Could any of the African teams shock the world?

The Total Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) comes with great anticipation and the celebration of the continent’s women who have thrived in soccer. After we have given the medals and sang the national anthems on the day of the final match. We might all know that one of the objectives of the Total Africa Women’s Cup of Nations is not just to determine the champion, but to select the three teams that will represent the continent in the Women’s World Cup. In this 2019 edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup; Nigeria, South Africa and Cameroon will be there to show the world what Africa has to offer.

In our previous article, we gave an analysis of how each of these teams have been preparing for this grand challenge. The questions that are still lingering in most of our minds is; with all these preparations that are taking place, could the world just be pleasantly shocked by what Africa can bring to the table? Could this be the year that brings a fresh perspective on how the world views Africa? Before we get into what the teams might eventually come up with, it would be prudent to begin by analysing the starting place of each team which is how they performed at the 2018 AWCON, the current odds and what they might just shock with. Even beyond that, we want to explore the bigger conversation about the necessity and relevance of predicting how teams will perform at a tournament way before the matches begin.

Nigeria

Since 1991, the Super Falcons have never missed any World Cup. They will be appearing in the Women’s World Cup for the 8th time. As expected, this has come after the team has won the AWCON Cup, a staggering 11 times out of 12. Even in 2018, the Super Falcons did not disappoint as they still snatched the title from South Africa by a 4-3 scoreline. Even though the fortunate and timely winning only came by a “lottery” penalty shoot-out, it still allowed the celebration to fall on the West African side. Some critics claim that Nigeria’s performance in the AWCON was not up to standard with some moments where it could even be doubted that they would win this year. Regardless of that view, others still believed that some Nigerian players still did well during the tournament with Asisat Ashoala scoring the second highest number of goals in the tournament and Tochukwu Oluehi getting the best goalkeeper award. These are the players that will still be in the World Cup squad in France. The different opinions then inform the predictions of how these ladies may perform on the upcoming tournaments.

Despite the multiple World Cup appearances, it looks like the Super Falcons’ dominance is only constricted within the African continent. The most devastating results came in China 1991 and 2013 in the United States where none of the team’s efforts resulted in a goal. They could not get even a single goal throughout the tournament.  The Super Falcons did finish in the top 8 in the 1999 World Cup which still remains their highlight today. With such an unimpressive track record, what are the odds that this year might be the year that the team wipes the tears of all Nigerians who have wept since 1991? That is a difficult question to respond to because it is really hard to pin down the challenges behind the Super Falcons’ disappointing performance at an international level. It might be the pressure that comes with knowing what is at stake, the strength of the other teams or just the inevitable losses that come with any sport. Some analysts attribute these losses to the fact that some of these players are not fit enough and the team has not worked on their playing system. Those arguments were valid before the current coach Thomas Dennerby joined the team and moved a couple of things around.

Recent predictions of who is most likely going to win the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup; USA, France and Germany were at the top of that list. After scrolling down and down the list, the Nigerian team finally appeared as the 20th most likely team to win the World Cup. This is, by the way, the most likely team amongst the three African teams that will be present. The probability score that was assigned to them was 250/1. In short, very few people, if any at all believe that the Super Falcons are likely going to win the World Cup. But that is exactly what will make it a shock, right? If a team with such a low prediction does not only rise to the top but carries the title home, the world could be pleasantly surprised.

Asisat Oshoala who is a star player of the Nigerian team and plays for Barcelona was quoted saying, “In football anything is possible. We are a team in progress and we will surely spring surprises during the World Cup.”

South Africa

After standing just one goal away from taking the AWCON cup home, Banyana Banyana will be attending the Women’s World Cup for the first time. As it can be assumed of a debut appearance, it has been predicted that South Africa is least likely going to win. Actually, out of the 24 teams that will be there, South Africa is considered as the 22nd most likely team, just above Jamaica and Thailand. What we cannot overlook though, is that after the AWCON, South Africa is armed with the Best Player in Africa and top goal scorer of that tournament, Thembi Kgatlana. Beyond that award, and of course, the silver medals, a couple of other South African players also got awards for scoring goals at the tournament. After carrying the team to the finals, we cannot dismiss the possibility of her doing the same at the World Cup this June.

