Craig Foster is about to annoy millions with his World Cup commentary

Former Socceroo and human rights activist Craig Foster is once again contracted to be one of the key components of SBS’s World Cup coverage.

True to form, the man affectionately known as ‘Fozz’ will say as much about matters off the pitch as on it.

Many viewers will react aggressively, foolishly and unintelligently to his commentary, which will call into question not only the awarding of the tournament to Qatar, but also raise significant moral and ethical questions around its treatment of citizens, tourists and foreign workers.

While the narrow-minded few will be typing the word “politics and sport don’t mix” before they have even finished reading the above sentence, the reality is that the issues and concerns to which Foster will refer over the next four weeks will have absolutely nothing to do with politics.

On the public record as being excited about the football that will be played in Qatar, yet determined to raise the human rights abuses and injustices that have and continue to plague the country, Foster is destined to annoy many, incite sharp response and further anger people who fail to grasp his point.

Foster will continue to correctly point out that Qatar was awarded the World Cup under fraudulent circumstances and continues to violent basic citizen rights, those supposedly protected by the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights.

As we have seen on many occasions, where rogue states appear able to simply dismiss the insistences of the UN and ignore sanctions meant to protect the rights, liberties and dignity of the oppressed, so too has Qatar been able to pull the wool over the eyes of the west, with massive financial clout seeing the World Cup awarded to an unfit nation at an unfit time of the year.

Photo by Alexander Hassenstein – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

FIFA is fundamentally to blame and the football representatives from across the globe who are in Qatar as guests for the tournament should be utterly ashamed and appalled at what is about to take place on the world’s watch.

However, they will care little and for people like Foster, no matter the quality of football played, the tournament will be far from a celebration and more of a ceremonial and sombre march into the past.

In Qatar, workers seeking opportunity have died as a result of their efforts to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Football fans who choose to love in a manner deemed inappropriate by local law and officialdom have been warned that they best reserve their public displays of affection and ‘respect’ local custom. It is still unknown as to whether people who choose to challenge the local Qatari constabulary will be incarcerated for such expressions, or potentially suffer an even worse fate dependent upon their religious beliefs.

The clamping down on alcohol consumption and availability in Qatar appears to suggest that the locals are having a right laugh at the ‘woke’ west, who dare enter their country and threaten a way of life that has been jettisoned across much of the globe.

I am fearful as to what will occur should a pride flag be waved in protest and deeply concerned for friends who enjoy a drink and may become frustrated by what appears to be a last-ditch attempt to make some sort of statement, just as the competition begins.

Frankly, the entire exercise is a farce that should not be occurring and will forever be known as a World Cup stained with the dirtiest history book asterisk.

For as long as most can remember, the Special Broadcasting Service has brought the World Game into the homes of Australians of all cultures and backgrounds, with the ground-breaking work of Les Murray and Johnny Warren living forever in the hearts of minds of people who love football.

In spite of the fact that some will seethe at Foster’s words over the next month, as the matches play out and Qatar presents itself to the world, his message is one that every human being on the planet needs to hear.

Foster will not be talking about politics, he will simply be calling attention to the most grievous human rights infringements and demanding that Qatar and other like-minded nations still existing in patriarchal fear and bigotry be called out for exactly what they are.

Sure, that has little to do with football, but the World Cup has always been about far more than that.