Speaking loosely, the current edition of the African Cup of Nations, being held in Egypt, is the “EAC Afcon.”
Four teams represent East Africa for the first time since the launch of the modern Afcon in 1968. The old Afcon was born in 1957 with only three participating nations: Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.
Now the four teams – Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Kenya – are members of the six-member East African Community. With only South Sudan and Rwanda not in the tournament, it means nearly 67 per cent of the EAC is in.
We wait to see which of the four will be left standing. History suggests Uganda, which has had a better run of form in the past. However, sport is a little too democratic to confer only one side with a long-lasting monopoly.
There are however three prizes one can hand out early. The Uganda Cranes are probably the most handsome team. If tournaments were won on that basis, they would have brought this home.
Kenya Harambee Stars seem to have the most beautiful uniform although, contradictory as this may sound, Tanzania’s Taifa Stars have the most stylish one.
It would have been the most beautiful if the designer had thrown in some Kenya-style flair.
Burundi’s Swallows would win the award for the most inspirational story. Burundi has had to swallow a lot, especially since 2015 when the “Eternal Supreme Guide,” President Pierre Nkurunziza, made a bid for president-for-life and plunged his country back into violent conflict.
The Swallows proved that the country’s heart is still beating, and its spirit has not been totally snuffed out by Pierre.
On this issue of president-for-life, the Eternal Guide was not the first – nor will he be the last – East African leader to make a grab for it.
Apart from the political greed of it, his second failure was that unlike his more adept peers he botched it. There is a right and wrong way to mug a constitution.
The second question is why so many countries from the eastern elbow of Africa qualified for Afcon. Football has been around for donkey’s years in the region, and club rivalries are furious and, often, bloody. Talk to Kenya’s Gor Mahia FC fans, and they will tell you football is a life-and-death issue.
Uganda has bested the region in outings to Afcon, having done so for the second time for the 2017 tournament.
It was a pitiful show, less glorious than the 1978 expedition, when it could have brought the cup home but for losing to Ghana 2-0 in the final.
As we cast our eyes on Cairo, the TV screens have told us both good and disturbing stories. For this Afcon, most of the ads are sports betting ads – that enterprise that some countries have sought to control severely or to ban.
Chris Orwa is a good Kenyan chap who writes a wonderfully eclectic blog called “Black Orwa.” One told of how far betting had gone.
Most betting is on football, including the most obscure leagues.
He looked at how much our people are losing betting on, wait for it, strange dog races.
I guess that we made it to Afcon in such large numbers tells us just how far we will and can go.
Editors note: This article was published before Kenya edged Tanzania in thriller on Thursday.
Charles Onyango-Obbo is publisher of data visualiser Africapaedia and Rogue Chiefs. [email protected]
