Rainier Plahar
As South Africa prepares to host the World Cup in 2010, one question remains, can an African team finally rise to the challenge and conquer the world?
With the 2010 World Cup qualifiers well underway, it’s beginning to get a bit clearer as to which teams would have the right balance for 2010. Inside Futbol today focuses on three teams that could shine brightest for Africa in South Africa.
Egypt – It’s almost a paradox that the record holding African champions have featured in the FIFA World Cup a miserly two times. In fact, Egypt holds the distinction of being the first ever African nation to have World Cup experience way back in Italy 1934. They were however eliminated after losing 4-2 to the magnificent magyars of Hungary after only one game.
It took them more than half a century to make their second appearance, again in Italy in the 1990 tournament. There, the Pharoahs bowed out gracefully in the first round after two respectable draws wiith both the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, followed by a lone goal defeat to England.
Undoubtedly, the Pharoahs have the best squad in Africa currently, a fact that is boosted by the emphatic manner in which they defended the African Cup of Nations trophy in Ghana earlier this year. They had already won the trophy two years earlier on home soil. The strength of the current Egyptian team is their cohesion and almost telepathic understanding of each other, this can be attributed to the fact that until recently most members of the Egyptian national team were based locally. Even now just about eight members of the team play their football abroad.
The Pharoahs have a very strong, united and compact team that oozes quality from defence to attack. In defence, first choice pair Wael Goma and Ibrahim Said provide formidable cover for Swiss based goalie Essam El Hadary. In midfield Egypt is blessed with an abundance of both skill and industry, captain Ahmed Hassan of Anderlecht is the spine in a midfield that also contains Ghana 2008 final goalscoring hero Mohammed Aboutreka of local Side El Ahly, and Middlesborough’s Mohammed Shawky. Current English Premier League sensation Amr Zaki leads the ruthless Egypt attack that also features Stuttgart’s Mohammed Zidan.
The most important member of this team however is the strong headed coach Hassan Shehata. Shehata has earned well deserved credit for putting together a drilled and well disciplined side that has completely dominated African football over the past four years. There is no place in Shehata’s team for egotism or favouritism as was underscored during the infamous touchline bust up between former national hero Mido and Shehata, after Mido was substituted during a crucial semi-final game in Egypt 2006.
Egypt has the talent, organisation, and drive to qualify and do well in South Africa 2010. By then players like Zaki would have amassed enough international experience to fuse with their talent and endeavour. If they believe in themselves and stick to their current team ethics then the Pharoahs would go close in South Africa.
Ivory Coast – The Elephants of Ivory Coast do not have much of a World Cup history, their only appearance at the quadrennial event being the last World Cup in Germany. That might explain why they seem to be racing to make up for lost time.
The Ivorians have emerged as one of the top sides in Africa now, a tag they did well to enhance at their maiden World Cup appearance in Germany. In Germany, Ivory Coast, despite being drawn in the group of death alongside Netherlands, Argentina and Serbia Montenegro, played some spectacular attacking football in all their matches. In the end they came third in the group after bruising losses to both Argentina and Netherlands, and a satisifying win against bottom side Serrbia Montenegro.
Ivory Coast was one of the favourites going into the Nations Cup tournament in Ghana earlier this year, but they placed a disappointing fourth after imploding and losing against Egypt 4-1 in the semi-finals.
The Elephants, as the Ivorian national side is known, seem to have lost some of the verve with which they burst onto the international scene, however they now have the experience that they so badly needed in Germany to compliment their natural skill and talent.
Established stars like Dider Drogba And Salomon Kalou of Chelsea, Barcelona’s Yaya Toure and Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue and Kolo Toure will surely have grown wiser by 2010. The recent Olympic games in Beijing also showed that there is enough young talent coming through the ranks for Ivory Coast. It will be interesting to see how new coach Bosnian Vahid Halihodzic weaves a winning team out of the talent at his disposal. The Elephants do have a chance of at least going past the group phase in South Africa.
Ghana – Like the Ivory Coast, Ghana made her first ever World Cup appearance in Germany 2006, unlike her West African neighbour however, the Black Stars have long being giants on the African scene. Four times African Champions Ghana placed a disappointing third in African Cup of Nations they hosted earlier this year, and this eventually led to the resignation of head coach Claude Le Roy.
The main strength of the current Ghana team is the midfield which boasts world class players like Chelsea’s Michael Essien, Inter’s Sulley Muntari and Laryea Kingson of Scottish side Hearts. Former Juventus and Fenerbahce player and Ghana Captain Stephen Appiah is gradually working his way back into the first team after an almost 18 month hiatus due to injury.
Ghana currently lies third, three points behind Libya and Gabon in their qualifying group, but the Black Stars are expected to beat Lesotho at home whilst Libya and Gabon take points off each other.
New Coach Milovan Rajevac, in his bid to strengthen the team following injuries to forward Asamoah Gyan and star midfielder Michael Essien, has recalled NAC Breda striker Matthew Amoah to partner Zamalek’s Junior Agogo upfront.
It looks a very good bet to place Ghana amongst African teams likely to do well in South Africa, but to even qualify Ghana has to a lot of work to do first. The defence is still a source of concern for many fans, and Lyon’s John Mensah who heads the defensive unit does not inspire much confidence amongst Ghanaian soccer fans. The attack too is anything but sharp, local hero Junior Agogo is very lumbersome and is known for his heavy first touch, but there is hardly any other option available, as Asamoah Gyan when fit is highly wasteful.
The Ghanaian team is one that relies heavily on its midfield for success and with supremely talented Norway based Anthony Annan rising steadily, the dependancy on the midfield is likely to increase.
The Black Stars do have the potential to go to South Africa and do well (they are most likely to quality, but to put in an exceptional performance in 2010 coach Rajevac must do a lot of tinkering and find a fix for the loose defence and blunt attack.
South Africa presents the perfect opportunity for Africa to finally stake a claim at the World Cup. To be successful however, African FAs’ should enforce more discipline and do away with the corruption and internal strife that bedevils African teams over and over again. The talent is there in abundance, and I am sure that with efficient organisation an African nation could finally rise to the occasion in 2010.
