The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil is
in full gear and as expected, millions of fans across the globe have shifted
their attention to the universe’s most glamorous tournament. The competition
brings together the creme-de-la-crème of the football world from well-known football
clubs in Europe with some of the best players, such as, Lionel Messi from
Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal.
Africa has also produced some of the best footballers who have
attracted worldwide approvals for their exploits on the pitch. At the club
level, they play for some of the biggest football clubs in the world, such as,
Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. Despite their successes
abroad, these sportsmen have not forgotten their African roots as evidenced by
their contributions to the development of their homelands.
- Mario Barwuah Balotelli (Italy)
Balotelli was born in Siciliy, Italy to Ghanaian immigrants and at
three years of age, he was adopted by Francesco and Silvia Balotelli who were
Italian Jews. The Italian striker has been labelled a problem child due to his
disciplinary problems on and off the field. However, Balotelli —
who
angered many Ghanaians by deciding not to turn out for their national team —
has another soft side as evidenced by his contributions towards many
charitable activities. One of his charitable actions was contributing his wages
towards the construction of a school in Cuey Machar, South Sudan in 2011. The
AC Milan striker was touched by a moving film of Kon Kelei, a child soldier who
surmounted the horrors of war to become a law graduate. Balotelli regularly
monitors the progress of the pupils of the school he helped build.
- Didier Drogba (Cote d’Ivoire)
Drogba spent much of his life in France but never lost the attachment
to Cote d’Ivoire, his motherland. Currently playing for the Turkish football
club Galatasaray, he is best known for playing for Chelsea as a striker between
2004 and 2012 where he won 3 English Premier League titles, 4 FA Cups, 2 League
Cups as well as 1 UEFA Champions League title in 2012. He has also won the CAF
African Footballer of the Year award twice. In 2006, he used his influence to broker a ceasefire between rebel
fighters and the government in his country by advocating for an African Cup of
Nations qualifier to be held in the rebel town of Bouake. His other
contribution to his country include his donation of £3 million in 2009,
garnered from an endorsement deal with Pepsi, which was used in the
construction of a hospital in Abidjan, the capital city of Cote d’Ivoire. He
was also appointed as one of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Goodwill
Ambassadors. In addition, he established the Didier Drogba Foundation
in 2007 that aimed to provide financial and material support in improving health
and education for African people.
- Michael Essien (Ghana)
The Ghanaian midfielder currently plays for AC Milan in Italy and is
the founder of the Michael Essien
Foundation, which helps underprivileged Ghanaians access basic amenities, such
as, healthcare services, public toilets, clean drinking water as well as
education. In June 2013, Essien organised the ‘Game of Hope’ charity match in
Accra, which sought to raise awareness on the need for peace. The match pitted
African footballers against other famous footballers, such as, Michael Ballack
from Germany and Djibril Cisse from France. - Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Eto’o played his debut international match for Cameroon in 1997 against
Costa Rica. He currently plays for English football giants Chelsea and has
previously played for other top clubs, such as, Barcelona (Spain) and Inter
Milan (Italy) where he won the UEFA Champions League and league titles on both occasions.
He has won the CAF African Footballer of the Year award a record four times and has
been compared to the famous Roger Mila of Cameroon. Eto’o has been accused
lately of being unpatriotic and egocentric due to his persistent wrangles with
his country’s football association. However, these intrigues belies a man who
has shown his love for the continent of his birth via the Samuel Eto’o Foundation that provides
funds for improvement of healthcare services, education as well as promoting
social inclusion through sports activities. The Cameroonian striker also holds
Spanish citizenship, which he acquired in October 2007.
- Salomon Kalou (Cote d’Ivoire)
Kalou, also from Cote d’Ivoire, is currently a forward for the French
football club, Lille but has played for clubs such as Feyenoord (2003-2006) in
The Netherlands and Chelsea (2006-2007) in England. During his time playing
with Feyenoord, he became a football sensation in the Netherlands so much so
that the former Dutch national coach Marco van Basten once tried to have Kalou play
for the national team as he saw the value and skill he had to offer to the team. However, Dutch immigration officials rejected
his naturalisation application despite receiving support from influential Dutch
players such as Johan Cruyff and even after appealing the decision in 2005. The
Netherlands loss would become the Ivorians’ gain as the striker has become a
pivotal team member of this year’s World Cup. Away from the field, Kalou,
alongside his brother Bonventure, is the co-founder of the Foundation Kalou that was instrumental in the
setting up of a kidney dialysis facility in Boakye, Cote d’Ivoire. - Joseph Yobo (Nigeria)
The Nigerian defender has been a mainstay of his national side since
1999. Currently owned by Fenerbahce football club in Turkey but playing on loan
at Norwich City FC in England, Yobo has contributed immensely to the
improvement of educational standards in Southern Nigeria. Through his Joseph
Yobo Charity Foundation, he has enabled many underprivileged students in
primary and tertiary schools to attain their academic dreams by awarding over
300 educational scholarships. Yobo has also set up a football academy to enable
aspiring young footballers in Nigeria realise their full potential and become
football superstars, just like him.
It is clear from the achievements of these and other African football
players that they are not only engaging in their passion for football but also
giving back to their society and country of origin.
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