Qatar 2022: Will Africa break the Europe/ South America FIFA World Cup circle

In two days’ time the historic golf state FIFA world cup will get under way with the host nation Qatar taking up Ecuador in the opening match on Sunday 20 november by 5pm local time.

Since the inception of the world cup, the trophy has only been won by two continents (Europe and South America). with Brazil, the football powerhouse in South America holding the record as the most successful footballing nation.

However, the FIFA world cup Qatar 2022 can throw some surprises up in the air with the five African representatives. Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana, tunisia and Morocco will fly African flag in Qatar.

For the first time in the history of the tournament, all five African teams will be going to the world cup with their nationals and ex-players as head coach.

Rigobert Song will lead Cameroon to Qatar while Aliou Cisse who led the terrenga Lions to lift the AFCON hosted by Cameroon, was a critical member of Senegal’s historic team to the 2002 FIFA world cup will lead the team to Qatar.

otto Addo will lead Ghana, while walid Regragui will lead Morocco, and Jalel Kadri is tunisia’s head coach to the world cup.

“Africa have the stars to execute the world cup but am afraid we don’t have the bench,” said Henry okonkwo, a sports analyst in Lagos who thinks Africa performance at the world cup will be determined by the coaches.

Collaborating okonkwo’s position another football fan, dare Philip said “Africa will either win or lose from the bench”.

According to him, the coaches are yet to prove their pedigree on the global stage in football, and that the world cup might expose their coaching naivety. “this world cup will give African coaches opportunity to cement their places in world football.

“they will have to show their understanding of the game and the ability to turn each game around from the bench depending on how well they are able to read the games,” he said

Analysts and bookmakers have picked Brazil, France, Germany and Argentina as tournament favourites to win.

the FIFA world Cup, considered the largest sporting event globally is held every four years since 1930, with the exception of ’42 and ’46 due to world war II; with Brazil as the only nation to have competed in every world Cup tournament.

Brazil boasts the most championships in world Cup history with five (1958, ’62, ’70, ’94 and 2002). Italy (1934, ’38, ’82 and 2006) and Germany (1950, ’74, ’90 and 2014) are tied for second place with four championships each.

Miroslav Klose of Germany is the leading goal scorer in world Cup history with 16.

Brazil, France, Germany, Italy and Mexico each have played host to the world Cup twice; with only eight countries to have won the world Cup.

only two continents have succeeded as champions of the FIFA world Cup: Europe and South America. In fact, of the 20 world Cups, European countries have been finalists in 18.

As of the 2018 FIFA world Cup, 79 national teams have competed in the final tournaments. this will become 80 after Qatar makes its debut in 2022.

A European nation has won the past four world Cups and five of the last six – Brazil being the only non-european country to succeed.

France have won two of the last seven tournaments, making them the only country to win multiple world Cups finals in that time.

Among the national teams, Germany has played the most world Cup matches and appeared in the most finals (8), semi-finals (13), and quarter-finals (16) as well as scored the most world cup goals of 224, while Brazil has appeared in the most world cups, a record 20 times.