Jogo Bonito
Preparations for the 2014 World Cup have served as a trigger for what may become a major political and social movement in Brazil.
Football
The left winger
A meditation on left footed footballers, especially wingers, given the conventional wisdom that lefties are always useful to have in a match.
The Blood of the Impure
The French national anthem is a pretty nasty song. It dreams, in one of its more memorable verses, that the “blood of the impure” will “irrigate our fields.”
Pope Francis is a football fan
The pope supports Argentina's San Lorenzo Club (nickname: Los Santos). What better way to dissect his ascension to the papacy than by way of football?
African Footballers in America
The US Major Soccer League is luring foreign players, especially decent African players, and not just those whose careers are on the wane.
Is there football in heaven?
The author, a football fan and writer, wonders if there is football in heaven? And if there is, does God himself play? And if he does, what position does he plays?
African Football at The Shrine
Watching the African Nations Cup Final at The Shrine in Harlem.
Wayne Rooney and a rhinoceros
The ultimate preview of the 2013 Afcon Final: Will it be Stephen Keshi's time or can the Burkinabé shock the world in Soweto?
Burkina Faso is this year’s Zambia
A footballing minnow has shocked the great names of African football with a series of audacious, spirited displays, making it all the way to the 2013 Afcon final.
Who are you rooting for
The historian Laurent Dubois watches the African Cup of Nations in Senegal and can't help mix it up with the history of colonialism and neo-colonialism in the region.
Stephen Keshi is Pure Gold
Super Eagles coach Stephen Keshi's understanding of Nigeria and its football politics may be a template to how think Nigeria out of its political leadership crisis.
A large piece of humble pie
The job of Nigeria's men national team is one of the worst places to be on the planet. So, when the team wins, we all celebrate.
Is north African football in decline?
North African teams failed to get out of the group stages at the 2013 African Cup of Nations. The best spin is that at least we got to see their future potentials.
The madness we’ve eaten
Ghanaian artist Wanlov the Kubolor’s has an Afcon 2013 playlist for his country's national football team.
The Foreign Coach
Africa's men's national football teams have failed to improve under foreign coaches and there is nothing to suggest that this state of affairs will ever improve.