The Brazil 2014 World Cup is almost upon us. The whiff in the air in all the countries participating at the tournament is one of excitement and anticipation for fans, players and journalists listed to cover the tournament. I do not care one bit what Uefa say about their Champions League competition, nothing in football comes close to the Fifa World Cup – it is simply football’s number 1 competition and everyone involved in the sport wants to be there.
My earliest memories of the Fifa World Cup was that of the ’78 Argentina-based tournament. However, the 1982 tournament with the Brazil team’s swagger hooked me on the sport for life. I will visit that tournament again in my next blog. Stay with me here as much as you can.
As an African, my desire and earnest expectation is for ALL the five African teams to progress to the second round at least. I have had enough of our continent being damned with faint praises, tournament after tournament. We have to make a statement now.
Last time out in South Africa, Ghana were the width of the cross bar away from the semifinals. We need more than that. Sincerely speaking I cannot begin to accept why the likes of Uruguay and South Korea have been able to make it to the semifinals of the World Cup and no African country has made it yet.
This is the last chance – in my view – for this bunch of talented players from the Ivory Coast to make a statement to the world. They have failed to win any Afcon, so this time and in a favourable first round group they have to make it count. I am hoping that Samuel Eto’o will be a uniting figure for Cameroon rather than the divisive one he has been lately so that the team can flourish. They have a tough group alongside the hosts, Croatia and Mexico but it is not insurmountable. One win and two draws should be enough to progress.
Ghana, on the other hand, are in a tough group. However, I am a huge fan of this group of Black Stars. They are packed to the hilt with fantastic footballers and will give any country a good game and have nothing to worry about sincerely. They need to beat the US in their opening game and set the cat amongst the pigeons. Ghana have become seasoned World Cup campaigners and so will know what to do at the tournament. They will be fine.
Algeria have a World Cup pedigree to defend. They have improved tactically since the 2013 Afcon and I am not worried for them. They will surprise a lot of people. The Belgians will be in for a shock.
I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with the African champions, Nigeria, during their first phase preparations here in London. There is a steely determination among these players that they are ready to spring upon the world. The experience of playing in the Confederations Cup same time last year, will stand them in good stead the players feel ready.
Beating Iran in the opening group match is a must if they want to progress.
As a journalist covering the tournament, I am prepared to go there and defend our teams. We have been denied many good results on account of dreadful refereeing decisions in the past and so it is important we start to shout it from the rooftops.
In 1990, Cameroon were good enough to get to the final – they certainly were better than the Argentina team that somehow plodded their way through to the final. Four years later the Nigerian side that battered Bulgaria in their opening group match should have made the semis at the very least. Bulgaria did.
A bit more composure and Ghana would have been at the 2010 semis. This year we will end all the hard luck stories. We as a continent are talented enough to do so and have the teams going to Brazil good enough to.
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