Should Africa boycott the World Cup?

Africa, especially South Africa, is still up in arms over losing the 2006 World Cup to Germany.

Fifa has started an internal inquiry into the voting system which many have said is deeply flawed.

Should Africa retaliate by boycotting the World Cup?

This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

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It is really very unfair that the World Cup will be held in Europe again

Sosten Lungu, Zambia

It is really very unfair that the World Cup will be held in Europe again. Even after the promises made by the FIFA President, the members voted against an African country. This shows that people on the committee have no regard for Africans. The best that African countries can do is to boycott the World Cup and concentrate on African competitions.
Sosten Lungu, Zambia

With the exception of Argentina and Brazil, all world-class football is played in Europe and European finance has built football into the game that it is today. Africa has not earned the right to host the World Cup and should stop complaining. There is no room for political correctness in the game. An African boycott would be meaningless as nobody would notice their absence.
Ignacio McIntyre, Argentina

Any accusations of foul play or bribery on Germany's part are totally uncalled for

Harald, Germany

A boycott won't bring the World Cup to South Africa - neither in 2006 nor in 2010. Any accusations of foul play or bribery on Germany's part are totally uncalled for. As longstanding supporters (financial and otherwise) of black Africa, the Germans - and remember no colonial past to speak of - expect tact, sportsmanship and good grace from South Africa.
Harald, Germany

All Africa has to do is to win the World Cup then she can dictate to the rest of the world. Until then, stop moaning.
Mensah John, Ghanaian in London

I think it is about time Africans got their priorities right. Hosting the World Cup is a luxury that Africa shouldn't even be thinking of! Use the money to buy drugs for AIDS patients.
O. A. Latuke, Canada

Africa should send a message by boycotting the 2006 World Cup. What happened in Zurich last week was a sign that FIFA's system of choosing a host nation is not only unfair but a disgrace. In my opinion, sorry is not enough and unless they do something about this system and Africa is guaranteed to be able to host the 2010 World Cup, no African should take part.
Abdulrahman Ali, Somalia

Why does this always have to come to a black vs. white issue?

Carol, UK

Why does this always have to come to a black vs. white issue? There are lots of blacks in Europe and while I believe the vote was unfair, these kinds of attitudes are trivialising the race issue, which cannot be good. If this is used as a reason for failure every time then pretty soon people are not going to take it seriously
Carol, UK

The entire FIFA debacle is an example of petulant Eurocentrism and reflects the corruption rampant in international sport across the spectrum. Africa should boycott, as should every other group that finds this kind of nepotism unpalatable.
Mike Turnbull, South Africa

To boycott such an event as the World Cup would be an act of resignation. Behind the transparency of the World Cup bidding process lies a cold truth. In six years time there is no guarantee that South Africa will be ready to stage such an event, but in ten years time they will be far better placed to stage an African World Cup.
M. Roust, UK

Africa should flex its muscles and boycott the so-called World Cup. A time when we thought that apartheid was over, FIFA has shown us that we are dreaming.
Omar Mohamed, Somalia

The decision against South Africa was not fair but boycotts are not the way. They will achieve nothing and will deprive many young men of their only opportunity to play in a World Cup. What goes without argument is that South Africa must do something about their crime statistics. The high crime rate is the one single justification for the loss of the World Cup. The Government should look to its own role in the crime wave. We know that many of the criminals, the so-called "lost generation", are people who helped the government get elected. It is time they were brought to heel. The damage they are doing is outweighing their past contribution.
Val, USA

FIFA is changing into a big corporation with a profit motive rather than an institution governing the development of the most popular game on earth

Amare Teklu, USA

I don't think it is racism. However, FIFA is changing into a big corporation with a profit motive rather than an institution governing the development of the most popular game on earth.
Amare Teklu, USA

This has got nothing to do with Africa vs Europe - this is politics and it has no place in football. The sooner they do away with all of the old guard at FIFA the better. True football fans should join together and demand that an investigation takes place. We shouldn't make this into a fight between countries, it is a fight between politicians and football fans.
Stephen, UK

