This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
Published on July 3, 2019, by Charles Onyango-Obbo, the Africa Cup of Nations in Cairo, Egypt, has brought to the fore the story of Harambee Stars' forward Michael Olunga, who has been making waves with his impressive performances.
As a neutral observer, it was heartwarming to watch Olunga demolish Tanzania's Taifa Stars with his two masterful goals, leaving the team 'drunk' with three goals, while Kenya scored two.
However, Olunga's story is not unique. Many African footballers have found themselves playing for clubs in far-flung countries, often in unexpected circumstances. The Uganda Cranes, for instance, have a player who plays in India's I-League, while another plays for Kazakhstan club Shakhter Karagandy on loan from Romanian club Politehnica Iasi.
Wikipedia lists all the players at Afcon and the clubs they play for, revealing a globalised world where football has reorganised and helped often economically and socially marginalised sections of African societies to seize possibilities beyond those imposed by their local political realities.
One such story is that of Egyptian and Liverpool star striker Mo Salah, who has been credited with a fall in Islamophobia in Liverpool, according to a study by Stanford University. The study found an 18.9 per cent drop in anti-Muslim hate crimes on Merseyside since Salah signed for Liverpool in June 2017, in a £34m transfer from Roma.
Salah's presence has brought joy and glory to the city, changing attitudes in ways that thousands of news reports, commentaries, and civic activism for religious understanding and tolerance had failed to do.
For African footballers, the path to success is not a beaten one. They often endure racism and face numerous challenges, but their talent and dedication have opened doors to opportunities beyond their wildest dreams.
As Charles Onyango-Obbo notes, 'Today, an orphan who is a football prodigy in the Kibera slum has the real possibility to play for Manchester United or Real Madrid in another eight years — if somebody just posted a clip of him on social media.'
