World Cup victory for Africa a mere dream

LAWRENCE OOKEDITSE
Correspondent | Friday June 25, 2010 00:00

 

One or two teams may make it into the last 16 but that would be just about it.  'Ke nako, it is time', is quickly appearing to be a slogan to mean nothing more than it is time for Africa to be beaten on home soil.

'There is a new rule, if you touch it by the hand once, foul, if you play it by hand twice no foul,' Luiz Felipe Scolari jokingly said in his Portuguese accent as the Ivory Coast/Brazil game ended. One of the goals was an excellent finish by Brazilian forward Louis Fabiano but not before he had handled the ball twice as he juggled it over the Ivorian defenders heads. Heavy hearts across the continent yet again as perhaps the team viewed as the best possible candidate for an extended run in this competition succumbed to a 3-1 defeat. This was despite a brilliant start to the game.

Before every match the Nigerians huddle together for a prayer, at the end of the first half they do the same, walking onto the pitch after half-time they again huddle for a prayer and as the game ends they yet again huddle for a prayer. The verdict though has not been favorable- they still are set for an early exit. So then, if it is up to God to decide who wins it then Nigeria, the most praying team at the World Cup,  should be winning it. However, they are an African team and whatever an African team does just turns into clay, even gold would turn into clay if they touch it. The reverse of the touch of Midas is true for them.

What baffles many observers is the fact that African teams just find it so difficult to score. African teams just cannot finish off their chances for some reason, what other teams do to score is beyond the African teams. Surprisingly, some of the top strikers in the world are from Africa - Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto'o included. In addition, creative midfielders who play week in and week out at top European clubs do not result in improved African performances at the world cup. Facilities? Well, all but one of the players in the Ivory Coast first line up are based in Europe, so they train and play on the best facilities each week and are coached by a coach that has drilled the likes of England.

Is money the problem? Hardly plausible an answer. The South Africans went on a long training camp and were among the players promised huge bonuses. A win for them would be rewarded with millions, each goal scored is also worth millions in rewards for the team, still Bafana Bafana have proven to be just that, mere boys, as they crumbled under pressure. What's more, the Nigerian players are among the top possible bonus earners for wins yet they just cannot crack it!

All sort of reasons have been forwarded as to why African teams cannot do well. Is playing abroad the problem? If it is then Brazil would not be winning so much when so many of their players are also based abroad. It certainly is not about training as well because many of these African players train with their counterparts from other parts of the world.

Notably disturbing though is the poor trend displayed by black African teams even at the Africa Cup of Nations. If one said black people simply cannot play football it would still defy logic as the likes of Pele, George Weah, Drogba and many others have achieved considerable accolades as footballers. Arab teams are yet to win the World Cup, but Arab teams seem much better off than their Sub-Saharan Africa counterparts do. They can pass and score better than most of their predominantly 'black Africa' part of the continent. What then is the problem?

Some say we are cursed. Another has said the God we worship is simply not the right God. I am not saying worshiping our ancestors will bring results but it possibly could. If not then I will know football has nothing to do with God. Then what could be the problem. Perhaps African teams are too occupied with prayer and the belief that God will help them. While other teams are helping themselves and winning matches, the Nigerians pray four or even more times in a match. In the end, is it not possible that these players believe they do not have the power to make things happen? Christophe Bongo, a soccer analyst with Grain of Salt said the Ivory Coast players lacked the belief to carry the ball and just score. Jay Jay Okocha, former captain of the praying Nigerians also said the Ivorians lacked the confidence to attack and score against Brazil. The American team is yet to win a major cup in world football but the confidence they display is typical American, a near arrogance of some kind that the Africans are not showing and this has helped the Americans. They are now ranked 14th in the World.

In its history, never has the FIFA World Cup been to Africa before and never has an African team won it. With it coming to Africa, many were convinced this could be Africa's moment. The indifferent performances of African sides though has been something less than inspiring. Many are beginning to divest their support as the teams churn out one disappointing performance after another. The best performers so far are Ghana, with four points from two games and perhaps in all fairness Ivory Coast with a point from a rather tough side.  

