A game of the haves and the have nots :: Mmegi Online

In May, CAF banned 20 of its 54 members from using their stadiums to host international matches. This translates to nearly 40% of member associations without proper facilities, bringing to the fore the gulf that exists between the haves and the have nots, observes Staff Writer, MQONDISI DUBE

Peter Butler’s Liberia has not played a home game at home for more than two years due to a CAF stadium ban. It is the same situation with 19 other countries that are forced to fly out of their bases to play their home matches away.

Malawi has been a frequent visitor to Johannesburg, South Africa (SA) while neighbours Namibia have also found refuge in SA. Several other African nations are in this predicament as their facilities have been deemed unfit to host international matches. It is an African problem, unheard of in affluent Europe or North America. Football, a sport of the masses, is witnessing a widening wealth divide, likely to sustain poor Africa’s peripheral role in the global game.

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