I moved around asking for people’s opinions and one respondent said, “South Africa might not have the experience and many key players, but what they have is a united front. Just like Croatia, they might just shock the world.” In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, there were other renowned and presumably more deserving teams like Germany and Portugal, but Croatia silenced all skeptics and made it to the finals. History and fate might just collaborate to bring the same for South Africa. Even though South Africa have not often participated at the international level, they have proactively sought opportunities to get this kind of exposure before the tournament commences. In April, they had a match with Jamaica who will also be at the World Cup. Banyana have played other teams like the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States in an attempt to get experience. They will face Norway on the 2nd of June 2019 to get a final sense of their readiness. But really, to what extent does experience matter? Would South Africa’s lack of international experience work against them?

None of the teams that have won the World Cup since its inception in 1991 did so on their first attempt. The United States which has won the World Cup three times have been there since the beginning. There is a unique kind of value and lesson that can only come by being in the heat of the international pressure that comes with such a tournament. Sometimes, not even an international friendly game can give a taste of what it feels like, which is South Africa’s reality. Experience cannot really be substituted. We cannot fully anticipate what their performance will be like, but we are always behind our teams regardless of how low the odds could be.

Cameroon

After beating Mali 4-2 in the third-place play-off match last year, the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon secured their place in this year Women’s World Cup. Just like all the other African teams, the team is also anticipated to perform poorly at the upcoming tournament and has been given a probability score of 500/1 which is the same as South Africa. They appear as the 21st most likely to lift the trophy. Given that the Cameroonians will be appearing for the second time in the tournament, they have had some lessons to incorporate from the 2015 edition where they went as far the round 16.

Unlike Banyana Banyana, this team has not had enough opportunities to explore a lot of international opportunities during the preparation stage for the tournament. They have prepared mainly through domestic means which is a method that has been criticised for its inability to represent the reality of tournaments as big as the World Cup. Even though that might be true, we cannot escape that some countries do not have enough resources to prepare their teams to the desired levels. Cameroon has, however, participated in the Chinese Four-nation tournament where they came second to China. That is something impressive on its own. It might not be all the necessary exposure, but it did give the team an idea of what to expect. They expect to seal their preparations with a friendly match against Spain later this May. Their forward Njoya Ajara who has been making waves recently, says she is optimistic that they will do better this year. In spite of how optimistic teams can be, they still face a lot of negativity from the outside world. This then raises a question, that if all teams have qualified for a certain tournament, is it necessary to then predict how they will perform? In whose best interest are these predictions?

Are predictions necessary and helpful?

It has become a tradition that before any major tournament or game, sports pundits would dedicate time to predicting the outcome of that tournament. The Women’s World Cup has not been excluded from that tradition. The challenge with predictions is that they perpetuate pre-tournament stereotypes. Predictions label teams as winners and losers even before they are given a chance which could affect the team’s motivation. I cannot begin to imagine what must be in the Thailand training sessions after they have been declared as the least team that could possibly win this title. After a team has gone through the hustles of qualifying for the tournament, they are implicitly told they are not good enough. We cannot even be sure of the effect of such stereotypes on the objectivity of some decisions on the field of play. There are difficult moments like when a goal has to be validated or a foul has to be considered, knowing how a team is viewed can have an effect of the outcome of the decision.

However, it would also be blindly optimistic of us to assume that all teams in a certain tournament have an equal chance. Such a stance could be undermining the role of data. Predictions are based on teams’ previous performances, which cannot be ignored. They are not necessarily based on any ill intentions, but the aim is to raise awareness and excitement about the game. In fact, such predictions can be the reason why fans watch the games to see if they are being verified. After all, this article is also predicting a future which is a bit different from what the rest of the world is anticipating.

Conclusion

The three teams that will represent Africa are not there by coincidence or mistake. They were at the top of the AWCON because they worked hard, re-strategised quickly and learned fast even in the midst of the championship battle. There seems to be a bigger barrier when it comes to the World Cup which might be because of the way they are perceived by the rest of the world. It might also be because of real technicalities that they will need to work on to be on top of their game. Whatever the challenge might be, a bit of optimism here and there is always useful which is something that all the teams have in common. For Nigeria, this is when the experience they have gotten over the years might propel the Super Falcons to fly higher. To South Africa, nobody said small and new beginnings cannot explode to impressive success. Cameroon, the reason why you are at the World Cup again is that the first one was not enough to expose your greatness, here is another chance. Nobody knows, but could any of the African teams shock the world?

