By Kenneth Tan YH
Ever since Sepp Blatter announced his desire to bring the World Cup finals to Africa, the FIFA President has also, on numerous occasions, stated his belief that an African nation has the ability to become world champions in football one day. Blatter has since realised his dream to stage the finals in an African country (South Africa 2010), but before then, there has been no representative from the continent in the final of previous editions.
There has been no shortage of contenders. For example, Nigeria has often been considered the strongest team in African football. However, they have yet to go as far as the final in any past World Cups. Ghana and Ivory Coast are also touted as countries that will challenge the established order in world football, yet the proof is in the pudding and they have not proven anything so far.
So will there ever be a World Cup winner that is part of the African continent? We can only look as far as the next World Cup finals and assess each of the contenders that have qualified for the chance. From there, it might perhaps be possible to find out if the global footballing community can celebrate the ultimate rise of the sport in Africa.
Nigeria carries huge expectations on their shoulders every time they play. They are often regarded as the Brazil of Africa - playing the most sublime soccer on the continent and exporting some of the world's best footballers. It is also these qualities that raise expectations unrealistically high and the team often shows the strain of having to deal with that burden in various tournament. Too often they have flattered to deceive in previous World Cup finals and African Cup of Nations - the equivalent of the World Cup but played exclusively amongst the continent's countries. The Super Eagles are also often torn apart by internal disputes over money, disciplinary issues and an ever changing management that has disrupted many a preparation. Fans are not hoping for much this time and compared to previous squads, the Nigeria of 2010 do not quite spark everyone's imagination.
Algeria has made two previous trips to the World Cup finals and have overall made a positive impression. Known for mixing clever play with gutsy determination, the Algerians are your typical underdogs that can spring an upset when least expected, while stumbling when expectations are raised. It was again evident on their path to South Africa 2010 when they actually dumped African champions Egypt out of the qualifiers in stunning fashion. Yet, they failed horribly in the recent African Cup of Nations finals and have already been written off by most critics.
Cameroon will forever be remembered as the team that felled giants Argentina with one swift strike from legendary striker Roger Milla. Their fairy tale run in the 1990 finals will always live long in the memory of football fans worldwide. While being the most successful African team at the finals, Cameroon have not actually gone further than the quarterfinals. The current version does not have the flair nor personality of previous incarnations, but they do have a solid core and a more European management approach that might provide the discipline required to succeed on the global stage.
Ivory Coast can truly qualify to be one of the favourites to go all the way in South Africa. Boasting some of the best players in the world in every position such as striker Didier Drogba, midfielder Yaya Toure and defender Kolo Toure to name but three, they appear to have the perfect blend of skill and physical attributes that produce the best athletes in the sport. A major distraction prior to the tournament might set them back. Former coach Vahid Halilhodzic was dismissed after a poor African Cup of Nations showing and Sven Goran Ericksson was brought in to replace him. The Swede may have the reputation to carry the job, but Ericksson also previously failed on the international stage with England. He could fare better with a more talented squad at his disposal.
The host country carry the weight of expectations of their fans, but South Africa has already been written off before the start of the tournament. The Bafana Bafana are tipped to crash out in the group stage and results from friendlies over the past few years have been less than encouraging. Economically, they may be one of the strongest African countries, so much so they have the ability to stage an event as large as the World Cup finals. Football-wise though, they are less than ideal and could suffer the ignominy of being one of the few host countries in the history of the competition to not advance beyond the group phase.
Ghana are the last African representatives for the 2010 World Cup finals. They can also be considered one of the only two likeliest teams on the continent to stand a chance of lifting the Jules Rimet trophy come July. The Ghanaians are similar to Ivory Coast in terms of athletic ability but they lack the firepower that their compatriots boast of. Their game is built on a more defensive approach with a strong midfield anchoring it. Michael Essien will be their key to success and that is already being threatened prior to the tournament with the Chelsea midfield star still facing doubts over his availability due to injury. The current squad is also at an average age where most teams are considered to be at their peak.
Of the six representatives from Africa, the teams that are most likely to find themselves contesting the final showpiece would be Ivory Coast and Ghana. This is based purely on their overall quality and experience. Whether either of the two can go on to be crowned champions of the world will have to come down to a combination of factors like the ability to peak at the right time, some good fortune and no little amount of skill. In the sport of football, the only predictable outcome is an unpredictable result. The world will celebrate with Africa if they can produce a champion in an event held on their shores, but if not, football will still be the winner through their combined efforts to make the tournament a success.
To lay your hand on the FIFA 2010 World Handbook, click on South Africa 2010.
Kenneth Tan YH is a writer for [http://www.breakingfootballnews.com/]Breaking Football News, a growing football news site dedicated to bringing the latest and best football headlines to fans around the globe. For the latest [http://www.breakingfootballnews.com/category/world-cup]World Cup 2010 news, join Kenneth as he provides the latest scoops leading up to the tournament.
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