The 19th edition of Fifa world cup will kick off on June 11, 2010. All the big countries from Europe, South America and a number of small teams from Asia, Africa along with Australia and a few first timers like New Zealand, Slovenia and Serbia will battle it out, this time in South Africa (first African nation to host the world cup).
Football legend Pele once predicted that an African nation will rule the world (in football) before the year 2000. Though this is yet to happen, we have seen signs of development among African teams. Countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal have proved their potential in previous World Cups. Last world cup saw Ghana ousting Czech Republic from the tournament. As a boost to these positive signs in African football came the Fifa under 20 world cup, which Ghana won by beating Brazil on penalties (hosted by Egypt; October 2009). This was also the first time ever, that an African team overpowered European, Asian and South American giants and became the champions of a major football tournament. With such developments in African football it will not be an exaggeration if one feels that Pele’s prediction might be proved right in the imminent future.
Winning the world cup might be a little too far fetched, but this time we can at least hope that an African nation will break the jinx of never going past the quarter finals of a world cup. Out of the 32 available slots Fifa has given 6 slots for Africa (increasing the number slots for Africa from 5 to 6). The African teams that qualified for the 2010 world cup are Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Algeria, all of them having at least two players who have European football experience. Ivory Coast a small country whose entire population can be contained in a football stadium have produced talented players like Didier Drogba, Salamon Kalou, Kolo Toure, Ebraham Kone and Emmanuel Eboue. Among them Drogba and Kalou are currently playing for Chelsea (currently no.1 in English Premier League Football). Samuel Eto, Nadir Belhadj, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikeal and Muntari are players capable of creating headaches for every European, Asian and South American teams. Experience is a very important factor in football and all these players are experienced in European, South American and Asian football. All the players mentioned above are highly ranked and clubs are fighting for signing them. The experience of these players in different styles of football will help African teams to identify the weakness of their European and South American counterparts and strike at the right point. Among the teams mentioned above Ivory Coast and Ghana will be the teams to watch out for this time. South Africa being the host nation will have the crowd support. Ghana, the current under 20 world cup champions will definitely introduce some fresh talents in the bigger version. As viewers this is a factor which attracts us. We don’t know who all are present in these teams. Out of nowhere we see a bunch of players rising to the occasion and lifting their team towards victory, which makes African football highly unpredictable and exciting.
Having said this, it will not be a surprise if no African team makes it to the finals or the semi-finals. That is because the quality of African football is nowhere near the quality of European or South American football. Pundits will definitely favour teams like Spain, Brazil, Argentina or any of the big guns in Europe or South America. But in football where there is a 50 percent chance for experience and quality there is also a 50 percent chance for luck (Who would have thought Greece will be the European champions in 2002). But in 2010 it is not luck that we want to see. It is definitely quality football from Africa. It is time that an African nation made its mark in football history. So let us hope that 2010 be that year, keeping in mind that in football, anything can happen.
No comments:
Post a Comment