One for the History Books

Just a quick post to take pause and pleasure in the fact that the very first World Cup goal ever scored on African soil was scored:

1) By an African player: South Africa's Siphiwe Tshabalala, winger for the South African team the Kaizer Chiefs

2) Was an absolute beauty of a slicing, skillful shot bending into the upper right corner.

Watch it, and the S.A goal celebration dance here



Hooray for Africa!

(you heard it here first: don't be surprised if African teams do better than expected with all the emotion and crowd support attached to the first African World Cup)

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Holland must fall for Cameroon to fly

Does Cameroon have any chance to make a deep run into the tournament?  The answer to this question has a lot to do with the success of the Netherlands.  The Netherlands are the clear favorite to win group E, however if Cameroon wants to see itself in the quarterfinals or the semis even, they must do more than just secure 2nd place finish.  If Cameroon can tie Holland in their head to head match and survive any underdog runs by either Japan or Denmark, then you will see a Cameroon team in serious contention for the cup.  This outcome is a long shot, but it is necessary if the Indomitable Lions expect to be the pride of Africa this tournament.

To put it in simple terms: Assuming the Lions do not collapse in group play, they are favored for the 2nd spot in their group.  A second place finish allows Cameroon to advance to the second round, however it also means that they will most likely face Italy.  Facing Italy in the second round is a near death sentence for Cameroon, as the experience and talent of the Italian squad will surely give the Italians the advantage.  Also, even if Cameroon were able to manufacture an unlikely victory in this match, their next opponent would surely be Spain.  Now I don't normally say never, but Cameroon does not have the tools to beat Italy and Spain back to back under any circumstances. 

However, in the alternative if the Lions can pull off a strong game against the Netherlands and win the group, their second round opponent will most likely be Paraguay.  A Paraguayan draw for the second round would be just what Cameroon would need to begin a run.  Paraguay is a strong squad which would force Cameroon to play in top form, however with the dazzling connection of Webo and Eto'o, Cameroon would be the favorite for this match.

A win over Paraguay would pit the Lions against the tournament favorites Brazil.  Having the opportunity to practice their form and gain momentum against a strong Paraguayan team would be the only real hope the Lions would have of stealing a victory from the overpowering Brazilians.  An improbable victory over the Brazilians would give Cameroon a semifinal birth, facing either the U.S., England or Serbia.  I don't think the Lions are over-matched against any of these opponents.

In the end, if Cameroon can surprise the group and come out at the top, their road to the World Cup will be far more favorable than if they simply squeak by and take the #2 position.  In either scenario, Cameroonian success is highly speculative, however anything can happen in the World Cup and the Lions can be a truly formidable foe when they are connecting on the pitch.

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African Teams - Who will be The Continent's Standard Bearer?

This is the first of a series of posts about African teams at the first African World Cup. Every 4 years, an African team--seemingly at random--bursts through unexpectedly to the later stages of the competition, reminding everyone that, like South Americans, uber-talented African players are everywhere on the pro teams in Europe.

A brief history of Africa's flirtation with World Cup power: last time around, at the 2006 WC, Ghana made it out of the group of death against eventual champions Italy, a strong USA team and a Czech team that had made the semis of the Euro tournament only two year prior. Had they not faced Brazil in their first knockout game, the Michael Essien-powered Ghana looked like they had a deepish run in them.

Going back another 4 years, Africa gave the world a spectacle with the Djembe drumming crowds, the dancing players and the bright yellow colors of Senegal's surprising run to the Quarter Finals. In the very first match of the World Cup, Senegal played the reigning World Cup and European Champions France and beat their former colonial masters. The game proved disastrous for France, breaking their resolve early despite fielding a team of legends in their prime (Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry, Lillian Thuram). France crashed out bottom of their opening group and Senegal advanced to the Quarter Finals, beating Sweden along the way.

Just to round out our review, let us not forget the 1994 and 1998 Super Eagles of Nigeria, who made it to the knockout rounds both times. Finally, just because 20 years have passed, we mustn't overlook the original African powerhouse team of Cameroon in 1990. They beat the defending world champs and eventual runners up Argentina before advancing to the quarter finals.

The big question then for 2010, the first World Cup held on African soil is who will it be this year, and how far can they go?

Up Next: Assessing the African teams and their chances...

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