With the World Cup fast approaching, we’ll look at some of our favourite African national teams’ situations heading into the tournament. African football has captured the hearts of audiences at many World Cups with their flair, audacity, beautiful kits and vivacious brand of football. Many African stars have cemented themselves and their legacies by turning up on the big stage.
Africa Holds its Breath
There always seems to be one African team that lights up a World Cup, two teams not included in this list that could prove to be surprise packages are Morocco and Tunisia.
The African continent will hold their breath and pray that one of the five going steps up to make the continent proud. If you have a gut feeling and want to place a bet, then back your team of choice using this offer from Betbonus Uganda.
Cameroon
The Indomitable Lions will be at their eighth finals in Qatar, the most for any African nation. To qualify they topped Group D after beating Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 in the group’s last game.
In the play-off round, they beat Algeria on away goals. After losing the home leg 1-0 to the 2019 AFCON champions, they won the reverse fixture by the same score forcing extra-time where they went on to win on away goals.
Cameroon hosted this year’s AFCON where they reached the semi-finals before losing on penalties to Egypt. Despite this, and the fact they were top scorers in the competition with 14 goals in seven games, manager Antonio Conceicao was soon shown the door by the Cameroon Football Federation president, Samuel Eto’o.
Eto’o’s former international team-mate and the nation’s most capped player Rigobert Song replaced the Portuguese manager.
Cameroon are a physically strong side who know how to find the back of the goal. They are dangerous from set-pieces and have bags of spirit. However, unless Song has something up his sleeve, another first-round exit looks likely.
Senegal
The West African nation is competing in only its third ever finals and at both its previous tournaments has hit the footballing headlines.
Senegal’s first appearance was at the 2002 edition held in Japan and South Korea. They played defending champions France in the tournament’s first game where they beat them in a close affair.
Senegal made it all the way to the last eight to face Sweden. The game went to extra-time where they won under the ‘golden goal’ rule. The rule meant that as soon as a side scored in extra-time the game was over. In the quarterfinals, they were on the other end of a golden goal and fell at the feet of Turkey.
Aliou Cissé has been boss since 2015 and as well as taking the team to Russia in 2018, has led them to two successive AFCON finals. In 2019 they lost 1-0 to Algeria before capturing their first-ever African title this year, defeating Egypt on penalties, after a 0-0 draw.
During the WC play-offs, they were once again paired against Egypt and after each side claimed a 1-0 victory, they won on penalties.
Senegal is without a doubt the strongest African team travelling to Qatar. With a squad that contains the likes of Sadio Mané, Edouard Mendy, Famara Diédhiou, Ismaïla Sarr and Kalidou Koulibaly, they should progress from their group. Providing the injury to Mane isn’t too serious.
Ghana
The Black Stars haven’t made it to the knockouts of a World Cup since South Africa in 2010. That year’s competition saw them achieve their best finish at a FIFA tournament, at the first World Cup to be held in Africa no less. They made it all of the way to the quarterfinals in only their second World Cup appearance.
Ghana first participated at a World Cup in 2006 and would go on to make three tournaments in a row. But the West Africans failed to make it to Russia four years ago. There was a response this time round, winning a CAF third-round tie with Nigeria to book their place in Qatar.
2014 saw Ghana head to their third consecutive tournament, they were knocked out after falling to a 2-1 defeat against Portugal – the same opponent they will face in their first game this time round.
Ghana have won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title four times but have not won since 1982 and this year’s tournament was a huge failure for the Black Stars, finishing bottom of their group and losing their last game to Comoros. They will be hoping for a far better World Cup campaign.
