Latest / Kidcast Daily / Ep184: Soccer/Football in Africa

Transcript

Ep184: Soccer/Football in Africa · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts yours.
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  Welcome to Kick Ass Daily, where we bring news, trivia, fun
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  facts, and more just for curious kids like you.
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  Today, we're diving into the exciting world of soccer in
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  Africa. Whether you call it soccer or
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  football, this sport is loved by millions of people all across
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  the continent. Get ready to learn about how
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  soccer is played in Africa, why it's such a big deal, and some
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  amazing stories from African teams and players.
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  Let's kick things off with the basics.
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  Soccer or football is a team sport played with a round ball.
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  The goal is simple, kick or head the ball into the opposing teams
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  net to score points called goals.
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  Each team has 11 players on the field at a time, including a
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  goalkeeper who tries to stop the ball from going into the net.
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  The team with the most goals at the end of the match wins.
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  Now soccer is the most popular sport in Africa.
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  Almost every country on the continent has a national team,
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  and many places have local clubs, neighborhood teams and
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  school leagues. In cities, kids play on grassy
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  fields with big goals, but in smaller towns or villages you
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  might see kids playing on dirt lots using sticks or piles of
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  shoes as goal posts. Sometimes they even make balls
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  out of rolled up plastic bags or rags if they don't have a real
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  soccer ball. Did you know that Africa is home
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  to over 50 countries and almost all of them compete in
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  international soccer tournaments?
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  The biggest tournament in Africa is called the Africa Cup of
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  Nations, often called AFCON for short.
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  This tournament happens every two years and national teams
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  from all over Africa come together to compete for the
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  title of the best soccer team on the continent.
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  Countries like Egypt, Nigeria, Cameroon and Senegal have all
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  won the trophy in the past. Soccer in Africa is more than
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  just a game. It's a way for people to come
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  together, celebrate and show pride in their country.
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  When there's a big match, you can find crowds of people
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  gathering around televisions, radios or even in stadiums
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  cheering and singing songs for their teams.
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  Let's talk about some famous African soccer players who have
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  inspired kids everywhere. One well known player is Didier
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  Drogba from Ivory Coast. Drogba played for top clubs in
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  Europe and helped his national team win many matches.
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  Another superstar is Mohamed Salah from Egypt who is famous
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  for his incredible speed and goal scoring skills.
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  Sela has played for Liverpool, One of England's top clubs, and
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  has won many awards. Samuel Itowo is another
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  legendary player from Cameroon. Itowo played for several famous
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  European clubs and is known for scoring important goals in big
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  games. And from Nigeria, there's
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  Nwankwo Kanu, who overcame a serious heart condition to play
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  at the highest level and win tournaments with his club and
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  country. Here's a cool fact, in 2010,
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  South Africa became the first African country to host the FIFA
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  World Cup, the biggest soccer tournament in the world.
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  People from all over the globe came to watch the matches, and
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  millions more watched on television.
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  The sound of Vasilas, which are long plastic horns, filled the
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  stadiums and became famous for their loud buzzing noise.
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  That World Cup was very special because it put African soccer in
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  the spotlight and inspired a whole new generation of players.
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  You might wonder how African teams do in big tournaments.
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  Over the years, African teams have achieved some impressive
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  results. For example, in 1990, Cameroon
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  reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup, which means they were
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  one of the last eight teams left in the tournament.
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  In 2002, Senegal also made it to the quarterfinals, knocking out
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  some very strong teams along the way.
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  Ghana did the same in 2010, coming very close to reaching
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  the semifinals. Let's take a closer look at how
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  people play soccer in different parts of Africa.
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  In North Africa, countries like Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia have
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  a long history with the sport. They have big stadiums and
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  professional leagues where thousands of fans come to watch
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  their favorite teams. The Egyptian club Al Ali is one
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  of the most successful soccer clubs in the world, winning many
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  championships across Africa. In West Africa, soccer is a huge
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  part of daily life. Countries like Nigeria, Ghana
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  and Senegal have produced many talented players who go on to
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  play in Europe and other parts of the world.
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  In these countries, soccer is often played in schools and
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  neighborhoods, and young players dream of becoming stars.
