African Legend – The Original World Cup

World Cup fever is rife world wide, but only one country gets to soak up the action live and experience the first ever World Cup on African soil – South Africa! As much as we know the challenge is a immense one and the chances slim, we do aspire to keeping the most famous of all Trophies/Cups in Africa and perhaps even here on home soil!

What’s interesting about the actual World Cup though is that this in not the original. No, the original was actually given to Brazil after the teams third Tournament win in 1970. It was Brazil’s to keep, but would you believe it, the hallowed trophy was stolen! No spice … a mysterious situation as the old Original Jules Rimet (that was the name of the trophy) was never found and to this day remains missing.

Well that is what the rest of the world believes, but if they have to good fortune to be following the 2010 World Cup in person; and if they pay great attention, there is a chance that they will hear the whisperings of the African legend that permeates across borders and from the Horn of Africa in the South, to the Roof of Africa in the North. The Dark Continent may well be holding the biggest soccer secret since the mystery of where Pele received his genius like talents from. The secret of the fate of the original World Cup!

Bob Says: In my travels I have heard these whispers which go something like this:

“The original was stolen by thugs in Brazil and decades later, feared lost forever it found its way to Africa. The Witch Doctors threw their bones and the ancestors sent signs to read in the skies and the rustle of the tree’s. The trophy was to be melted down and the essence of the magical cup – which held the spirit of fair and true football for all the world,  was to be shared with the world once the ‘Beautiful Game’ came to Africa! The Trophy was melted down and the spirits set free to wait for the day the world came to experience football in Africa. The gold was cast into Millions of tiny beads for those with the talents bestowed in them to forge specialized replica’s that are to be the reminder of the enduring spirit of the Worlds most poplar game.”

I tracked one of the African Sage’s down and asked him about the legend. He just smiled a toothless grin and I was about to leave his shack as he turned his back on me and rummaged through his belongings. When he returned though, it was with a beaded replica of the world cup which he presented to me to go with the undoubted unique and powerful spirit of the game which is ubiquitous throughout the country … aaaa to be African!