Steven Pienaar was stuck in the middle of a tug of war battle between Everton and the South African national team. (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Soccer: John F. Molinaro
It's time for Europe to quit whining about the African Cup of Nations
Last Updated Friday, January 11, 2008
by John F. Molinaro, CBC Sports
It's not often that FIFA gets it right, but the boys in Switzerland deserve credit for their authoritative handling of the recent Steven Pienaar controversy.
In doing so, soccer's world governing body sent a clear message that it would not tolerate any shenanigans or chicanery from European teams who by hook and by crook do everything in their power to keep their players from participating in the African Cup of Nations.
Pienaar is a 25-year-old midfielder from South Africa who signed a three-year contract with Borussia Dortmund in 2006. Pienaar spent one season at Dortmund before the German club loaned him to Everton of the English Premier League this past summer.
Thus far, Pienaar has made a favourable impression at Everton, scoring two goals in 15 games and earning a regular spot in the team's starting lineup. But Pienaar, like so many African stars plying his trade in Europe, has recently been called up by his national team to play in the African Cup of Nations, making him unavailable for Everton.
The biennial African national championship has long been a point of contention for teams in Europe because unlike the European and South American national championships, the African Cup of Nations takes place in January, right in the middle of the European club season.
This has always led to a loud chorus of grumbling from managers all across Europe, who bemoan the fact that they lose their African players for four to six weeks every other year – FIFA regulations stipulate that clubs must release players for national team duty 14 days ahead of major tournaments.
Everton, however, wasn't going to give up Pienaar without a fight, especially when they were slated to play Chelsea this past Tuesday in the first leg of the English Carling Cup semifinals. Pienaar was scheduled to join his South African teammates on Sunday to prepare for the African tournament but South African soccer officials learned that he was still in England and, in fact, on the team's bus heading for London – seems as though Everton manager David Moyes intended to start him against Chelsea.
Moyes insisted he had every right to hang on to Pienaar because South Africa's first match at the African Cup of Nations was not scheduled to take place until Jan. 23, even though the tournament starts on Jan. 20 in Ghana.
"We have looked carefully at the rule and it is not clear whether the 14 days applies to the first match for South Africa or the opening date of the competition," Moyes said. "We believe that 14 days should apply to South Africa's first match."
South African soccer officials clearly did not agree and they quickly phoned FIFA to inform them of what Moyes was trying to do. FIFA, to its credit, swiftly called Everton and told the English club that the 14 days refers to the start date of the tournament, and not a team's first match.
Caught red-handed trying to pull a fast one, Everton backed down and released Pienaar, who is currently back home training with his South African teammates.
Everton, still pouting like a petulant child, released a statement to the English media, saying "despite FIFA's attempts to clarify the regulation, we do feel that there is a distinct grey area on this ruling and we are extremely disappointed that this has only been made clear at this late stage."
If this sounds like sour grapes, well, that's because it is.
It's hard to feel sympathetic for Everton and the slew of other European clubs who cry and complain about losing their players for the better part of a month whenever the African Cup of Nations takes place because they know exactly what they are getting into when they sign African players in the first place.
Furthermore, their obscene sense of self-importance is only exceeded by their arrogance when they routinely suggest to the Confederation of African Football, soccer's governing body in Africa, that the Cup of Nations should be moved to the summer to accommodate European leagues.
That would work out well, except for the fact that most of sub-Saharan Africa is hit with monsoon-like rains in June and July, with temperatures routinely exceeding 40 Celsius.
Africa exports its best players to Europe – often on the cheap – where they help their respective clubs draw crowds, win trophies and make money. The only way fans in Africa can even catch a glimpse of their soccer heroes is to watch televised games of European matches, so as far as I'm concerned, Moyes and mangers like him have nothing to complain about when their African players fly home every two years to entertain the locals.
As one South African newspaper columnist so aptly wrote, "it's time for the Europeans to quit whining."
John F. Molinaro is a reporter for CBCSports.ca whose chief love is international soccer. Contact John here.
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