Pitch Perfect Friday
Africa is not just represented by five nations in the World Cup. Its diaspora is also here courtesy of Euro-American and South American squads.
Lilian Thuram (15) and Zinedine Zidane (10), two players with African immigrant backgrounds, who defined French football in the 2010s, lining up against Italy in the 2006 World Cup Final in Berlin, Germany (Wiki Commons).
Obviously, over here at Africa is a Country we are fully behind all the national teams representing Africa at the 2010 World Cup. And, yes, unlike Chimamanda Adichie who only counted sub-Saharan teams in the World Cup, we also include Algeria. As this is the second World Cup I am watching as an American citizen, though, I am also leaning to supporting the U.S. national team.
They’re also the most diverse team the U.S. has ever fielded at the World Cup, made up of a considerable number of players who are first generation Americans, representing the America that I know.
The U.S. is a young team, and a good one. Anyone who watched them in the Confederations Cup last year in South Africa, have to agree they’re a bit special. Historically American soccer projects itself as a white sport (as primarily that of European immigrants to the “new world” and of the suburbs who can afford to play in the organized leagues and college football, where the US soccer association recruit most of its promising youngsters. This team, however, has a fair representation of players of African descent: Tim Howard, DeMarcus Beasley, Oguchi Onyewu, Ricardo Clark, Edson Buddle, Jozy Altidore, Maurice Edu and Robbie Findley. Onyewu, who is on the books of AC Milan, and Edu, who plays for Glasgow Rangers in Scotland, are both children of Nigerian immigrants to the U.S.
We will refrain from trodding the well worn path of pointing to the numerous African players in European or South American teams, though France always gets special mention among African fans.
We hope the U.S. team don’t embarrass themselves and go out in the first round. So just in time for the team’s kickoff against Slovenia, we bring some musical inspiration courtesy of The Fader’s “Pitch Perfect” project.
This North America mix, one of the six they commissioned for each continent (save Antarctica), was put together by our friend Chief Boima. Like many of us, he’s got roots in multiple places—something that is always reflected in his music, which by the way is always excellent.
