Early Doors - Your morning briefing blog

Early Doors

World Cup gets Mug-ged

Fri Nov 27 04:32PM

Some pretty irritating characters have got their hands on the World Cup over the years - Rudi Voeller, Franck Leboeuf and Rivaldo spring most readily to mind.

But none have been as unpleasant as Zimbabwean 'president' Robert Mugabe, who took time out from wrecking his country's economy to lift the trophy as the World Cup's tour of Africa rolled into Harare.

Mugabe took a swipe at Britain as he lifted the trophy, claiming the gold used to make it had come from Zimbabwe.

"Britain does not have any gold, neither does Germany," he was quoted as saying.

"I am tempted to think that it came from Africa, and from Zimbabwe, and was taken away by adventurers who shaped it into this cup."

Early Doors is tempted to think Mugabe is nuts, and Coca-Cola may be regretting their prominent logos on the World Cup tour.

For the record, Zimbabwe have never qualified for the World Cup, and recently slipped to their lowest FIFA ranking of 131.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: Bordeaux defender Marc Planus: "I'll say it loud and clear, I love money. It's not football above all. I'm not the type to leave a club after six months but I am a player capable of going to Qatar."

STUFF TO READ:

Jim White slaughters England's 2018 World Cup bid

Top 100 matches: The greatest match ever

Weekend Premier League team news

Fantasy: Choose 'em or lose 'em?

Top five Merseyside derbies


  1. Bordeaux defender Marc Planus: "I'll say it loud and clear, I love money. It's not football above all. I'm not the type to leave a club after six months but I am a player capable of going to Qatar."

    Jusr said what all footballers are thinking:)

    eurosportcommentatorFrom eurosportcommentator on Fri Nov 27 04:44PM

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  2. Zimbabwe may be 131rd in the rankings but i'd back them to beat Scotland

    andyc147From andyc147 on Fri Nov 27 04:46PM

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  3. I hope they hand sanitize that trophy afterwards

    cutterjayFrom cutterjay on Fri Nov 27 04:48PM

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  4. "Zimbabwean 'president' Robert Mugabe"... CLASSIC!

    honskajFrom honskaj on Fri Nov 27 05:01PM

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  5. Can somebody tell me how FIFA can claim to be against racism in football and yet allow a black supremacist to ally himself to the World Cup.

    Mugabe's just shown his ignorance yet again! we do have gold, just not in minable quantities. moron!

    g_hineFrom g_hine on Fri Nov 27 05:15PM

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  6. Jim WHite you are nuaghty.I am shocked to realise that you do not know that Politics is no boundary to football.Football infact has no boundary.Do you think Mugabe is worser than some African leaders who have lifted the cup too and whose nation performs very well in football?Look for exmple Paul Biya of Cameroon is worser than Mugabe if you dont know but Coca-Cola also brought the world Cup to his country.The are many others.Mugabe is just bad to the West and not to Africans.

    micpando1From micpando1 on Fri Nov 27 05:21PM

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  7. what's wrong with rivaldo? (hysterics v turkey aside)

    bobo.spambleFrom bobo.spamble on Fri Nov 27 05:24PM

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  8. ED I think you have sunken to a low here. I like your sarcasm but here I think you need to be reminded that you lost it. First of all, Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe, not 'president',just like Kazai of Afghanstan was endosed by Brown and Obama, they both won runoff's unopposed, only that the former does not have oil (but indeed he has Gold!). So dont call him 'President' but President, with no quotes. Second, He was joking, everyone at the event laughed and even the Zimbabweans polarised by your Counrty's meddling politics got it, see for comments www_newzimbabwe_com/news-1373-Mugabe+has+urge+to+k
    eep+World+Cup/news.aspx, and at the end of the day these are the people who matter to him for they are the ones who chose to vote for him all these years and even on the runoff. Thirdly, its a fact that you dont have mine-able gold in England or Germany and hence its possible that the gold came from Zim. Last, Fifa made the rules,and hence why change,coz its in Africa?Stick to football ED and leave politics to those who know it.

    mhofelalgyFrom mhofelalgy on Fri Nov 27 05:55PM

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  9. I am boycotting Coca Cola how can they let this mad man anywhere the holy grail of football, Mugabe of course knows all about gold he has ripped all of it out of Zimbabwe and put it in his back pocket so his wife can go shopping at Harrods while Zimbabweans beat the c-@p out of each other for a crust of bread !!!!!

    arttidescoFrom arttidesco on Fri Nov 27 06:02PM

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  10. Is mugabe the guy from The last king of scotland? Or is that guy dead

    jizzzzzzzzzzFrom jizzzzzzzzzz on Fri Nov 27 06:23PM

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  11. mhofelalgy, you're a t.wat, Mugabe is a monster. Yes his atrocities are more publicised than others...the hundreds of Zim refugees who I work with in Mozambique would think 'president' is a pretty fair call. If you can't see that he has ruined a once prosperous country you are obviously connected to the corrupt elite. Have a look in the mirror

    gray_blakeFrom gray_blake on Fri Nov 27 06:42PM

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  12. The last self proclaimed King of Scotland was "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor[B] Idi Amin Dada, VC,[C] DSO, MC, Conqueror of the British Empire" who had to leave Uganda because the locals thought he should b*gger off to Scoatland if he wanted to be King :-) He Died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003 :-)

    arttidescoFrom arttidesco on Fri Nov 27 06:47PM

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  13. mhofelalgy I think ED was spot on to use the term 'President' for Mr Mugabe loosely, in this part of the world when the opposition wins most votes you hand over power in an amicable way and do not seek to arrest and starve all those who oppose you.

