They tend to qualify but then disintegrate!
27 July 2014 10:08 PM GMT
Africa could not hold together post the 16-group. What really went wrong?
Lets take the African countries one by one. The most disappointing was Cameroon. And the pity is that they have created a stereotype, since many WCs now. There are financial problems always before the WC starts. Lot of that has to do with very amateur organisation. The Cameroon football association, the parent body is never able to get their act together. For many years they would always get a last minute coach, too. The players feel that once the world cup performance is over, all the promised bonuses will never materialise. Their earning career is small so they want to make the most. They want to get the money.
The other problem is between the home grown players, who are playing in clubs in Cameroon (or their respective African countries) and the Africans who play abroad – there is tension between them. Those who play abroad have a little superiority complex. And those who are at home resent that. It is the role of the management to get them together and make them realise that they are playing for the country.
And Cameroon was worst because in their second match, two team players fought amongst themselves. It has never happened, fights happen in football. But this was like pushing each other within their own teams. Now it has been so many WCs, in 1994 (USA), I saw them there. It was the same dispute about money, one of their goalkeepers refused to play. They lost 6-1 to Russia. They tend to qualify but then disintegrate!
Disappointment also was Ivory Coast. With Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and so many others… they failed. Another problem with African football is they seem to feel, they were undone. In the crucial match with Greece, the last minute penalty kick they felt was given against them. They felt that was unjustified. And because it was European team, it was favored.
Was Greece really favored over Ivory Coast?
It is a tough decision. It was one of those games which were a very doubtful case. When I and Shabbir Ali (Former Indian Football coach) saw it later, he felt it was a doubtful decision; it was not a very clear penalty kick. Ivory Coast was relatively in an easier group. So that is where they were disappointing.
What about Ghana’s debacle?
Ghana was impressive. They played as a team except for the commotion in the last game. Boateng and Sulley Muntari were removed because they abused the officials, we heard from journalists friends there… they were in fight. Kevin prince Boateng was always fighting and arguing. It was not a happy atmosphere there. Let’s take an example, Germans, who have been everybody’s favorites and the world champions, took 23 tons of equipment with them everything, every need is taken care of. The players don’t have to think about anything except playing. Even their clothes are taken. All you take is your underclothes.
They even provide you recreation and everything. You, just for 1 month concentrate on football. They have no distractions. Whatever the promises, bonuses – everything is worked out.  So about this thing, stories keep coming from Ghana and other African countries, plane coming with money, Prime Minister has to intervene – it fulfills that entire stereotype. It’s sad. Whatever is worked out should be duly paid to them. Their energies digress. That is the fault. Ghana, what it really missed out was the crucial game with Germany. Although they played well and held Germany to a two all draw. But they missed out big time against USA.
And Nigeria?
This time, Africa should really have done well. Positive is that at least two reached the round of 16. Previously, it has always been only one. Senegal-2002, Cameroon-1999, Nigeria-1994, so it’s always been just one. This time we had two. Nigeria had a very good win against Bosnia. With Ivory Coast getting upset, you see the referee is human being. He tends to make a mistake. Football yet doesn’t have TV replays, the third Umpire type of thing. So, it evens out, like Nigeria got lucky at that match. If CIV was unlucky, there Bosnia was denied a goal. You can’t say that referee favored Africa. It’s very easy to take refuge in these. Things which are very populist and don’t really help out in the
long run.
Nigeria was held by Iran and Bosnia, also they gave a very tough fight to France. But again you see, for Nigeria the difficulty was, there was constant criticism about the selection of the players. The older players were bickering, they also met financial problems. That is why I say Algeria has set an example by maintaining a happy atmosphere. They kept Vahid Halilhodžic, a Bosnian coach for two years so that he is with them for long. The coach has to be like a father figure, this one month in WC you are a physcologist, and you understand food habits, aggression. So many people have different personality – who needs firing, who needs petting and cajoling… this fellow blended them as a team and the important thing is that 17 Algerians in the squad of 23 were playing abroad and willingly came back to Algeria, which doesn’t often happen.
The Algerian football federation has managed it so well that Madjid Bougherra, the Algerian captain who played large part of his career in Scotland (and such players generally tend to just drift and opt for country where they are staying), opted to return to play for Algeria. You have to create that atmosphere for professionals. And that way surely Algeria has shown the way.
