'People will see Africa is not all dying and hunger'

FROM SOMALIA, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana and Sierra Leone – they all came together in a Dublin city centre bar to watch the opening match of the World Cup in South Africa yesterday.

Many fans felt the first World Cup on African soil would help to alter the world’s perception of the continent.

“Finally people will see Africa as the cradle of humanity not just as poverty. They will see its rich culture and friendliness and will show the world that it can progress,” said Monte Mulindwa from Uganda who had taken a week off work for the tournament.

Sebo Keng from the Vaal Triangle, South Africa was full of pride watching the opening ceremony which was “very beautiful, just like Africa”.

“The world can now see the positives as they are always told the negatives,” she said.

While Somalia did not have a team in the World Cup, the sight of singer and fellow countryman Knaan performing at the World Cup concert brought tears to the eyes of Ifrah Ahmed.

“People will see that Africa is not all dying, diseases and hunger and will see there is a different way of life,” Ms Ahmed said

For Somalian Murbak Habib, the event brought to mind anti-apartheid-activists such as the late Steve Biko.

“How would he have felt if he was there, to see how things had changed,” he said. With just six African teams in the competition, fans were supporting all African sides rather than one in particular.

“When it comes to the World Cup, we are African first and foremost. It unites us all as one,” Mr Mulindwa said.

Reginald Okoflex Inya of the Dublin New Communities Partnership said.

Patson Kinuma from Uganda supported all the African teams and defied the bookies by predicting an overall African victory. “Why not, we will win,” he said.

A win for any team other than the French was the other uniting hope among the Irish-resident Africans because of Ireland’s defeat at the hand of Thierry Henry.

“It’s a shame, the atmosphere in Ireland would have a whole different feeling if it qualified,” Mr Mulindwa said.

Mr Habib remembers cheering for Ireland when he was in Somalia during the World Cup in 1994 and clearly recalls watching Ray Houghton’s legendary goal against Italy.

Community worker Suleiman Abdulahi said that millions would not be able to watch the matches in Somalia because of a ban on watching World Cup games on television by an Islamic militia group.

He recently organised a Dublin soccer tournament for isolated young African migrants. He believed football could be a force for integration and the World Cup could see Europeans change their attitude towards Africa.