AFRICAN PERFORMANCES AT THE FIFA WORLD CUP

Many soccer fans on the African continent will find it difficult to understand why the performance of African teams at the FIFA world cup has been nothing good to write about since its inception in 1930 where Uruguay hosted and won the maiden tournament.

Prior to the era where FIFA only gave a single slot to now where the African qualifying region has secured five slots, no African country has made it to the semi-finals stage. The story has always been “we nearly made it”.

In the 1990 world cup, Cameroon nearly secured a semi-final ticket in their quarter-final game against England, but two penalties awarded to the latter dashed the dreams of the Africans. Many Africans were not enthused by the two penalties awarded to the English, but a clear view of the situation suggests the referee was right. 

However, four years later it was a disaster for the Indomitable Lions as they failed to qualify from the group.

In 2002, The Teranga Lions of Senegal took Africa and the world by storm as they emerged runners-up in that same year Africa cup of Nations. They defied all odds to beat the then defending champions France by a lone goal in the 2002 FIFA world cup which was co-hosted by South Korea-Japan. 

Again, the story still remained; Senegal nearly made it to the semi-finals. In their quarter finals game against Turkey, the Teranga Lions scored but was disallowed only for their hearts to be broken in the last minute of second half of extra-time.

In 2006 world cup in Germany, Ghana chalked success in the football circles as being the only African side to be part of the second round. 

Again, as the African story at the world cup had remained; the mighty hand of Suarez denied the Black Stars for semi-final berth which could have been the best ever performance by any African team at the 2010 world cup in South Africa.

As the 2014 FIFA world cup in Brazil is ongoing, the same song is being sung by Africans. One of the main reasons responsible for our inability to doing well is poor defending and lack of concentration. 

In the Black Stars game against the United States, bad defending contributed for our defeat. Ivory Coast’s second goal they conceded against South American side Columbia is also as a result of this. Algeria too cannot be ruled out from bad defending.

The bane of Cameroon at the 2014 FIFA world cup is as a result of indiscipline among players and lack of cohesion. It was disappointing when Totternham Hotspur's defender Assou Ekoto head butted his team mate Benjamin Mukandjo after the Croatian game where they lost by 4-0. 

This coupled with the silly red card attracted by Barcelona midfielder Alexander Song really cost his team.

It has always been the mindset of many African players that no African team had ever been part of the last four; thus they enter the competition aiming to go to semi-finals. Argentine soccer legend Diego Amando Maradona said in an interview that he had a dream: to play at the world cup and to win it. Such mentality clearly surpasses the mindset of African.

Winning the world cup by any African side is achievable, but we have to put our houses in order first before thinking of such a dream. We should be ready to deal with indiscipline in our teams, bad defending, disunity and the will power to assign the head coaching job to an African as few nations have done. This will open the way for African teams to perform at the world cup.