By Lubna Abdel-Aziz If you feel positively wretched, suffer anxiety attacks, high fever, diarrhea, and your heart is madly, madly beating, forget about the H1N1 virus. You are suffering from football fever. It is a recurring epidemic of world-wide proportions that affects millions. No antidote, drug or vaccine is known to be effective. It has briskly grown in scope and intensity during the last two centuries, there is only one known cure -- winning -- a temporary relief that lasts until the following match. Such an elixir of triumph was witnessed last week in our capital. An outburst of unembarrassed behaviour, mixed with an outpouring of clamorous merriment, had fans reeling giddily, dancing madly, abandoning themselves to their drunken pleasures of triumph. Such wild demonstrations surely are remnants of some ancestral, primal heritage. This furious hysteria reached the height of frenzy as it penetrated the whole populace, for the love of the game. It is a crazed impassioned affair, which every lover dreams of. Alas, it is only reserved for football, or 'futbol'. This object of man's arduous amour is no spring chicken. A game similar to football was played in China as early as 400 B.C. In the A.D. 200s, a similar game was played by the Romans, in which two teams tried to score by advancing the ball across a line on the field. The players passed the ball to one another, but there was no kicking. London children of the 1100s played a form of football in the streets, much as children do now in every corner of the globe. The game as we know it was developed in English schools in the early 1800s, and from there quickly spread to other countries. As it progressed, rules were formed changed, added and modified. Because they differed from school to school, an association of school representatives met at Trinity College, Cambridge in 1848, and drew up the first established set of rules. A Football Association was founded by English Clubs in 1863. Little did they know then that they had launched a highly contagious malady, more deadly than any pestilence, plague or influenza virus. Football's spread was fast and overwhelming, sweeping the hearts of players and spectators alike. Yet, no real good comes out of it. For the player only hits and bruises, aches and pains. For the fans, joys and tears, jeers and cheers. Neither, however, would dream of abandoning that immeasurable thrill of true love. By the dawn of the twentieth century football associations existed in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and all the way across the seven seas in Chile, South America. It was time to form the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in 1904. Football is now the national sport of almost 200 countries worldwide, by far the most popular sport in the world. It is more than just a sport. It is an unbridled passion, a compulsive obsession, a year round consumption of heart and mind. One reason for its popularity is it's minimal equipment and gear. All you need is a ball. It is played in every lane, alley and backstreet in every town, village and hamlet. The players need nothing more than their shirts and shorts and strong leg muscles, comfortable shoes and the desire to win. The FIFA World Cup Tournament that sets the world ablaze is held every four years since 1930, except for the World War II years. It is the most widely watched event in the world, exceeding by far the Olympic Games. The games are held within the six FIFA continental zones Africa, Asia, North and Central America, Caribbean, South America, Europe and Oceania. The first international football match was held in Glasgow in 1872 -- a challenge between Scotland and England. FIFA attempted an international tournament in 1906 in Switzerland, which was described as a dismal failure. It was at the Summer Olympics of 1920 that the first intercontinental football competition was played. 14 countries participated -- 13 European countries and Egypt. Belgium won. Television accelerated the popularity and love of the game. First televised in 1954, the World Cup Tournament has viewers estimated at 25.29 billion. Millions upon millions play the game on an amateur level. Nothing compares to the passion this sport evokes in the hearts and lives of fans, communities and nations. American football, which is played in the US and Canada, and is a descendant of the British game, comes close. The game though known as football, does not allow the player to touch the ball with his foot, except for the kicker. Americans call football, soccer, a name that is derived from "Football Association" -- an abbreviation of "assoc" , hence "soccer". Things change when they cross the ocean. Brazil is a legendary name in football, particularly hosting and winning, since the game's early days. It, therefore makes sense that the most famous football player in the world and rated as the best in history is their very own Pélé. "Eusebio" of Portugal is a distant second, followed by Maradona of Argentina, Beckenbauer of Germany, Cruyff of Holland, Di Stefano of Spain, Garrancha of Brazil, Puskas of Hungary, Zidane of France and the only goal keeper in the ten best football players of all time, is Yashin of the USSR. Egypt is not only the oldest player of the game in Africa, the Middle East and the Arab World; it has dominated the game in the area for near a century. Known as the "Pharaohs", the Egyptian team has distinguished itself repeatedly, but has yet to achieve international recognition. This hopefully will occur in the much viewed World Cup Tournament. Those who never give up, fulfil their dreams. Whether spherical, oval, large, small, plain or fancy -- there is magic within the bounce of a ball. It has mesmerized humanity as it springs in the air with grace and vivacity. Our eyes follow as it jumps and jounces, hops and hurdles, recoils and ricochets. This round inanimate, yet magnetic object has more allure than the sorcery of a femme fatale, so, do not resist. Yield to its demands, surrender to its spell. This haunting, tormenting, consuming love affair that sears our hearts repeatedly with its chills and thrills, its agonies and ecstasies, its euphoria and despair, has fans writhing in pain and anguish until the next game. To the winners -- cheers and a thunderous "Hurrah". To the losers -- "well done, better luck next time" -- only after the game in Sudan. The state of love is touched by madness. Was it not Plato who said that love was a grave mental disease! Plato was right. That sacred flame of football is forever bright, comforting us like sunshine after rain, tormenting us like lovers after a quarrel. Yet we cannot live without this intoxicating insanity, this delirious bliss. It is love, pure and simple. There is no life without love -- as there is no life without 'futbol'. -- "Love is the wisdom of the fool and the folly of the wise". Samuel Johnson (1709-1784).