    I believe at the last count the MDC won the most votes at the last election in Zimbabwe in 2008 so why is 'President' Mugabe still in power ?

    And what happened to Mr Mugabe's minions who could not rig the election properly ?

    arttidescoFrom arttidesco on Fri Nov 27 06:55PM

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  14. Actually Britain does have a fair but of gold in Wales, foreign gold is cheaper because we don't have to pay the miner's wages directly

    alexb_jonesFrom alexb_jones on Fri Nov 27 07:04PM

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  15. Ah right thnx

    jizzzzzzzzzzFrom jizzzzzzzzzz on Fri Nov 27 08:04PM

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  16. What you have to remember about 'Uncle Bob' Mugabe is, that he's barking! Just like Bush, Blair, Brown and Bin Laden. It must be the first time a sports trophy has been handled by a terrorist. Next stop, Mandela and Adams?

    flakjacket80From flakjacket80 on Fri Nov 27 08:34PM

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  17. Mugabe backwards is Ebagum. Nobody can drag a country backwards ,more that he has.

    john_madronFrom john_madron on Fri Nov 27 10:39PM

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  18. Says a lot about Septic Bladder, letting this Idiot near the World cup !

    johnhfowler1From johnhfowler1 on Fri Nov 27 11:10PM

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  19. How about we agree politicians and unelected heads of state should not be allowed any where near the Worlds Sports Trophies and the governing bodies should be allowed to touch them on the day they get passed on to winners ?

    What was the world cup doing in Zimbabwe for anyway ?

    arttidescoFrom arttidesco on Fri Nov 27 11:50PM

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  20. hey folkz why are we insulting ourselves over nothing? well, from my point of view, I tend to realise that if a leader from third world country refuses to dance to the western tune( America and UK ) they will lebel him a bad name and look for a way to crusify him. For me, I have no right to Judge anybody even Mugabe. Am nutral. Not for him and not against him either.

    laspo24From laspo24 on Sat Nov 28 01:00AM

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  21. mugabe is a monster...a sick evil c..t!! end of.

    n.gummeryFrom n.gummery on Sat Nov 28 02:05AM

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  22. Mugabe is a superman! Y'all can go jump off a cliff...

    babanweFrom babanwe on Sat Nov 28 03:22AM

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  23. Let's not be too quick to forget that this so called "monster" Mugabe was once crowned a KNIGHT by Her Royal Margesty the queen of England. That says alot about him and the fact can not be overshadowed by baseless criticisms.

    akae47usFrom akae47us on Sat Nov 28 04:55AM

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  24. No he is not a monster.... All african dictators are backed by the european masters..... Mugabe was backed by Britain until he started going his own way n refusing them from exploiting his people!

    ndalionFrom ndalion on Sat Nov 28 06:04AM

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  25. Mugabe speaks the mind of most africans.... we are tired of Neo- Colonialism.... WE want europe as partners not as invaders. EU coorperates with many horrible dictators in africa. They are against Mugabe because he doesn't allow them to exploit his country as the others do

    ndalionFrom ndalion on Sat Nov 28 06:07AM

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  26. This article proves that journalists of the mainstream media must spout government propaganda to stay in their jobs or that they are they are just plain ignorant – probably it is both.

    Why do football columnists feel the need to write something like

    “none have been as unpleasant as Zimbabwean 'president' Robert Mugabe, who took time out from wrecking his country's economy to lift the trophy”?

    Here, Early Doors does its part to demonize official enemy Mugabe in the mind of the public.

    They should stick their quotes of Zlatan Ibramovich on defenders going to buy hot dogs and the like which really are funny!

    sargeant1hundredFrom sargeant1hundred on Sat Nov 28 06:34AM

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  27. You might have thought that football would have learned it's lesson all those years ago when the England team were forced to do the Nazi salute before a game with Germany,that nothing is achieved by pandering to a nasty,little dictator!

    p2jwwFrom p2jww on Sat Nov 28 07:34AM

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  28. The truth is bitter but it must be spoken or better still let me say that reality is a bitter pill to swallow.Mugabe may be right and it is just that we europeens hate the truth especially when it is about how dubious we have been to the African. We are truly responsible for the underdeveloped nature of Africa and the high rate of corruption in that continent. Our leaders planted these qualities in the selfish leaders that we forced to them even against their will. We continue to keep them in debts so as to have full access to their natural resources. These guys have already paid as interest only more than ten times what they are owing and yet they are not clear with the interest and the debt still stands. Mugabe has every reason to be nasty with europe whenever he has the opportunity. Why are Africans not complaining of USA and latin American states as they are doing with us Europe. Food for thought. I know that many will hate this bitter truth whenever they read it but if they doubt it, then let them go to the history books about Africa and the colonilisation of this rich continent and see for them selves the devilish things that these peaceful people suffered and tell me africans should be happy with the europeens.

    elbaovisFrom elbaovis on Sat Nov 28 07:47AM

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  29. someone from coca cola should get eurosport to airbrush their logo out!

    sherrifffloodFrom sherriffflood on Sat Nov 28 10:39AM

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  30. Hahahahahaha I'm from Zimbabwe and I don't see why our president is being shunned for just enjoying his few seconds with the world's most prestigious trophy in sports. The man made a Joke thats all, he's not as crazy as your shallow minds think!!!

    sediasgopeFrom sediasgope on Sat Nov 28 11:51AM

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