With spring in the air and just a few weeks until summer, the excitement of soccer lovers the world over is getting higher. Accommo-dation across South Africa has been booked out for months, and flights to the ‘rainbow nation’ are surely close to selling out. That’s how important the Fifa World Cup really is.
Indeed, a friend even told me how he had booked his summer holiday in South Africa just to go and enjoy the groove! He visited Luanda in Angola during the last African Cup of Nations and enjoyed the trappings of a festive city, from the food and dancing to the monuments and beautiful people.
Of course, the spectators won’t be the only ones travelling to South Africa for the greatest stage of all, so let’s take a look at some of Africa’s big teams who will be strutting their stuff.
Ivory Coast disappointed many pundits with their early exit from the Cup of Nations. For sure, they have some of the best stars, who play for the best club sides around the world. But building a team takes more than individuals.
Egypt and Ghana seem to epitomise that cohesive factor, but the latter have wowed more often in recent times. Unlike the star-studded Ivorian side, Ghana built its team around the U23 boys after a wave of injuries hit the senior players like Mensah, Essien, Appiah and Sulley Muntari, who was dropped due to indiscipline.
In a poll by the Ghana Football Association, more than 81 per cent of citizens were happy with their team performance, which has truly energised the team and their manager Milovan Rajevac. The Black Stars are 28th in the current Fifa rankings and rising fast.
Being the most successful side among the continent’s representatives, pundits are still hopeful for Cameroon to bounce back to victory. But after getting to the World Cup a record six times for an African team, fans are worried over the preparedness and confidence of the indomitable lions.
Although Cameroon struggled at the continental fiesta last January, the side have shown flashes of resurgence, especially in the World Cup qualification stages. They are 20th in the Fifa rankings and ready for what the summer brings.
Unlike some of their contemporaries, Nigerians were not happy with the performance of their team at the last Cup of Nations, and a bronze medal was not enough to keep coach Shuaibu Amodu in the top job. Consequently, Lars Lagerback was appointed to reorganise the team ahead of the summer tournament. As a soccer-crazy nation, most Nigerians and indeed Africans always rate the Super Eagles high in international competition.
Algeria, who stunned the soccer community by defeating the Egyptians at Khartoum, are 32nd in the Fifa rankings. Although they lost to Serbia recently, the desert foxes shrugged off the ‘weak link’ tag to dump Ivory Coast out of contention in Angola. The Rabah Saadane-coached squad are gradually picking up confidence despite the hurdles, and they are out to prove the pundits wrong.
All in all, the World Cup in South Africa will be a welcome development for the continent at this crossroads in human history, when many economies seem to be going for broke.
President Jacob Zuma and his people have never wavered in their plans to befittingly welcome the world. We’re in for the time of our lives.
Ukachukwu Okorie is originally from Nigeria and writes weekly for Metro Éireann. Visit his website at www.olumouka.com
