EDITORIAL: Maybe it is time to give football a break

The African football season is upon us once again. This time the African Cup of Nations is taking place in Gabon. The best of African footballers are tussling it out but under a dark cloud and very humid temperatures. Players from the DRC have gone on strike three days before their opening game apparently due to unpaid bonuses. Some big names refused to turn up for their countries due to pressure from their European clubs. This is a time when one is expected to proudly fly their flags high, but unfortunately, for some, patriotism is in short supply. Well, Rwanda was not fortunate to join the elite nations, even after a successful organization of the Orange African Nations Championship and an honourable performance. This is not to say that the government has not invested fully in developing and supporting football. You will never hear of clubs failing to attend competitions due to lack of funds. Neither will a ruckus be raised over unpaid bonuses from players and officials; everything is catered for by the state and in time. But we never seem to reach anywhere with our football. Football takes the lion’s share of the sports budget but it has seen little returns in the last decade. To the contrary, it has continued a downward trend on the continental rankings. What seems to be the problem? Does it mean that our football administrators have failed to find out what ails the sport and we are just pouring money down the drain? If that is the case, then let us just throw in the towel and shift our attention to where we have potential.

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EDITORIAL: Maybe it is time to give football a break