Boycotting the World Cup would hurt African Soccer. A good example for this is Ethiopia's boycott of the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. The true victims of the boycott were Ethiopian athletes and the growth of track and field in that country.
Nebiyou, Ethiopia/ USA

I think Africa should participate in 2006 but with the threat that they will boycott 2010 if it doesn't go to an African host.
Brian Farenell, USA

Boycotting the 2006 World Cup will only serve the interests of those wealthy Western nations who think it is their God-given right to host such events. Africa should go to Germany, win the final and bring the Cup home!
Mo-Bash, UK

The actions of Zimbabwe in the previous months have done nothing to help improve the image of the region. Now that their over-zealous police have killed 13, what hope is there for a major football tournament in southern Africa?
Ed Crampton, UK

A total boycott of World Cup 2006 by all African countries should be the right answer

Bangang Suhtah, Germany

The West says it's all about football but we have born witness to the fact that it is all about money. If Africans do not learn a lesson about this now, there is no further hope for us. A total boycott of World Cup 2006 by all African countries should be the right answer. At some point Africa will have to be taken seriously.
Bangang Suhtah, Germany

What's the point of African countries boycotting the World Cup? Bluntly put, the richer nations will probably hardly notice their absence. In any case this is about reputation. If African teams don't do well in the Cup, they won't be considered important and without the money they will get for playing, they won't improve.
David James, UK

You all have lost the plot!! Don't blame Charles Dempsey - in his shoes you would have all done exactly same thing. I think South Africa, and the rest of Africa should accept what has been dealt here and stop their crying. All of Africa should enter the World Cup 2006 and play their best, make the world stand up and take a look. Come on everyone, stop looking for blame and start along the road for 2010!
Mike Baker, UK (from Jo'burg)

This is a clear mistreatment of Africa. Africa has been cheated. Africa has been short-changed. Democracy has been manipulated. Dempsey has once again exposed the hypocrisy of the Western world. I sympathise with Johannesburg and the Confederation of African Football. Africa should not only boycott the World Cup, they should pull out of FIFA as well.
Kayode Ishola, Lagos, Nigeria

This is an insult to all Africans and all African countries should withdraw from FIFA. All players of African origin based in European countries should also not participate in the 2006 World Cup. It is high time the Europeans learnt that the days they considered themselves soccer kings are over. It looks like they are scared of Africa winning the Cup.
Ben Mwaria, Tanzania

Why is it that the Europeans have eight representatives on this committee compared to only two for Africa?

K. Ndluli, Zimbabwean in UK

Why is it that the Europeans have eight representatives on this committee compared to only two for Africa? If the composition of the committee is not changed to reflect the truly global nature of the game of football, any African bid shall be forever at the mercy of the powerful European block.
K. Ndluli, Zimbabwean in UK

On the one hand Africa begs for international aid, gets it and then spends the rest of the time criticising the countries that have given it to them. Africa should not expect to get the World Cup just because they have never had it.
Martin, USA

Why does a country like South Africa that has millions of its citizens dying of disease and deprivation want to spend millions of dollars on what is essentially a party for the privileged? You cannot beg for money to buy medicine for your children one day and then throw a huge party the next. Wake up and smell coffee, you idiots!
Robert Wariua, Kenya

Charles Dempsey and FIFA committed no crime. They were merely performing their role in a poorly thought-out process. Allowing politics to enter such decisions is the real crime.
Bayard, Europe

Africa is always looked down on and this mistreatment can't continue

Frank A. Howard III, USA

Africa is always looked down on and this mistreatment can't continue. We must not be seen as inferior to the rest of the world. If there can't be a revote, countries from Africa should boycott.
Frank A. Howard III, USA

Boycotting the tournament will not help matters. Africa should look into ways of forcing an amendment in the rules to allow for rotational hosting of the tournament.
Edward, UK

I do not think that boycotting the World Cup is the mature and sensible way to respond to this perceived ill treatment of Africa. It is heartening to know that FIFA is already re-appraising the current voting system. Perhaps African countries should be ensuring that this "promised" enquiry is not just another ploy to dampen the wave of disappointment and anger that is felt by everyone. The "World" Cup is not just the game of "Europe". There can no longer be any reason to delude ourselves that the game is the sole passion of Europeans if one considers the considerable number of non-European football "stars" on that continent.
Sam Ogbeide, Nigerian in Canada

