Africa’s teams out to avoid Qatarstrophe
The biggest football exhibition roars to life in Qatar on Sunday with Africa’s five representatives looking to avoid early flights back home. The World Cup is being held in the Middle East for the first time and due to high temperatures, the showpiece is being held at the end of the year, instead of the traditional mid-year tournament.
African champions, Senegal headline the list of the continent’s representatives which also include Ghana, Cameroon, Tunisia and Morocco.
Senegal are touted as the best of the lot and expected to perform beyond expectations. However, it is hard to look beyond Africa’s best finish at any xeight.
No African country has gone beyond the quarterfinals in the competition’s 92year history. After Cameroon’s heroics in 1990, there were hopes the continent could even go on and lift the 6.1kg trophy, which is made of 18 carats of gold. Cameroon became the first team to reach the quarterfinals, losing to England in extra time. The Indomitable Lions had earlier claimed the scalp of Diego Maradona’s defending champions, Argentina with the towering striker, Francois Omam Biyik with the goal that made the difference.
African countries have never been so close to breaking the quarterfinal jinx, with Cameroon losing to England with only six minutes on the clock. In 2002, just like Cameroon, Senegal opened their tournament in South Korea with a defeat of then defending champions, France, 1-0.
It was a good omen as the West African side went on to reach the quarterfinals.
When Africa finally hosted the World Cup in 2010, the continent’s football gods appeared to smile. Ghana took over as the torchbearers, playing some breathtaking football on their way to reaching the last eight. The Black Stars were a breath away from reaching the semi-finals after Luis Suarez handled a goal-bound shot on the goal line, to gift Ghana a last-minute penalty and a
sure passage to the last four. But as a continent held its collective breath, up-stepped trusted striker, Asamoah Gyan who crashed his effort - and Africa’s hopes - against the crossbar and the ball flew away with any chance of an African team progressing to the semi-final on home soil.
The last two World Cups in Brazil (2014) and Russia (2018) have been catastrophic for African teams and the five representatives in Qatar would look to avoid an early shower in the heat of Qatar.
Sadio Mane’s Senegal has been picked as the side that is likely to go the furthest. Mane will be a spectator in the first game after picking a foot injury, which puts the Lions of Teranga’s progress in jeopardy as he has been, by miles, their brightest star.
Bongani Malunga, author of the book, ‘Why an African team may never win the World Cup’ concurs that Senegal are carrying Africa’s hopes.
“They have world-class or near world-class players in every department. Edouard Mendy,
Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye and Sadio Mane form an incredible spine. With such leaders, they have the right qualities to make it past the group stage. I think Senegal could make it to the quarterfinals,” Malunga said.
Despite Africa’s undoubted talent and being FIFA’s second biggest constituency with 54 members, the continent has never made it to elevated discussions about lifting the World Cup trophy.
Instead, the continent’s representatives are only looking at going past the quarterfinals, with no realistic chances of landing the ultimate prize.
That debate is still the preserve of the likes of Brazil, German, Argentina, Portugal and to some extent, perennial chokers, England.
However, Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Tunisia and Morocco have travelled to Qatar to change that narrative, although it remains a tall order. After 5,760 minutes of football in Qatar starting Sunday, questions on Africa’s pedigree will be emphatically answered.