This year Angola made the headlines as the host of the African Cup of Nations. After three decades of civil war this event was, to many in the country, an opportunity to show the world that the days of turmoil are behind them. Unfortunately the event was soon tainted by an attack on a bus carrying the Togo national team as it entered the Angolan enclave of Cabinda. The assistant coach and the director of communications were killed.
Despite the tragedy the tournament was not to end without glorious moments. Egypt emerged the champion after a 1-0 victory over Ghana. The goal was scored by a young Egyptian known as Gedo. Gedo scored a total of 5 goals, each of them after coming in from the bench as a substitute. Egypt's victory is more notable when we consider that they failed to qualify for the World Cup.
In a few months South Africa will host the biggest sporting event in the world. A country with its share number of problems has struggled to overcome crime, corruption, and many logistical problems.
As the African continent struggles to deal with its demons, past and present, there is a very palpable sense of excitement as the time for kick off approaches. Eject Media is a Broadcast design studio in South Africa who's doing a fantastic job at helping this excitement spread.
With teasers such as "Pull up your socks" and "Suppotas", they give us an glimpse into the lives of some hardcore African soccer fans. The footage in these teasers is beautiful, and feels very intimate. I hope these shorts are the precursor to a feature length documentary. I cannot think of any more fertile ground for content for a documentary as South Africa is about to become.
Thank you Eject Media for sharing these shorts with the world.
Pull Up Your Socks from Eject Media on Vimeo.
Baloyi in Cape Town from Eject Media on Vimeo.
Baloyi at Home from Eject Media on Vimeo.
Suppotas from Eject Media on Vimeo.
