So, for the upteenth time, Africa’s representatives at this year’s FIFA World Cup finals have all been eliminated before the quarterfinal stage, with only two nations namely Algeria and Nigeria squeezing through to the 16th round with a paltry four points apiece.
The trio of Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon all found the going tough in the global showpiece and dismally failed to clear the first hurdle. By the way, this was to be expected from a bunch of thick skulled footballers, who have developed heads the size of the moon inclined to put personal interest ahead of national pride.
If it’s not for infightings and the seemingly unending moaning over win bonuses, players have now resorted to sort out their differences with physical fights while team officials were not spared. Suffering verbal abuse while others were panel beaten for trying to keep the hotheads on the straight and narrow.
Kudos to Algeria, as Africa’s number one ranked nation at the FIFA World Cup underway in Brazil – the North African Desert Foxes acquitted themselves extremely well under trying circumstances and exited the global showpiece with their heads held high having stretched three time world champions Germany to the limit.
No excuse, but it should be taken into consideration that the Algerians (uncompromising Muslims) went into the decisive tie against the high flying Germans on the back of their second day of Ramadan (fasting).
In spite of their high place on the FIFA world rankings, many a neutral football follower can be forgiven for believing that the Desert Foxes went into the 2014 FIFA World Africa as the weakest team from our neck of the woods but emerged the best to justify their high ranking.
Losing against the silky Belgians and well-organized Germans is by no means a small feat since both Algeria’s conquerors boasts formidable squads laden with World class footballers plying their trade in top European leagues.
The Desert Foxes put up a brilliant display and demonstrated to the rest of the world that it wont take long before Africa announces her arrival on the bigger stage. The Desert Foxes fought for each other, played with real gusto and ran their hearts out for the pride of their nation and the rest of the African continent.
Watching the Algerians leading their more fancied opponents on a merry-go-round, yours truly could not help but shed a tear in remembrance of my good old friend, the late wheelchair-bound Karim, a man who lived for football and showed genuine love and true affection towards those around him. Bra Karim may your soul rest in peace!.
Coming back to the thick skulled moguls masquerading as footballers in the Ghanaian and Cameroonian squads – it’s a disgrace that people who have vowed to represent the land of their birth with honor would stoop so low and resolve to demand huge bonuses while on foreign soil – thus forcing their president to ship large sums of moolah to their destination. What the heck are they smoking in Accra or what in the world makes them think they are super stars? What made their demand even more preposterous is that they could not even manufacture a single win during their group matches because they did not have their eyes on the ball.
Of course, athletes should be remunerated but to threaten a strike at the time when the eyes of the entire African continent are on them is myopic, so to speak. These arrogant footballers still have the audacity to make demands when they failed to lay their hands on the AFCON for the last couple of editions.
Football associations should become streetwise and pay them back in their own coins – concede to the demands, but only if they win and not a single penny if they lose because we all know very well who would have the last laugh. I rest my case.
By Carlos Kambaekwa