as the brutal heat of the afternoon sun starts to recede, the kids of Mali take to the streets with their soccer balls and bright soccer t-shirts, and the party gets started !
What a joy to see them play, oblivious to the tragedy of their time.
Anywhere, where you can find enough space to run, you see them wearing the official t-shirts of the soccer stars from Real Madrid or F.C. Barcelona, the two most important teams from my native Spain. One can play soccer barefoot, or train in flip flops, but the important thing is to sport Barcelona’s number 10, the t-shirt for Argentinian superstar Leo Messi.
Last year, when the jihadists took control of the north of the country, they committed a huge faux pas, when they tried to force Malians NOT to play soccer. That may have been the turning point for many people in Mali… the straw the broke the dromedary’s back. (Yes, dromedaries are here everywhere but I didn’t find one camel) Malians have a lot of patience for all kinds of takes on Islam, but a world without soccer, well… that is way too much to ask.
Mali has given to the world some great soccer, no doubt. Malian stars in the French League include Salif Keita, Jean Tigana, and Frédéric "Fredi" Kanouté, the biggest star of today, who plays for the Sevilla FC in Spain.
Important P.R. lessons for extremist fundamentalists: do not mess with people’s soccer!
What a joy to see them play, oblivious to the tragedy of their time.
Anywhere, where you can find enough space to run, you see them wearing the official t-shirts of the soccer stars from Real Madrid or F.C. Barcelona, the two most important teams from my native Spain. One can play soccer barefoot, or train in flip flops, but the important thing is to sport Barcelona’s number 10, the t-shirt for Argentinian superstar Leo Messi.
Last year, when the jihadists took control of the north of the country, they committed a huge faux pas, when they tried to force Malians NOT to play soccer. That may have been the turning point for many people in Mali… the straw the broke the dromedary’s back. (Yes, dromedaries are here everywhere but I didn’t find one camel) Malians have a lot of patience for all kinds of takes on Islam, but a world without soccer, well… that is way too much to ask.
Mali has given to the world some great soccer, no doubt. Malian stars in the French League include Salif Keita, Jean Tigana, and Frédéric "Fredi" Kanouté, the biggest star of today, who plays for the Sevilla FC in Spain.
Important P.R. lessons for extremist fundamentalists: do not mess with people’s soccer!
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