“There are no big teams in football now. All countries are equal.”
“If you remember, ten years ago I started mentioning about how football in Africa will grow and get better and better. Africa gets a lot of players in Europe and they have a lot of experience, and with adequate preparation it will not be a surprise to see Africa in the finals or the quarter-final at the South Africa 2010 World Cup.”
Pele’s comments on the strength of African football seem to be growing in accuracy as the World Cup approaches. Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 share the honour of an African team’s greatest performance on world football’s grandest stage, and many observers are beginning to agree with Pele, that such an achievement can be matched in the summer of 2010.
Even with one African qualification place still to be decided, the quality of players representing the continent on home turf in June is clear. Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Obafemi Martins, Salomon Kalou and Yaya Toure will all compete at the World Cup following a season of Champions League football. They will be joined by Manchester City’s captain Kolo Toure and, should Egypt qualify, the likes of Mohamed Aboutrika and Mohamed Zidan. The prevalence of African footballers at the highest levels of club football around the world should be ample warning to the more established international sides. But when coupled with the advantage of home support and recognizable conditions, as we saw with South Korea in 2002, the possibility of Africa being represented at the business end of the tournament is significant.
In 2006, Ghana qualified from their group to face Brazil in the knockout rounds, and the Ivory Coast performed admirably in the “Group of Death” alongside heavyweights such as Argentina and Holland. After their exit, then coach Henri Michel stated:
“The only thing we lack is experience.”
Experience is invaluable at tournaments such as these. Teams such as Germany, who were not fancied at the start of the 2006 tournament, used the home crowds and the benefits of a history of competing in major tournaments to make a semi final appearance. On occasion back in 2006, it was little moments of naivety against the “bigger” teams that cost the African sides, but with those defeats comes experience, and every 4 years, these teams go stronger for it.
The growth of African football is clear back at home. The choice of South Africa as host in 2010 could provide great reward, and the likes of Michael Essien have used their reputation to start charitable foundations on the continent. The power of football is also coupled with new successes as Ghana’s under-20s recent victory in the U20 World Cup against Brazil shows the development in Africa that Pele previously eluded to.
The African sides continue to climb the FIFA rankings, both Cameroon and the Ivory Coast sit inside the top 20. On home territory, with talismanic figures now excelling in some of Europe’s most successful teams, Pele may not only be right about what can be achieved in 2010, but he may be being a bit modest in predicting only a quarter final appearance for the stars of African football.
Written by David Harrison
