I’ve always enjoyed the modern opium of the masses – sport. Right now it’s the African Cup of Nations causing me to lie prostrate on the couch .
The African contingent going to the World Cup in Germany later this year are mostly putting up a dismal showing. Of the 5 who qualified (Angola, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo and Tunisia) there’s a good chance Angola, Ghana and Ivory Coast won’t even make it past the AFCON group stages, which doesn’t bode well for them putting up much of a showing in Germany. Angola and Togo were real shock qualifiers for the World Cup, with Angola ranked only 14th in Africa (and 63rd overall), and Togo 11th (and 56th). Both are in the same AFCON group with Africa’s top team, Cameroon, and finishing behind The Indominatable Lions is no shame, seething as they are at missing out on Germany. However missing out on the knockout rounds to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which, although a traditional powerhouse are unsurprisingly currently ranked a lowly 16th in Africa, would be disappointing. Much as I’d love to see Angola shock the world, it looks like together with Togo they’re merely going to Germany to make up the numbers.
Ghana are the team who qualified for the World Cup at the expense of South Africa. Ranked only 9th in Africa, they’re in a tough AFCON group containing Senegal and Nigeria, ranked 2nd and 4th respectively, and both teams who’ve made impressions on the world stage. They still have a reasonable chance of qualifying, having beaten Senegal and lost to Nigeria, and finishing as they do with the easiest game against Zimbabwe, while the two favourites play each other. Ghana are an old African power, having won AFCON 4 times, although Germany will mark their first appearance at the World Cup. Sadly it looks like it will be a baptism of fire as they’re in an exceptionally tough World Cup group consisting of the 2nd-ranked Czech Republic, 7th-ranked USA, and 12th-ranked Italy. Ghana, ranking 50th overall, have their work cut out.
The other two qualifiers are Cote d’Ivoire and Tunisia. The former, after their defeat this afternoon to Egypt, seem destined to meet great rivals Cameroon, who they knocked out of the World Cup, in the AFCON quarter-finals. Their World Cup appearance looks set to be brief too, matched as they are with 4th-ranked Argentina, 3rd-ranked Netherlands and Serbia. The best hope for Africa seems to be Tunisia. Cruising through their weak AFCON group (a South Africa in disarray and lowly Zambia being swept aside), they’re in one of the easier World Cup groups, consisting of Spain, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia. I’d much rather have Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana or Senegal there. Even though they’re ranked 3rd in Africa, their play is usually solid more than inspired, which may not be enough to beat the big guns.
Pele famously said that an African team would win the World Cup by the year 2000. Some have claimed France’s win in 1998 effectively amounted to an African win. However, with Africa’s main powers missing this year’s event, it looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for the real thing.
Sadly I believe you are correct in your assessment Ian. Lets not forget though how brilliantly Senegal did in 2002. If I recall they made it to the quarter finals, and then only narrowly lost that game as well.