In 2010 football was the name of the game on the African continent and history in the making with the first FIFA Football World Cup held in South Africa.
Football has become a “world religion” bringing nations together on the pitch and off the pitch. Who would have thought that alone supermarket giant Sainsbury’s would sell an African instrument, “Vuvuzela”, once used to summon distant villagers to attend community gatherings, over 50.000 times in the UK.
Africa is not only made out of South Africa and so football history continued to be written also in Eritrea, a small African state on the red sea, where the young nation hosted the CECAFA under-20 tournament. The CECAFA theme was Development and Friendship and took place in Eritrea’s capital Asmara from the August 14 to August 28.
Teams from nine African nations, including Eritrea, received a warm welcome by Mr Tesfay Gebreyesas president of the Eritrean National Football Federation. Eritrea, the hosting country delivered a successful cup with organizers squeezing the best out of resources available, it proved again Eritrea can make it even during difficult times.
President of CECAFA Mr Leodegar Tenga praised the Government, Football Federation and the people of Eritrea for their hospitality. He continued on by saying
“This tournament will not only stimulate the development of football in this region, but it will also renovate social, economic development of our people and foster friendship”.
The tournament was overall packed and tickets for matches sold out, hotels were full with African nation’s contestants and streets were decorated with banners all over the place.
Eritrean fans were on the streets chanting “Eritrea, Eritrea Eritrea” full of excitement and roads packed with cars sounding there horn. Although, Eritrea came second behind cup winner Uganda and 4 players of the national team of Zanzibar had to be disqualified because of overage the cup was a major achievement for the team and Eritrea.