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  East Africa also has a growing soccer scene.
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  Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda have strong national teams and are
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  working hard to improve their leagues and training programs in
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  Southern Africa. South Africa's league is one of
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  the most popular and attracts players from all over the
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  continent. Did you know that women's soccer
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  is also growing fast in Africa? More and more girls are playing
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  the game and African women's teams are getting stronger every
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  year. Nigeria's women's national team,
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  called the Super Falcons, has won the African Women's Cup of
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  Nations many times and has competed in the Women's World
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  Cup. Soccer is not just about playing
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  on the field, it's also about about teamwork, respect and
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  having fun. Coaches in Africa teach young
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  players how to work together, communicate and stay positive
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  even when things get tough. Some soccer programs use the
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  sport to teach kids about health, staying in school and
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  being leaders in their communities.
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  Let's talk about the equipment needed to play soccer.
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  All you really need is a ball and a space to play.
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  In Africa, some kids play barefoot, while others wear
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  simple shoes or sandals. If they don't have a real soccer
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  ball, kids sometimes make their own using old clothes, plastic
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  bags or even banana leaves wrapped tightly together.
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  This shows how creative and determined kids can be when they
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  love a game. Stadiums in Africa range from
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  giant arenas with 10s of thousands of seats to small
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  fields with just a few benches for fans.
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  Some of the biggest stadiums are in South Africa, Egypt and
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  Nigeria. These stadiums host important
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  matches, concerts and even national celebrations.
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  Now you might ask, how do African players get noticed by
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  big clubs in Europe or other parts of the world?
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  Scouts, who are talent seekers for soccer teams, often visit
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  African countries to watch young players.
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  If they spot someone with special skills, they might
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  invite them to join a soccer Academy or even travel to
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  another country to play professionally.
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  Many of Africa's top players started out playing in small
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  villages or city neighborhoods before becoming famous.
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  Here's another interesting fact. Soccer is sometimes used to
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  bring people together after tough times.
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  In some African countries, soccer tournaments are organized
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  to help communities unite, make new friends, and have fun.
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  The sport is a powerful way to celebrate differences and build
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  teamwork. Let's not forget about the fans.
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  African soccer fans are known for their energy and creativity.
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  They wear colorful clothes, paint their faces, and bring
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  drums, whistles, and flags to matches.
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  The songs and dances in the stands are just as exciting as
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  the action on the field. In some places, fans travel long
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  distances to support their teams, showing how much they
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  love the game. African teams and players have
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  also helped to change the way soccer is played around the
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  world. Their speed, skill, and
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  creativity have inspired new playing styles and tactics.
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  Coaches and players from other countries often watch African
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  matches to learn new techniques. Did you know that some African
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  soccer legends give back to their communities?
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  For example, Didier Dragba has helped build hospitals in Ivory
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  Coast and Samuel Ito runs a foundation that supports
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  education and health for young people in Cameroon.
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  These players use their success to make a difference off the
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  field. Soccer also helps kids in Africa
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  stay active and healthy. Running, kicking, and playing
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  with friends is great exercise, and it helps build strong
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  muscles, balance, and coordination.
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  Many schools and community centers have soccer programs to
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  encourage kids to stay fit and have fun.
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  Let's do a quick recap of what we've learned today.
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  Soccer or football is the most popular sport in Africa and is
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  played in every country on the continent.
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  The Africa Cup of Nations is the biggest tournament and many
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  African teams and players are famous around the world.
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  From kids playing in villages to huge stadiums filled with
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  cheering fans, soccer is a big part of daily life in Africa.
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  Both boys and girls are getting involved and the sport teaches
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  important lessons about teamwork, respect, and
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  determination. African players have made a big
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  impact on soccer around the world, and many give back to
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  their communities in amazing ways.
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  Thanks for joining us on this journey through soccer in
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  Africa. We hope you had fun learning
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  about the sport, the players, and the fans who make it so
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  special. Remember, whether you're playing
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  with friends or cheering for your favorite team, soccer is
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  about having fun and working together.
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  Stay curious and we'll see you next time on Kick Ass Daily.