Has football become too important? When Ivory Coast, qualified for the 2006 World Cup last week President Laurent Gbagbo presented each member of the Elephants squad with a house worth $52,000.
He also honoured them with the country's most prestigious award.
Often victory comes with handsome rewards, but losing a football match can sometimes be a matter of life and death: coaches get sacked, players are threatened and fans get injured or even lose their lives.
What do you think makes football the king of sport? Are we giving football too much attention? Is it killing the passion for other sports? Can we check the dominance of football over other sport?
This debate is now closed. Thank you for your comments.
 |  People in Africa are dying every day and we carry on putting all our hearts into a pointless game |
I think we are definitely giving football too much attention. A lot of money is going into buying more players or modernising stadiums. Less of it is going towards cancer research or charity. Footballers are getting paid more than doctors! There are people in Africa dying every day and still we turn a blind eye and carry on putting all our hearts into a pointless game, that has just got too carried away with itself.
Tayler Billington, UAE
What makes football the king of sport is the thrill and intrigue involved. The art of scoring goals is so captivating. Yes, it's killing the passion for other sports, but I am fine with it. I even sometimes feel football is not given all the attention it needs, that is how much love I have for the game.
Lizzie Kwaghbo, Nigeria
I personally do not see anything wrong when governments reward footballers for qualifying for the World Cup. For a country like Ghana, which has never qualified for the World Cup, the current national players could be described as heroes for this feat.
Prince Adobor, Ghana
| Small countries in Africa are usually only known because of wars |
By buying the football team $52,000 houses, the Ivory Coast government is investing in the players. Playing at the World Cup will bring good publicity for the country and hopefully more trade. Some countries in Africa are usually only known because of wars. Now, Ivory Coast joins countries like Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco and Senegal that are well known because of participating at the World Cup.
Victor, USA
Why not let football rule? It does less harm than religion and has never started any wars.
Simon, UK
A lot of our resources are being diverted to football, fruitfully, sometimes without results. Money is embezzled, people are injured, sometimes we win and some times we lose. Whatever the case may be, the fact remains, especially where I come from, football is still the only true unifier of tribe, language and culture. It is a way of life, it is passion.
David Elegbede, Nigeria
I have tried to imagine our planet without football and cannot fathom how dull it would be. To me, the only thing that can turn me on at any moment is watching football, be it in the rough streets in the slum where I stay or the big World Cup stage. At club level, it is simply breath-taking to watch how Africans keep people spell-bound all over the world with such magnificent display of skill and I just thank God that football is not only for the so-called rich and developed countries only.
Kingsley Obika, Nigeria
| It's becoming the tool of gaining support by unpopular leaders |
Politicians have turned football into a political tool. The beautiful game has received adverts from unlikely sources and it's becoming the tool of gaining support by unpopular leaders.
Hankie Uluko, Malawi
Too much emphasis is placed on football beyond necessary. The worst is Nigeria, where the government is busy working on a massive retrenchment plan, no social services, the UBE programme cannot be implemented, pensioners cannot get arrears of monies owed them, yet the government is bold enough to set aside budgetary allocation for football in millions annually.
Frank Adeh Anoh, Ireland
I won't say football has taken over our lives but it definitely offers a realistic option to reach fame and wealth. We are seeing football bridging the gap of hostility between countries - no other option has succeeded in doing. Football has brought a countless number of its players and their families the chance to bask in riches they would have otherwise never dreamed of.
Tamimu Thomas, Sierra Leonean in USA
Our impoverished nations spent a lot money on football instead of fighting poverty, HIV/Aids. Hospitals and schools are ill funded doctors and teachers are not paid because money is used to fund football. Our people are over taxed in order to fund this game. Priority must be given to the areas where there is need.
Chibwinja Francis, Kitwe, Zambia
Soccer is the cheapest sport to participate in. We should keep getting better at this popular sport until we bring the world cup to Africa.
Tendai Muzhongo, USA
| This craze should be harnessed |
The craze of football in Uganda it has gone to extremes of interrupting work, studies and even destabilising marriages and creating enmity amongst fans. I know of a man who collapsed and nearly died when his team, was beaten in a match. In another incident a husband beat up his cheering wife after her team won and his team lost and even threatened to divorce her! These and many more absurd incidents point to the fact that football is indeed an interesting and adorable sport, but, this craze should be harnessed. It is not above life. The human being is premium!
Faith Lajul, Uganda
There are so many forces that are ruling our lives, but certainly not football. We should worry about bad systems and policies that we inflict on ourselves. As a matter of fact footie helps in alleviating the pains, frustrations and boredom. What is more gratifying after a long day's work than sitting in front of your telly watching a game of football? Doesn't any body admire how our lads bend or dribble it on the pitch with style and elegance? Football is not too important; it's just a wonderful sport.
Shuttie FN Libuta, Kitwe, Zambia
Football is not just another game, it is passionate and emotional, it is a soul-thing. It unites and holds together, not just for 90 minutes but long after the game is over. Also, in a continent like Africa, where we need to be taken away from our problems, football does the magic. And now look at Liberia, where its given George Weah the name and opportunity to run for the highest job on the land. Without his football fame this might have been impossible
Tunji Lana
Football, as my President Olusegun Obasanjo has rightly identified is a major uniting factor in Nigeria. I was working in Kaduna the day Nigeria's under 21 team beat Holland in the last Junior World Cup. Immediately that match was won, the street was filled with jubilant crowds. A town that is segregated along religious lines became one all day. People were hugging strangers on the street! It was electrifying. The business generated by this game is also amazing. We are really not giving football too much attention. It is what people want to see, and I do not think it will be easy to check this dominance, till we find some other distraction.