A terrible shame but South Africa after years of isolation from world sport, cannot afford to boycott the World Cup. Go out there and win it South Africa! Prove to the likes of Peter Hain that although South Africa does not receive a fair break, you are above such petty behaviour.
Steve, USA

Dempsey had specific instructions to vote for South Africa on behalf of OFF. He was not there to vote on his own personal whims. His vote should be declared invalid, especially as he did not even bother to visit the country to look at their facilities. It appears he was on an agenda designed to scupper South Africa's bid. Dempsey, his motives and tactics should be under official investigation.
Andy Hall, England

African soccer is a rising power and I honestly believe that an African nation will win the 2006 World Cup

Anton, USA

I am a native South African living in the USA and I was in Europe when the final decision was announced. I do believe that South Africa (or another African nation) is overdue to host the football World Cup and that the system for selecting the hosts seems to be a complete shambles. Having said that, I don't believe that boycotting the World Cup is the right way to bring it to Africa. I hope that FIFA will consider using a system where World Cup hosting is rotated amongst the world regions. This would help ensure equity in distribution of the economic and social benefits the event brings with it and it will allow countries to avoid the expense of bidding event after event. They will only need to bid once every 16 years or so. African soccer is a rising power and I honestly believe that an African nation will win the 2006 World Cup. Now, wouldn't that be the way to prove to the rest of the world that Africa's time has come and she will no longer be ignored?
Anton, USA

I believe Africa should not only boycott the World Cup but it should even consider withdrawing its membership of FIFA. This is an indication of undermining black people despite all they have done for football as a sport. Maybe soccer is a way of uniting only those people who consider themselves superior to the black man.
Andrew Seddembe, USA

Developed countries always advertise democracy, but FIFA did not set an example of how it should be done. South Africa, as well as other African countries that sympathise with the situation, should boycott the event.
Sean Myers, South Africa (studying in USA)

You don't win the hosting rights by parading Mandela alone - you have to back it up with money and will

Ike, Nigeria

South Africa is the victim of its global philosophy - a refusal to accept Africanism, and an attempt to distinguish itself as superior among African nations. The result is a lesson for S. Africa - the global theatre is rough and you can not trek alone. In other words, you need a strong regional alliance to effect any meaningful results. The result was not racist; it was the fruit of intensive lobbying. Was S. Africa up to it? That was questionable. You don't win the hosting rights by parading Mandela alone - you have to back it up with money and will.
Ike, Nigeria

I strongly believe that if there is foul play, not only Africa but also other countries that believe in fairness, should boycott the World Cup. If FIFA takes proper action to this foul play and openly apologises for these mishaps, the 2006 should not be boycotted. However, South Africa must be allowed to host the 2010 World Cup.
Haile Britu, Cananda

A Catch 22! On the one hand, a boycott would show the degree of contempt and disgust felt by the continent of Africa and particularly South Africa for FIFA. On the other, why should Africans deprive themselves of participation because of a flawed system which is heavily and unfairly weighed in favour of wealthy European Countries? Africa is the loser in all scenarios.
Ian Yoell, UK

Africans should never participate in the World Cup ever again. Europeans have dominated football for such a long time that I do not ever see Africa hosting a World Cup let alone winning it. In every facet of life we have been maligned, I'm not surprised at what happened.
Semugoma Jonthan, Uganda

For far too long the world has treated Africa and its people as inferior. Now with what must be termed a vote that was not free and fair, Africa has lost out on the right to host the World Cup. Soccer is the most popular sport in Africa and Africans have been denied the opportunity to experience the World Cup first hand. Africa should boycott the World Cup unless FIFA reverses their decision not to have a revote.
Phil Fairweather, Zimbabwe

Not only should South Africa boycott the tournament if there is no revote, all qualifying countries from Africa should do the same.
Alaba A. Adelakun, (Nigerian in USA)

This is just another mistreatment of Africa by the West. In my opinion, if FIFA refuse the call for another vote, Africa should boycott. Shame on Charles Dempsey of OFF.
Elias, USA