2019 AFCON Qualifiers: What we learned from Matchday 3 & 4

“The Changchun Yatai forward’s form has been really shocking and with resemblance of Jesus’ water into wine stuff, especially after having a barren 2018 world cup campaign.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

The much anticipated 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament, the first to have 24 teams participating in the finals is drawing closer. If the events that came with matchday 3 and 4 are anything to go by, the world is poised for a real treat come the 15th of June all through to the 13th of July 2019. With two more match days to go before the 24 finalists are confirmed, we took time to reflect on the just ended matches. Here are the three things we learnt.

Familiar and an unfamiliar face

Uganda's goalkeeper Denis Onyango (R) challenges Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group D football match between Egypt and Uganda in Port-Gentil on January 21, 2017. / AFP / Justin TALLIS

(Jan. 20, 2017 - Source: AFP)

Five teams have since booked a place in the finals after an impressive run in 4 of the 6 qualifiers. Of the five, The 2017 Champions in Cameroon are flexing, sitting pretty at the top of group B even though they have automatic qualification by virtue of being hosts. Senegal, Egypt and Tunisia - the trio who were part of Africa’s 2018 world cup five, were also among those to book early tickets. Senegal and Tunisia were a bit humble in their approach, getting some modest wins over the likes of South Sudan and Niger. But not Egypt. The Pharaohs continue to be some of the biggest entertainers, humiliating Niger and eSwatini to 6-0, 4-1 respectively in some of the fixtures. Madagascar is one unfamiliar face that booked a finalist spot. The Indian Ocean Islanders will appear in their first ever Africa Cup of Nations finals tournament in their history. They recorded some important wins against Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan in the process, also pulling off a famous 2-2 draw against Senegal at home. What a real boost of confidence for the Malagasy CAF president, Ahmad Ahmad. Niger, eSwatini, Equatorial Guinea and South Sudan were effectively eliminated from the AFCON contest as a result of the above qualified teams.

Shot-stoppers club run by Khune and Onyango

Ahmed Musa of Nigeria celebrates victory following the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia group D match between Nigeria and Iceland at Volgograd Arena on June 22, 2018 in Volgograd, Russia.

(June 21, 2018 - Source: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images Europe)

The South African and Ugandan international goalkeepers are yet to concede a goal in the four qualifiers played so far. The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper, Khune has been in charge of the goal for Bafana since 2008 even setting a record of second most appearances against for the national side against Seychelles with 90 caps, a few caps shy of record-holder Aaron Mokoena with 107. His ABSA Premiership counterpart, Denis Onyango who plays Mamelodi Sundowns has also been doing a similar job for the Ugandan Cranes. Both sides only need at most 3 points in their remaining fixtures to book spots at the 2019 Cameroon AFCON finals.

Ighalo a man in form, Musa the playmaker

One man who cannot stop scoring is Nigeria’s Odion Ighalo. After getting a hatrick against Liberia in Nigeria, he got two more goals in just a few days in the return fixture to go top of the scoring charts with 6 goals. The Changchun Yatai forward’s form has been really shocking and with resemblance of Jesus’ water into wine stuff, especially after having a barren 2018 world cup campaign. Perhaps Ahmed Musa is the reason why the 29-year-old is singing the blues. Musa provided assists two both of Ighalo’s goals in Liberia, also adding his name on the scoresheet. The 26-year-old is continuing from where he left off at the world cup and has been at the forefront of more mature performances by the Super Eagles since he got the captaincy in the absence of John Obi Mikel. Nigeria’s 4-0 and 3-2 wins over Liberia have seen them take control of group E, with a lucrative chance of booking a finals spot.

Bonus lesson we got is the prospect of exciting final rounds of matches as some groups look to be going down the wire. Zambia, the 2012 AFCON champions, have a lot to do as they currently sit bottom of group K and still to face a determined Namibia and proud Mozambique. Group G currently led by Zimbabwe is my personal favorite with all the teams, DR Congo, Liberia and Congo being knitted close together in terms of points gained. Anything can happen, prepare to be wowed.

Here is a complete list of all the group standings.

2019 AFCON Qualifiers: (Weekend Report) Bafana floors Seychelles, Ighalo hatrick & more

Matchday 3 of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers is well behind us now and it didn’t just depart without leaving some memories that will live forever.

Odion Ighalo of Nigeria the International Friendly between England and Nigeria at Wembley Stadium on June 2, 2018 in London, England.

