[ad_1]
Long live France, long live Africa. Photo: Twitter
Congratulations to France for beating a big Croatian team 4-2 to win the World Cup.
As everyone noticed, France lined up a team made up almost entirely of players born in Africa. or who traces their immediate ancestry on the continent.
If a pan-African team can win the World Cup for France, why not for the African continent?
In 2026, if the recommendations of a FIFA committee are realized the total number of teams participating in the finals of the World Cup will increase from 32 to 48; Africa will get the most extra slots – four more – the growth of Africa's representation to nine of the current five.
How can Africa perform better in the World Cup finals? By setting up better organized and better managed teams.
To start, FIFA should allow a Pan-African team (TeamAfrica) to select one of the four new places reserved for Africa, selected in all regions of the continent, even if it means changing the rules of the governing body of world football.
The quality of the game of African football teams in the World Cup has improved considerably over the years; More African players are in competitive soccer leagues around the world. Nigeria and Senegal have almost reached the second round of the World Cup in Russia. In fact, if these teams had not been deprived of penalties in one of their matches, they would have been eliminated. Morocco also played the first-rate ball.
Almost is not good enough. The five African teams – the others were Egypt and Tunisia – were eliminated in the first round.
This is the first time in 36 years that Africa has not sent a team to the second round. This is a setback, since in 2014, two African teams, Algeria and Nigeria, arrived in the second round. In the past, three African teams also made the quarter-finals: Cameroon in 1990; Senegal in 2002; and Ghana in 2010.
How can African football build on past achievements? What are the obstacles to progress?
The victory of France today proves that the problem is not the level of skills of African actors. The main obstacle for most African teams is the lack of financial resources, which causes the related problem, disorganization. The political plot also prevents the selection of the best players in some cases.
There is a strong correlation between financial support and performance. The late Congolese dictator Mobutu is badured that the country's football program was well funded. As a result, the Leopards won two trophies from the Africa Cup of Nations and qualified for the 1974 World Cup. (Of course, the despot ignored everything and stole billions of dollars.) [19659002] TeamAfrica would be financed by the 54 African countries. This means that players – and coaches – would be properly remunerated and that they would have access to the best training facilities.
Some African teams suffer because ethnic politics means that players are not selected according to their merit. TeamAfrica players would come from all regions: Southern Africa; Eastern and Central Africa; West Africa; and North Africa
In order to increase the chances of the best TeamAfrica players, football fans could be involved in the selection via an online survey; similar to how American basketball fans vote for players on All-Star teams. For example, African football fans could choose a total of 50 players. The TeamAfrica coaching staff could then select the team from this group. The pool could be bigger because some of the fans' favorites may choose to play for their national teams instead. The final alignment would be balanced with about six players from each region.
Soccer fans could also vote for the TeamAfrica coach, who would be remunerated at internationally competitive rates. There are many stellar candidates; The current coach of Senegal, Aliou Cissé, is an example
A good performance of TeamAfrica, well financed, trained and trained, would also put pressure on the national teams to improve their management.
If the other regions want the right to create a Pan-Continental Team as well as the teams from their respective countries – Team Europe, Team Asia, Team America, Team South America, Team Caribbean – it would be even better. No pan-continental team would play in the same group in the first round; However, they would all qualify for the finals, just like the host countries today.
Millions of African fans are tired of seeing their hopes disappointed every four years by the early elimination of African teams.
FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) should consider this proposal. Repeat the same approach every four years and then wait for a different result, that is the definition of madness.
Africans are already pan-African when it comes to supporting African teams in the World Cup team. Tens of millions of Africans applaud any African team playing in the World Cup. This means that Africans have already taken root for TeamAfrica.
It's time to create an official team in Africa.
Source link
