The Not So Beautiful Game?

Football, or soccer as it is known in North America, is a symbol unity. It embodies both athleticism and grace. A full throtle chess game where not only do your out-smart, but you must out-paly your opponent. Played in every corner of the world, it trancends borders, cultures and religion. It is a culture and a religion of its own. It is football. So when an incident happens like the one yesterday in Luanda, Angola, one cannot help but be saddened about the world in which we live in. The Togo National Soccer Team was headed by bus to DR Congo where its training grounds are located, just days before competing in the CAF African Nation's Cup held biannually with 16 teams competing for the award of African's top footballing nation. The bus was attacked by armed robbers, who spent a quarter of an hour punishing the bus with machine guns. The players and staff spent 20 fear-ridden minutes under the bus seats before the shooting stopped. Contrasting reports state minor injuries to several, to atleast one being dead, reports stating possibly the bus driver. Players of note, in fact all are of note, but most recognizable names were Manchester United's Adebayor who was shaken but escaped unharmed as well as Aston Villa midfielder Moustapha Salifou was also unhurt. Togo, who were slated to play Ghana, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in their group matches are uncertain as to whether or not thay will compete in the tournament still. Midfielder Alaixys Romao told RMC Togo were now likely to pull out of the 16-nation tournament.

"No-one wants to play," he said. "We're not capable of it.

"We're thinking first of all about the health of our injured because there was a lot of blood on the ground."

All this on the heels of the World Cup, a 32 team tournament with nations from all over the globe set to compete on African soil as well, this time in South Africa.The incident raises more than just a few questions, most of which are not soccer-related. Who were these armed bandits? Where did they get the machine guns? What was the shooting trying to prove?

Concerns were raised when South Africa was chosen to hold the 2010 competition and this act of violence certainly will not help. Albeit that Angola and South Africa are two different countries, but unfortunately "Africa" the continent generally gets unrightfully meshed into one large, unstable country in the eyes of the international community. Lets hope for the sake of peace, that this 2010 tournament can change that perspective and that the 32 nations competing can bring unity to the world, if only for the 2 week period the tournament is held.