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Football: Cameroon wins the African Cup, but it's no laughing matter . It had to be the football of 2000. A football characterized by extraordinary athletic means combined with more accurate technical-tactical skills. In Africa, football celebrates its 22nd continental cup, which in theory should allow future talents to show off, but which is mainly the occasion for unknown nations to win some renown in the sport world, with a touch of anger. Leaving aside sports news, it is in fact necessary to reflect on the social aspects the African Cup now represents. This is an event that goes beyond agonistic situations and that involves some important aspects of the life of a country. The African Cup, which ended in the last weekend, took place in Nigeria and the final was played by the host country and Cameroon, which had won the cup twice in the past. From a technical viewpoint, these are the two best African teams, and also those that have been able to adopt a more European organization.  And when taking into consideration the players of the two teams, one will discover that out of the 22 men playing the final, 21 play in Europe. This figure clearly demonstrates how, at a sport level, Africa has undergone a sort of football colonialism and once again it has been sacked by persons of no scruples. If currently football in Third World countries is an instrument for emancipating and socially recover from poverty, once again this is due to the fact that some people have exploited local resources without thinking of giving something in exchange. Indeed, almost all the best African players play in foreign professional teams and the drain of very young talents, who are taken from their families with the promise of a better future, seems really difficult to control. This situation is possible thanks to the connivance of many interested parties, among whom the first are football procurators, who purchase virtually at no cost athletes whose only ambition is to live a little better and then sell them to clubs at a centuplicated value.  Lately this hidden market is also being supported by another force that in theory should oppose it, that is, politicians. Everybody knows how football is important in Europe, but it is even more important in Africa, a continent where there seem to be little future. In this context, a win or a defeat are used as propagandizing means in favour or against local governments. Therefore, the fact of covering and endorsing this drain of talents, who substantially enrich foreign football but then come back to their country with improved skill, can go to the advantage of those who need to be in the saddle. One will then discover that the players from Ivory Coast, which was eliminated from the tournament at an early stage, disappointed their king so much, also running the risk of putting him in trouble from a political viewpoint, that they were sent to hard labour for some weeks. Or even that Lagos, the capital of Nigeria, recently had to deal with unprecedented vandalisms and acts of violence, after the national team was beaten at home in the final against Cameroon. The result of a match is thus sufficient to influence the civil life of a country. In this climate of instability, it is very easy for European football executives to "rob" very young athletes from African teams. With shrewdness and other methods, Africa loses with the conviction of having won.   Paolo Ghisoni

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