World Cup 2022: what can African countries expect?

The Cameroonian eleven during the friendly match in Seoul against South Korea.

September 27, 2022. REUTERS - KIM HONG-JI

Text by: Ndiasse Sambe Follow

6 mins

With five representatives in Qatar, will African football finally break the glass ceiling of the semi-finals?

Senegal, even without Sadio Mané, and Morocco may have players for the feat, while too much uncertainty surrounds the real potential of Ghana, Cameroon and Tunisia.

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Africa experienced the World Cup very early on with the first representative of the continent, Egypt, qualified for the second World Cup in history (1934).

Since then, twelve other African countries have been invited to the most prestigious competition in world football without managing to reach the last four.

And only three countries, Cameroon (1990), Senegal (2002), and Ghana (2010) were able to reach the quarter-finals.

Will Qatar mark the end of the crossing of the desert of African football, of which no representative had crossed the first round during the last World Cup in Russia?

Overview of African forces.

Senegal: life without Sadio Mané

Before the injury of its leader Sadio Mané, second in the last Ballon d'Or, Senegal appeared, for its third participation, as the best African chance to go as far as possible.

However, the Lions, reigning African champions, have a group that can dream of exploits even without their number 10. “

said Senegalese midfielder Pape Guèye on the eve of the start of the World Cup.

".

With captain Kalidou Koulibaly, goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, and midfielder Gana Gueye, Senegal have enough experience to emerge unscathed from Pool A, which they share with hosts Qatar, Ecuador and the -Down.

The first match against the Dutch will give indications of the potential of the Lions without Mané, but with offensive weapons embodied by Ismaïla Sarr or Bamba Dieng.

After shattering the glass ceiling of the CAN with a historic first victory, Senegal believes more than ever in its star.

The five African chances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: Senegal

Moroccan supporters came to support the Atlas Lions in Doha.

November 16, 2022. REUTERS - SUHAIB SALEM

Morocco: Talent, but heavy in front

Morocco will play its sixth World Cup, led by a talented generation, but struggling to confirm the hopes placed in it for several years.

The Atlas Lions, now led by Walid Regragui after the dismissal of Vahid Halilhodzic, will have to show the full extent of their talent this time to hope to get out of the group of death they share with Croatia (vice -world champion), Belgium (2nd in the Fifa ranking), and the unknown Canadian led by striker Jonathan David.

Moroccans can count on their technical leaders like Achraf Hakimi or Hakim Ziyech, author of a

against Georgia last Thursday.

Eliminated in the first round in 2018, without being ridiculous, but weighed down by inexperience against Portugal, Spain and Iran, the Atlas Lions know what to expect to go to the round of 16 and dream bigger.

The five African chances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: Morocco

Ghana: the nice surprise?

Those who remained in the image of Ghana, humiliated and released in the first round of CAN 2022, may not recognize the Black Stars of this World Cup.

First, Otto Addo's team quickly recovered by eliminating Nigeria in the World Cup play-offs.

But above all, it offered new blood with five dual nationals, including Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki Williams, who joined the group for the World Cup.

This quality reinforcement redraws a new-look Ghana, more ambitious and still carried by the tireless Thomas Partey and the brothers Ayew, Jordan and André.

The latter, now the record holder of selections (110), remains the only player present to have experienced the 2010 World Cup where Ghana had come close to the first semi-final of an African team in a World Cup.

Asamoah Gyan had missed in the last minutes the penalty following the famous hand of Luis Suarez.

Precisely, Ghana will find Uruguay in its pool which it also shares with South Korea and Portugal.

The five African chances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: Ghana

The Ghana team, with young Alidu Seidu, on their arrival in Doha.

November 18, 2022. REUTERS - MOLLY DARLINGTON

Tunisia: the enigma of the Eagles of Carthage

In a group composed of France, Denmark and Australia, Tunisia will have to be at a level never reached in recent years to hope to pass the first round.

The Eagles of Carthage who have never managed to qualify in the second round in five participations in the World Cup, have not, for the moment, given pledges of a future exploit in this competition.

Quarter-finalists of the last CAN with a fairly defensive style, advocated by the technician of Jalel Kadri, the Carthage Eagles have very often shown their offensive limits in recent months, even if the talented Youssef Msakni and Wahbi Khazri are still in the game.

The first match against Denmark, semi-finalist of the last Euro, will provide information on the capacities of this Tunisian team to finally cross the first round of a World Cup.

The five African chances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: Tunisia

Cameroon: ward off bad vibes first

A “

is the sweet dream of former Indomitable Lions striker Samuel Eto'o, now president of the Cameroon Football Federation.

But his team will have to keep their feet on the ground to get out of a group made up of Switzerland, Serbia, and the big favorite of the competition, Brazil.

African giant (5 CANs won), African record holder for participation in the World Cup (8), Cameroon has the experience, the talent to create the feat.

But with the Indomitable Lions, the problems are often off the field.

If the thorny question of bonuses has not come, for the moment, to disturb the selection, the endless debate on the absence of the list of the historic defender, Michael Ngadeu, animated the preparation of the team, already plagued by the polemic on the shirts.

However, like their elders,

quarter-finalists in 1990, these Lions led by an attractive attack (Aboubakar, Choupo-Moting, Toko Ekambi), can nourish the secret dream of qualifying and seeing what is coming.

Provided they have already settled the question before their third group match against Brazil…

The five African chances at the Qatar 2022 World Cup: Cameroon

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• World Cup 2022

• Sports

• Qatar

• Cameroon

• Senegal

• Tunisia

• Ghana

• Morocco