Must we watch the local football league for patriotism sake?

Pan-African patriotism crosscuts many issues, the very core being; the ability for African countries to be totally independent politically, economically and militarily. That’s why you see most of them trying to create blocs through integration and some of the more radical leaders calling for a complete Africa unification. Socially, in my opinion, Pan-Africanism doesn’t help much, considering the fact that the whole world is now multicultural- through the internet and the airplane, people have no choice but to move around the world, a process which enables them to pick up likes and dislikes about foreign cultures. Personally, I am a big time fan of the English Premier League; any Manchester United merchandise that I find on the market, be it fake or original, I will want to buy it. That is because of the affection I have developed for the club over time. Now, the question is; do I have the same affection for any local club? Sadly and truthfully, the answer is no. the next question, which I wish to elaborately explain, is “why.” I badly want our local league to develop and become as strong and interesting as that of Europe, and hopefully over time, it will. Country-wise, we have a strong young team, as was demonstrated by the under 17 Wasps, so there is hope. However, what drives me is the sense of satisfaction, purely a case of entertainment and nothing to do with my patriotism or love for my country. As a matter of fact, if weirdness occurred and Sir Alex Fergusson, together with his team decided to launch a violent offensive against Rwanda (and I mean a military offence), I would gladly be the first one to shoot at them.So we should differentiate between the two; love for the nation and personal entertainment. That is why we find Hollywood movies more entertaining, that is why we find most clubs and discos frequently playing urban hip-hop and not our own local music. On another note, when a footballer shows unique talent, he won’t stay playing in our local league for long. He will be scouted by one of those rich teams in Europe and be whisked away to challenge in a more paying and more watched game. This means that most talented players prefer to join a league where they can compete with the best, which in the end will pay off by improving their talent, which they will also use to play for their national side. That is why players like Olivier Karekezi, who plays for Swedish side, Helsingborgs IF, Kamanzi Jimmy, who has played for Hamme in Belgium, and a couple of others, have come home on different occasions to help our national team. I know of some people who will forgo local league matches to watch the Swedish and Belgian football leagues simply because they want to see the progress of our nationals in those clubs. Does this make them less of patriots? Of course not! A patriot feels a strong support for their country; he will defend his country in any way possible and is even willing to die in war. His love for Arsenal FC, or Man U, is completely about his personal interests. mugishaivan@yahoo.com