(June 1, 2018 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe)

The South African men’s national football team were the biggest entertainers of the weekend, scoring at will and showing off some quick pass attacking football against the Seychelles. It was the visitors who opened the scoring for Bafana in the 23rd minute as Nigel Hoareau unfortunately blasted a wondrous goal into his own net. After that, all hell broke loose for the Pirates. As the rain stopped, it started raining goals and the Southerners took turns scoring an assortment of goals - some from set pieces, with a number for them as a result of successive one touch passing, they call it shoe-shine piano at Mamelodi Sundowns. Tau, who plays from English Premier League side, Brighton on loan in Belgium was amongst the goals but the night belong to Lebo Mothiba. The 22-year-old forward who plays for the French Ligue 1 side RC Strasbourg assisted strike partner, Tau, for the fourth goal of the match in spectacular fashion after he had thumped in a rocket in the first half. He was always involved in the thick of the action and sure looks like an exciting prospect for Bafana. Stuart Baxter’s men now lie top of group E, above Nigeria and are on course to qualify for Cameroon 2019. Next up, they travel to Seychelles on Tuesday for the return fixture.

In the West, Nigeria were hostile hosts to the Mediterranean Knights of Libya running out as 4-0 winners on the day. Chinese Super League based forward, who was far from being impressive at the 2018 world cup for the Super Eagles, Odion Ighalo won some hearts. The 29-year-old bagged the first hatrick of his international career which sent him top of the scoring charts together with Zimbabwe’s Knowledge Musona who is also on four goals so far in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers tournament. Many Arsenal fans will be delighted to hear that Alex Iwobi continued his impressive club form as he controlled the game, also serving up a delightful assist for Ighalo’s second.

Zimbabwe's midfielder Kudakwashe Mahachi (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group B football match between Algeria and Zimbabwe in Franceville on January 15, 2017. / AFP / KHALED DESOUKI

(Jan. 14, 2017 - Source: AFP

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe stunned DR Congo in Kinshasa as they consolidated their position at the top of group G after a hard fought 2-1 win. Substitute, Bolasie pulled one back for the Leopards late on towards stoppage time but Ronald Pfumbidzayi’s strike coupled with Musona’s moment of brilliance had already done the damage. Zim’s neighbors, Botswana, look like they are effectively out of contention for the 2019 AFCON after suffering a 3-0 defeat in Burkina Faso leaving them rooted at the bottom of group I in which the trio of Mauritania, Angola and Burkina Faso are all on 3 points after 3 matches. The Malagasy people are on the verge of celebrating a historic event as the Madagascar national team moved a step closer to qualify for their maiden AFCON tournament after seeing off Equatorial Guinea, 1 - 0 away from home. Should Barea get a second over Equatorial Guinea in Madagascar on Tuesday and provided Senegal repeat the classy performance that earned them a 3-0 win over South Sudan, the two will effectively secure spots at the 2019 AFCON finals.

Tunisia still boast of a perfect record after beating Niger 1-0 in Tunis, Uganda saw off Lesotho 3-0, Namibia fought themselves back into contention beating Mozambique 2-1 from behind, away from home and Morocco narrowly edged Comoros 1-0.

Stay tuned for matchday 4 as the return legs for matchday 3 come to our screens with a few nations eyeing early qualification. Two teams from each group will earn spots at the first 24-team AFCON to run from the 15th of June to 13th July in Cameroon. Who are you rooting for?

Here is a list of the full results, tables and upcoming fixtures.

“As the rain stopped, it started raining goals and the Southerners took turns scoring an assortment of goals - some from set pieces, with a number for them as a result of successive one-touch passing, they call it shoe-shine piano at Mamelodi Sundowns.”

— Dennis Takaendea, FirstTouch Africa

Africa’s Best Footballing Moments in 2017

Cameroon wins bragging rights at AFCON 2017

The African cup of nations(AFCON) kicked off in Gabon with 16 finalists battling it out for one prize. Ivory Coast were holders of the trophy heading into the tournament and clearly one of the favorites alongside Gabon, Senegal, Algeria and Egypt. (change nations to reflect thes player changes). These nations are historically revered for their experience and star studded line ups with players lighting up the world’s major football leagues such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Mo Salah. We also saw some of the continents young starlets getting their feet wet in the competition with the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Keita Balde, and Christian Bassogog getting their AFCON debuts. But ultimately none of that mattered, as it was Cameroon’s time to steal the headlines. Hugo Broos fielded a young side who went past Burkina Faso, Senegal and Egypt to be crowned Africa cup of nations winners for the fifth time. The Indomitable Lions certainly redeemed their big brothers who failed to win a single game in the 2015 tournament. The next African champions are scheduled to be crowned in Cameroon 2019.