In fact, the Ivory Coast could have been Africa's greatest prospect but landing in what has been dubbed the Group of Death with Brazil, Portugal and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea has not done them any favors. A point picked against Portugal seemed a brilliant start until a 3-1 drubbing by the free passing Brazil. They now stand at the brink of elimination, especially with Portugal beating Korea. Qualification is no longer in their own hands; they now have to rely on hoping that Korea pull off a miracle against Carlos Queiroz's Portugal and Brazil also beating Portugal. Still, they would have to beat Korea, a team that has shown some stubbornness even in a 2-1 loss to Brazil in their opening game.

As for Ghana, Africa has a team laden with potential; still brimming with confidence from winning the FIFA Under 20 World Cup. Their accumulation of points has been great, with four points from a possible six and still with a game to play against wounded Germany. The Germans, still reeling from a defeat against Serbia, will not do Ghana any favors as they will go all out to fight for qualification- if they lose to Ghana and Serbia beat Australia the Germans will be out, as well if they draw against Ghana and Serbia wins, the Germans will be out. With that scenario, the Ghana-Germany game is a crunchy one with everything at stake. Given the resolute determination of German teams, Ghana will have to up their goal conversion rate.

Like many African teams, Ghana comes out as a stubbornly ball possessive team with very little to show for that possession. They are not efficient with the ball and are rather wasteful of chances. Out of 22 shots at a goal against Australia, Ghana found the back of the net just once to get a draw. They have flattered to deceive- in the opening game against Serbia, they won courtesy of a penalty. That gifts them just a single goal against the run of play.

That is part of the curse of the African teams, lady luck has deserted them. Shots that would otherwise go in against other teams seem not to go in when it is an African team. Pure nonsense I am spewing one may say but consider the goal England conceded against the USA-Robert Green failed to pick up what was a hopeless ball and it was a point winning goal. I have seen Egypt and Tunisia benefit from such at the Africa cup of nations but I am yet to see anyone of the 'black African' teams benefit from such. It is time perhaps to consider if the Gods of football are happy with the African teams.

As for the hosts, South Africa, the less said about them the better. A team with so much potential, resources, a World Cup winning coach and more support at home than any other is about to make history as the first to host the tournament and fail to progress beyond the group stages. All they have done is build great infrastructure, dance and sing to create a great tournament atmosphere but the boys have not delivered on the pitch. South African vuvuzelas went quiet and national elation turned to despondency following a disastrous 3-0 defeat by Uruguay followed a rare confident shared points outing against Mexico. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has also not displayed the mentality of a World Cup winner, sticking to a lone striker system despite Katlego Mphela being forever isolated and without support. No wonder he now like French Coach, Raymond Domenech, faces a revolt in the camp with some players criticising his selections.

The overrated Cameroon have not justified inclusion in this Cup. Fine they qualified for it but I would rather have had a different African team. Well-toned and muscular bodies are being wasted, as the Cameroonians have not used their huge build to their advantage. They huffed and puffed against Japan, lost 2-1 against Denmark and really, the West Africans are all but eliminated from this tournament. Not even the expensive watches bought for each team member by Captain Samuel Eto'o have done much to motivate a team that cannot turn on the magic.

After some absence from the global showpiece, Algeria had a bad start as they, thanks to goalkeeper Chaouchi's schoolboy error, lost by a solitary goal to Slovenia. A redemption draw against England though put Algeria back into contention and a win against USA might just see them through. Of all the African teams, South Africa aside perhaps, analysts viewed Algeria as the least favoured to advance but they may just prove to be the most potent force of the African teams, they after all are from North Africa. The North Africans could be the upset of this tournament from Africa.

All said and done, an African team will not win this cup, an African team will not reach the semifinals and even sadder is that an African team might not even reach the quarterfinals.  The gods of soccer seem not to be happy with the Africans. Despite the numerous prayers African teams engage in it seems not to be coming together. I am beginning to suspect we worship and praise the wrong God, or that the God we worship is simply not ours. I doubt if these poor performances are about tactics alone. African players determine big matches week in and week out in Europe, why can they not do so at the World Cup?  Possibly the teams are cursed one way or another.