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Monday June 07, 2010
Columnist
Brazil against Tanzania is a bad idea By Madaraka Nyerere, 29th May 2010 @ 16:00, Total Comments: 4, Hits: 804
THE idea that is about to become reality of the Brazilian national soccer team playing Tanzania's national side, Taifa Stars, is not one of the best I have heard this century.
It is only my conviction of the genuine commitment of officials of the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and coach Marcio Maximo to Tanzania's soccer development that has seen Tanzania moving from its lowest position on the FIFA World soccer rankings at 175 in October 2005 to 89 in December 2009 that prevents me from suggesting that pitting Brazil against Tanzania is a conspiracy designed to undermine the substantial gains made.
It might be a brilliant business idea that will generate substantial cash from ticket sales for TFF and whoever else happens to get rich through football matches but this event has limited utility as a confidence building measure for our players. David fought the Goliath in the Bible; in contemporary life it is wise for challengers to build up their capacities gradually before taking on stronger opponents.
Putting the mighty Brazilians with the seemingly courageous Tanzanians in one stadium for ninety minutes is not a pleasant prospect for any Tanzanian patriot. The soccer rankings by World soccer federation FIFA places Brazil at pole position, the best team in the world based on a scoring system that assesses how successful a team has won its recent international matches.
Tanzania is ranked at 108. Notwithstanding my reserved pessimism for Tanzania's chances I will be cheering Taifa Stars in front of my television set for all the 90 minutes of play.
But no amount of love for team and country will mitigate the firepower of the Brazilians and one only hopes that, together with any pain suffered, our national side will learn from the experience.
If someone sought my advice, I would have suggested that our players might gain more experience for less pain from watching the World Cup matches in South Africa. Rankings aside, soccer matches have the occasional habit of springing unusual surprises.
At least in theory, Brazil can lose to Tanzania and after the final whistle and within a few years most Brazilians will learn to use a Kiswahili curse word.
However, pinning some dramatic result for Tanzania in the Dar es Salaam encounter on some remote statistical chance can only be described as an act of desperation.
Nevertheless, unusual results do occur as even FIFA acknowledges and we therefore find North Korea, the lowest ranked of the competing teams at 105 in the same group with Brazil in the opening round and playing against the Brazilians in Johannesburg on June 15.
One could argue if North Korea, ranked at 105, is in the World Cup and will be playing Brazil then perhaps 108th ranked Tanzania qualifies to face up to Brazil. It will be interesting to compare the results of both matches and see which team loses by a wider margin to Brazil.
My prediction is the North Koreans, whose government is facing increased isolation by the international community for its nuclear arms programme and the recent deterioration with relations with South Korea, are more likely to produce better results and perhaps even some serious upsets in South Africa.
Adversity in international relations is likely to raise the Koreans' competitive spirit in football.
Tanzanians who recall Taifa Stars' 2-1 win against World Cup qualifier New Zealand last June in Dar es Salaam might be tempted to be optimistic about our national team's prospects against Brazil.
But having watched a live broadcast of Brazil, down by two goals to nil at half-time to Egypt at last year's Confederation Cup in South Africa, yet managing to eke out a 4-3 win, suggests that the teams that make their way to the upper echelons of the FIFA World soccer rankings do so on merit and all challengers, including Tanzania, should expect 90 minutes of pure soccer hell.
Of no consolation to Tanzanian supporters is the prediction by a Swiss mathematician that Brazil is listed together with Spain to have the best prospects of lifting the World Cup.
It will be, as one commentator said, a nice story to tell to one's grandchildren. "When Brazil played at the National Stadium, I was 2,000 kilometres away at Butiama and saw how 11 footballers bravely upheld the flag of our country against all odds."
The worst loss that our national team suffered was a 7-nil drubbing by Ethiopia on October 8, 1969. God willing, Ethiopia will still hold that record after Tuesday's match against Brazil. madaraka.nyerere@gmail.com
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