When the pursuit of World Cup glory unfolds with an oriental backdrop on Friday morning, it might be appropriate to recall John Knox Bokwe’s A Plea for Africa and, as the song requests, give a thought to Africa ‘neath the rising sun.
For as the continent sends out five representatives, there are voices crying out to better the great achievements of 1990, when Cameroon beat then-holders Argentina in the opening game and went on to a historic quarterfinal and injustice-laden exit at the hands of England.
The opportunity of beating the holders in the opening game falls to Senegal, who play France in a group that includes Denmark and Uruguay.
The French will count their blessings. Once again Gallic flair has been pitted against an African nation making its debut at the tournament. In 1998 it was South Africa and this time it is a former colony that has enjoyed a fairy-tale rise to become the continent’s latest marvel.
France are unlikely to allow the novelty and romance of Senegal’s story to stand in their way in defence of football’s greatest prize.
In a game that will split loyalties in the small town of Lens, where some of Senegal’s players — including African Footballer of the Year Al Hadji Diouf — play their club football, the best Senegal can do is to provide better opposition than South Africa, who on a balmy night in Marseille four years ago, gazed like wide-eyed gazelles, rolled over and were duly drubbed 3-0 by the French masters.
The greater feat to surpass is that of reaching the last eight and the team that is best-placed to achieve it is the same team that achieved it in Italia 90, Cameroon. Since that Roger Milla-inspired magic, where the ageing striker embarrassed some of the tournament’s best goalkeepers, the Indomitable Lions went through decline, the nadir of which must have been in USA 94, when they bundled out of the first round with a 6-1 defeat from Russia with love.
The Lions have since regained their superiority, starting with an Olympic gold medal and adding to it the past two African Cup of Nations titles. Their German coach, Winfried Shafer, has brought Teutonic organisation that has allowed natural ability to thrive. This year they will look to African Footballer of the Year finalist Samuel Eto’o for inspiration to guide them out of a group that includes Germany, the Republic of Ireland (without Roy Keane) and Saudi Arabia. As usual, he will be partnered by the gigantic Patrick Mboma, who returns to the Far East, where he spent two seasons in the J-league with Gamba Osaka.
The continent’s other great hope is supposed to be Nigeria, but that is all they really are, supposed to be.
Having llll flown the lll African flag with distinction at the past two World Cups by making a second-round berth normality, they may rue the opportunities they have blown. In the United States, the Nigerians stretched the defensively resolute Italians, before falling, in extra time, to the mother of all sucker punches from the injured but brilliant Roberto Baggio. But France 98 turned out to be a bigger flop.
Having qualified for the second round by topping their group, and bundling out Spain in the process, the Super Eagles displayed that unfortunate trait of inexplicably imploding when the moment of truth arrives.
They went down 4-1 to nothing more than a well-organised and hard-working Danish side, anchored by Peter Schmiechel in goal and inspired by the soon-to-retire Michael Laudrup. This year they are in a group that contains England, Sweden and favourites Argentina. They may not even reach the second round.
The trouble with Nigeria is an unwillingness to admit flaws. Their star player, Nwanko Kanu, is off form. At Arsenal, he has been deposed by the Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp as a creative influence. His only achievements since the start of this year has been to win penalties, three in all: one in the Nations Cup semifinal, one in the Champions league and another in a friendly against Paraguay. Sadly, the ones that matter were missed by teammates to a great cost for both club and country and the third was converted to force a 1-1 draw.
Nigeria’s other inspiration, Jay Jay Okocha, is ageing and playing in his last World Cup. It is hard to imagine how he will ignite the team this time around.
Nigeria’s salvation will come from the free-scoring and somersaulting Julius Agahowa, who is likely to be prised away from Shakta Donesk in the Ukraine this summer. May they not suffocate in the group of death.
Africa’s weak link at this World Cup is Tunisia. The North Africans were the worst performing qualifier at the Nations Cup, where they crashed out in the group stages. They do not seem to have done any type of urgent redress to improve their prospects. Their group is relatively easiest of all the African qualifiers, comprising Japan, Belgium and Russia. It is the kind of group that Senegal could sneak an upset or Cameroon could snatch unbeaten, yet the Tunisians do not appear remotely capable of offering serious competition.
Then there is South Africa, a country capable of so much yet sometimes offers so little.
It is interesting to note that a country that has never won a game in the World Cup believes it can qualify for the second round, ahead of the likes of South Korea, who have never managed to progress after five times of trying. Yet such is this country’s rich and abundant natural talent that the second round is possible and such is its propensity to be riddled with self-doubt and squabbles — especially around race — that it might fail yet again.
The best thing for South Africa to do would be to search for a first victory, probably against Slovenia — preferably without conceding a goal.
Next, if they could draw any of the other two games and then hope that other results will favour them. Drawing both the other two or winning at least one will be a remarkable feat that should see them home and dry.
South Africa have to then hope that this is not the World Cup where Spain shed their status of being perennial underachievers. It is possible with the talismanic inspiration of Sibusiso Zuma for Bafana Bafana.
In football, the line between success and failure is the width of a crossbar — Quinton Fortune is reminded of that every time he thinks of his late, thunderous strike in the 1-1 draw against Denmark in the last World Cup. What a difference it might have made if the ball had gone in to give Bafana a 2-1 lead.
So Pele’s prediction of an African country lifting the World Cup before the turn of the century did not come to pass. After just more than a decade, the wheel has turned full circle and the continent’s best hope is its pride of 1990.
At times like these one feels tempted to paraphrase the prayer for Africa to read: ”God Bless Africa/ Guide her few fans/Guard her players, especially Diouf, Eto’o, Agahowa and Zuma/And give her peace, and glory, Amen.”