DARE TO DREAM

Photos: BackpagePix | Independent Media By: Matshelane Mamabolo

It may seem impossible, but can Africa finally shine at the Fifa World Cup in Qatar later this year?

THE African continent has hosted the World Cup, now how about one of our countries win the bloody thing for the first time? Wouldn’t that be grand?

The 2022 World Cup draw was recently concluded and while Africa seems to have its strongest five teams at the tournament – Ghana, Senegal, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon – to represent it, there is nothing to suggest the continent should anticipate a glorious campaign by any of these sides when the world’s best 32 teams gather in Qatar in November and December.

The best an African team has done at the World Cup is reach the quarter-finals and all three of the countries that have done so will be in Qatar. Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana will all be eager to at least go one better than they have before.

The question one would ask is how their current squads compare to those that reached the last eight in previous campaigns.

Senegal’s Sadio Mane on the attack during the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Burkina Faso.

Does Cameroon’s Rigobert Song have at his disposal a team with the magical enthusiasm and carefree attitude of the Indomitable Lions of Roger Milla, Kana Biyik, Cyrille Makanaky et al who dazzled at Italia 90?

Alilou Cisse, the coach of Senegal, was a member of the Lions of Teranga who stunned holders France in the opening match of the 2002 edition in South Korea and Japan.

Can he use that experience to inspire the current lot led by Liverpool’s irrepressible Sadio Mane to the last four?

Ghana have come closest to reaching the World Cup semi-finals back in South Africa in 2010. Will they be dancing again at Qatar 2022?

Perhaps the country that got closest to a semi-final is Ghana, who missed out on penalties to Uruguay in 2010. Can they reach those dizzy heights and more?

Senegal, the current African champions, should progress from a group with the host nation, Ecuador and the Netherlands.

Cameroon must wonder just why they have drawn Brazil again (they were in the same group with them in 2014), but should be able to tough it out with both Switzerland and Serbia for the runners-up spot.

Ghana will get the chance to settle their score with Uruguay in a group that also includes Portugal and South Korea.

It is a group the Black Stars can progress out of, although it won’t be easy, while the other two countries – Morocco and Tunisia – are old horses of the World Cup and hopefully are not just in the Arabian desert to make up the numbers.

Qatar 2022 is a World Cup of many firsts. Perhaps, just perhaps, it will be a first for Africa too.

Does Cameroon have at their disposal a team with the magical enthusiasm and carefree attitude of the Indomitable Lions of Roger Milla, Kana Biyik, Cyrille Makanaky et al who dazzled at Italia 90?