Cricket Moves Against Mugabe … Should Football Follow?

By: Ian Rose | June 27th, 2008

We’ve had a few comments here on the site suggesting that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa should be boycotted, partially in response to the government’s inaction against Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. But that seems, to me, like skipping an important step. How can football, as a sport and an institution, complain about the inaction of South Africa when footballing bodies themselves have not yet acted? The ICC might well ban Zimbabwe from international cricket, so why not football? Here are a few options for how football organizations throughout the world can get involved in the Zimbabwe political situation, if they so choose:

1. No more friendlies : Though the national side in Zimbabwe has been on a relatively light schedule of friendlies throughout the election process, they did play South Africa in March. If South Africa really wants to make moves toward cutting off links with the Mugabe government, this type of match is a tiny step in that direction.

2. No more tournaments : In 2007, Zimbabwe took part in the COSAFA Cup, a tournament of southern African national teams where they have had reasonable success in the past. The next one will be coming this year, and here is another opportunity for an international football body to step up and declare Mugabe’s government illegitimate.

3. Follow the cricket example : If the ICC does go ahead and ban Zimbabwe from international cricket, FIFA may want to consider doing the same. Friendlies and COSAFA Cups are one thing - World Cup qualifiers, financially, are quite another.

4. Let the players do the talking : In his last match as Zimbabwe cricket captain, Andy Flower wore a black armband to mourn the figurative death of democracy in his country. Statements like this from Zimbabwean footballers, such as the two national team members playing in the Premier League, would help to raise awareness of the issue. However, given the level of violence surrounding political dissidents (and their families) these days, you could hardly blame them for keeping quiet.

None of these things are going to topple the Mugabe government, nor should they. Sepp Blatter has delusions of grandeur enough, without believing he can decide who the president of a country should be. But considering the outcry by FIFA every time politics become intertwined with football, such as in Iraq earlier this month, maybe they should take a slightly harder line on a government that has killed and intimidated so many of its own people. What do you think, readers?