Kingsley Ezenekwe, Nigeria
I think football is the only sport in Africa that is appealing to all ages. The impact of football in Africa has not only led to rivalry but has built up friendship. Further, it is a game that has increased the fame and fortune of a number of African players on the world stage. I think it is virtually impossible to forestall the dominance of football in Africa.
Sigismond Wilson, Sierra Leonean in USA
Football is taking a dimension I can't understand . A case in point is Cameroon where a whole university village like Soa has never got clean water since its creation 13 years ago. The surprising thing is that the leaders lavishly spend money on football while the students who are the future of this country are not taken care of. What type of dynasty we are trying to build?
Bernard, Ngalim, Cameroon
| motorcycle and taxi drivers spend hours outside a rich man's shop watching European soccer |
Football has not only served our egos but crippled our creative skills especially in Africa. A parent would rather watch a football on their television for those who have them, or on a radio in villages other than proving informal education to those who need it. Even those who provide services like taxi or motorcycle drivers spend hours and hours in cinema halls or small gatherings at a rich man's shop watching European soccer. It's crazy.
Prossy Nannyombi, Entebbe, Uganda
I certainly don't think football is ruining the lives of Africans. If anything, it allows people to bury their differences and come together to cheer for the national team. Maybe it is rather ruining the national coffers: a house worth $52,000 each? that is too much, a fraction of that money can be used to provide a whole village with decent drinking water, or be used to put up a school for a whole community We need to use our resources wisely.
Juanita, USA
Football has become a thing of glory to all countries. Virtually everybody is now a football fan. It has become so important that you can not compare other games to it. In my opinion is indirectly ruling our lives.
Henry Kolawole, Kaduna state, Nigeria
| I'm only disturbed when passion for any sport is expressed as a matter of life and death |
Football is electric. It sends currents down my system when a goal is scored. As an African, I'm very excited to see us Africans show our passion for a game like football. The Ivorian Elephants merit every penny or honour their country can afford. Now they can use football to export part of their social culture to the world when the 2006 World Cups starts in Germany.
I'm only disturbed when passion for any sport is expressed as a matter of life and death. When fans go out to destroy properties or maim people because their teams lost a match - it doesn't tell a good story.
DJ Karly Chimee Nigerian in USA
Football is driving other sports to the margins. I think, but others might disagree, that the design, philosophies and concepts of football carry the intention of creating mass movements. I am talking about spectatorship and the construction of football stadia. Compare this with other sports and you will see my point. We need to equally watch spending in this area, despite the business orientation. Other sports deserve attention.
Alhassan Musah, Italy
I am one of those who is not influenced by sports, football included. However l have an interest in Olympic games, World Cup, Africa Cup of Nations and Organisation of Islamic Conference Cup for patriotic reasons. Football is like a dictatorship where the majority are spectators and only 22 players are the decision makers. Sports is a luxury for rich countries but for Africa we don't have time and resources for leisure.
Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi, Uganda
| My husband, a keen Chelsea supporter named our daughter after the team |
Here in Kenya the European football craze has seen people breaking marriages. Recently a Liverpool fan divorced his wife who was supporting Chelsea after his team lost. Kenyans are also naming their new born babies after English football players. My husband, a keen Chelsea supporter named our daughter after the team. My brother in law named his son Ryan, after Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs and there are many more who have done this. It's crazy and amazing.
Rebecca Matunda, Kisii, Kenya
Football is not ruling our lives, but brings joy and riches in our society. I think football is God's gift to bring about peace, and love where it is lost.
Komara Ousmane, Conakry, Guinea
Football is very important. I see it as a unifier, especially, in the case of Liberia. During the civil war, whenever the Lone Star, our national team, led by George Weah played, all warring factions would lay down their guns and glue their ears to the radios. Football transcended rebel territorial lines. The question and challenge for us now is how to merge football and politics to bring us out of the war path we have trodden in the past. Can the spirit of football be translated into politics?
Roland S Weah, Liberian in US
At first, most parents discouraged their children from playing football because they wanted them to concentrate on their education. It was felt football was the preserve of dull children or those having difficulties with bookwork. But after the exploits of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon beginning from the 1990 World Cup and a follow up to these successes with their subsequent trophies, that perception has really changed a great deal. Today, parents are fully encouraging their kids to imitate the likes of Roger Milla, Patrick Mboma, Samuel Eto Alioum Boukar and all the other great football players. Young kids are encouraged to participate in youth tournaments and some are even enrolled in football academies. I even have a cousin in a football academy. For most Africans football is away out of poverty!
Israel Ambe Ayongwa, Cameroon
In Africa, footballers are just as famous as the Hollywood celebrities in California or computer gurus in the Silicon Valley. No wonder everywhere you look from Cape Town to Tripoli in Libya you see kids who are too poor to afford the real football kicking oranges, perfecting their soccer moves in the hope that they will some day make it to big soccer teams in Europe.
Ola, USA
Ivory Coast president should have built houses for school teachers and doctors since education and health care are more most important for human being. Most of the Elephant's squad players do not need $52,000 houses. They already make too much money. Let us focus on what important to people.
Placide Matsiaba, Gabon
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