I love football, why?

My mom called me on the phone last week to tell me she had saved me a copy of the Sports Illustrated Football/Soccer Edition...who would have thought?

I love football, but its not about the game. Football connects people all over the world, there is an underlying unity that oozes from the boots of each player as the dirt flies off the ball spinning through the air to the next owner. It is a game that does not permit selfish behavior because each player brings something unique and important to the pitch.

I find that the workings of a team and fans resemble that of a family. So it is no surprise that since family is the most important thing in my life, I would fall in love with a sport that demonstrates it so gracefully.

But then:

Football business; like all business--dirty, exploitative, survival of the fittest...

I went to a tournament this weekend where the Cantonments boys played and there were scouts there, scouts from all over, but they all had one thing in common...they were all fat and money hungry.

I sat on the sidelines watching those boys kicking the ball as they have done since they were 2 years old. They kicked it with the same passion but there was a difference, they knew they were being watched...they stumbled and tripped and missed passes, something they rarely do.

This was no longer the game of football, it was the game of football business-a completely different game...a game where it is their chance to escape this poverty and prove to the world that they are something.

The scouts were vultures hovering over them waiting for the first sign of a money maker. Each player is the same until they prove themselves worthy. They see one of two things: Money or a useless body.

But I see:

Our goalie- A boy who raps and sings and dances between the posts during friendly matches. A boy who has a heart for God and wants nothing more than to please him. A boy who couldn't hurt a fly and is pure in heart. A boy who laughs continuously as he sputters out the words "If you live in a glass house, don't throw stones"

One of our defenders- A boy who is being eaten away inside by a dying father at home. A boy who is scared of failure and being forgotten. A boy who doesn't like Fufu but prefers rice or banku. A boy who loves the song "Fall in Love" by Dbanj.

One of our strikers- A boy who has the brains to be a doctor. A boy who all the girls at school admire from afar. A boy who can sometimes be arrogant but hasn't spoken since a chance for a professional trial fell through for him.

One of our mid-fielders- A boy who is still shy of me, the Obrouni. A boy whose mother fears for his safety in traveling abroad. A boy who doesn't speak when he is hungry. A boy who dances with his friends on the side of the field when no one is watching.

So forgive me if I feel angry and possessive when I see the scouts whip out their cellphones and whisper back and forth between each other.

Forgive me if I want to shelter and protect these boys from the lies and false hopes that these vultures often bring.

I want to see their dreams come true, I want to see them playing abroad but the process of dehumanizing them to get them there is where I struggle. I just pray that the unity that they feel can be enough to get them through to the end.