North Africans bossed the year

It certainly was the year of the Arabs on the continent who showed signs of revitalizing their place as Africa’s elite. It kicked off with 7 time African Champions, Egypt becoming 1st runners up in the AFCON finals after their latest appearance in the tournament dated back to 2010. Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca then won the CAF Champions League in an all North African final against Egypt’s Al Ahly for the first time in 25 years. The year capped off with North Africans winning 3 of the 5 spots to represent the continent at next year’s World Cup finals in Russia. Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal make up the list with notable absentees such as Ghana and Ivory Coast losing out to Egypt and Morocco in the group stages.

The emergence of Mo Salah

What a 2017 it was for Mohamed Salah! The Egyptian arrived at the Merseyside club, Liverpool for a record transfer for an African player of 42 million euros which was then eclipsed by the same club for the signature of Guinean ace, Naby Keita. Mo Salah had scored 34 goals and 24 assists for Roma in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 season, and scarily, his form has only improved. In a league considered the world’s toughest, he has scored 20 goals in all competitions at the half mark of the season, only Harry Kane is above him in the Premier League goals tally and Salah is not even an outright striker, as Klopp usually deploys him on the left side of Liverpool’s front three. His impact also spread to his national team, as he  helped the Pharaohs of Egypt reach the world cup finals for the first time since 1990 and was named BBC’s African Footballer of the year. He is also part of the 3 finalists for the CAF Best Player to be crowned in January 2018 together with teammate Sadio Mane and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang. With such a pedigree, it is understandable when rumors linking Mohamed to clubs like Real Madrid surface.

TP Mazembe gives DRC something to smile about

DRC might be war torn because of the long standing dispute between the controversial president, Joseph Kabila’s government and rebels for the country’s rich mineral resources but its football stars certainly give the citizens something to cherish. The national team did put up a good show at the AFCON finals making it to the knockout stages and also in the world cup qualifiers where they finished second in a group marginally won by Tunisia. The Congolese scored the most goals in these qualifiers more than any other African team. They eventually got some silverware for their all-round performances in the CAF Confederation finals, a tournament for domestic club cup winners on the continent. TP Mazembe beat South Africa’s high flying SuperSport United in a thoroughly entertaining two-legged final to win the cup in two consecutive years. A lot of things might not be right on the continent but football certainly plays a huge role in healing nations.

George Weah wins Liberia’s presidency in a historic democratic election

The only African player to have won the much coveted Ballon d’Or (1995) and FIFA’s award for World Best Male player in the same year, 1 Champions League title, 2 Italian Serie A titles, a Ligue 1 title and now Mr. President! The Liberian is now undoubtedly one of the most influential men in football history. You don’t want to miss this full feature about Mister George here on FT Football.

Special

Ronaldo equals Messi’s record

The Portuguese star beat Lionel Messi and Neymar to the 2017 Ballon d’Or award equaling Messi’s record of 5 recognitions as the best player in the world. Christiano Ronaldo also won the inaugural FIFA BEST player award ahead of Messi and Neymar. Ronaldo helped Portugal win their first European title in 2016 and won 5 trophies with Real Madrid including the Champions League trophy, Club World cup and Spanish League gold. Messi and Ronaldo have officially dominated the football world for the past decade.

Kaka hangs his boots

“It was much more than I could ever imagined. Thank you!” he said. “I’m now ready for the next journey. In Jesus’ name. Amen.” – Kaka

On Sunday, the 17th of December 2017, the world woke up to this news on Twitter. The 35-year old Brazilian announced his retirement after a career that most people will remember. He joined AC Milan from Sao Paulo in 2003 where he spent six years where he helped Millan to Champions League success in 2007, scoring 10 goals in the process. He then transferring to Real Madrid for then record transfer fee of 56 million pounds. He won Spanish League title and the Copa Del Rey cup before returning to Millan in 2013 and then finishing his career in MLS at Orlando City.

Kaka is the last player to have won the Ballon d’Or in 2007 before Messi and Ronaldo took over the show. He now plans to return to AC Milan for an off the pitch role.

The Brazilian Magician might have not won as many individual trophies as Messi or Ronaldo but he certainly is a footballer that everyone will remember, not only for his immense skill, but also for his humility and influence off the pitch.