Because there is this constant thing that African players play abroad and do well for their clubs, then why don’t they do well for their country? During WC this becomes a major dispute when you should be totally in harmony.
How long before the match do these guys come together?
They get very little time. All these players fly and come for qualifying matches, they will play as a team, and then they fly back to their clubs. So they stay together physically only during the WC and that is generally 2-3 weeks so that is less time. It is where the federation really has to work. They would play together but they don’t stay together. Algeria got this part right. The way Algeria troubled Germany. Despite Germany being the strongest team.
Hasn’t Africa been qualifying for long now?
In 1974 world cup, what is now called Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); their first match was with Scotland. Scotland had this iconic player called Dennis Law, who used to play for world’s greatest club Manchester United – European champions. DRC players were just so excited that they would meet Dennis Law, in the beginning of the match they went to his dressing room to have a photo with him, they wanted to take his autograph. That was very sweet and simple, but extremely amateurish. They were not ready for a WC. That’s where their journey started. The next big performance from Africa was in 1982, then again Algeria.
Algeria has been very good front runner.
Since 1982 African countries have started entering WC regularly. Earlier there was one country each, from Asia and Africa. Then African standard picked up 2, 3 4 now 5 qualifying from Africa! So it’s almost 30 years they have been there. So it’s time they put the act together. They organize better. Compared to 2010, it’s a better world cup. In South Africa, all 5 African countries failed and they did very badly. This time they came out of tough groups. See Algeria in their group played the most remarkable game against Russia. In this world cup the other positive for Africa is that in all the Africa vs Asia battles, Africa has won. Those are the two big rivalries Africa vs. Asia.
What can be a game changer for Africa going forward?
What African countries must do is they should have a settled coaching staff. For example Germany has Joachim Low for the last six years. They had WC in mind. They need to look at settled coach who has at least two years to look into players. Sebaya, the Argentinean coach has been with the team since Messi came to Calcutta in 2011 to pay the exhibition match with Venezuela.
Forward thinking it is. African countries keep chopping and changing coaches. This time some of them did opt for local coaches like Nigeria has Stephen Keshi. But it did not work because he was a local coach; there were pressures on him from all over. Parliament, PM’s house, you select this one, select that one. The tendency is that, because he is a local chap we can influence him. Foreigner you hesitate to talk to. That’s again the weakness of the federation.
With the foreign coaches the irony is that these coaches are mostly European. Although some European coaches do adjust well. You know the Asia/Africa syndrome is that they are both very family oriented. But the coaches who came to India could not understand Diwali, Pooja etc that everybody has to go home for these festivals. There could never understand this. Same problem happens with Africa. The European coaches don’t want to stay there longer. They must opt for ones who are not hopping from one job to another.
Talent is there. Their physique is perfect for football, the strength, the speed. It’s the team spirit that is the main problem. They always come unprepared. They are quarrelling among themselves. That is become their biggest drawback. Money is coming in to African football, so that’s not the issue, earlier that was an excuse. They should only learn from their mistakes.
email : novykapadia2@gmail.com
Lets take the African countries one by one. The most disappointing was Cameroon. And the pity is that they have created a stereotype, since many WCs now. There are financial problems always before the WC starts. Lot of that has to do with very amateur organisation. The Cameroon football association, the parent body is never able to get their act together. For many years they would always get a last minute coach, too. The players feel that once the world cup performance is over, all the promised bonuses will never materialise. Their earning career is small so they want to make the most. They want to get the money.
The other problem is between the home grown players, who are playing in clubs in Cameroon (or their respective African countries) and the Africans who play abroad – there is tension between them. Those who play abroad have a little superiority complex. And those who are at home resent that. It is the role of the management to get them together and make them realise that they are playing for the country.
And Cameroon was worst because in their second match, two team players fought amongst themselves. It has never happened, fights happen in football. But this was like pushing each other within their own teams. Now it has been so many WCs, in 1994 (USA), I saw them there. It was the same dispute about money, one of their goalkeepers refused to play. They lost 6-1 to Russia. They tend to qualify but then disintegrate!
Disappointment also was Ivory Coast. With Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure and so many others… they failed. Another problem with African football is they seem to feel, they were undone. In the crucial match with Greece, the last minute penalty kick they felt was given against them. They felt that was unjustified. And because it was European team, it was favored.
Was Greece really favored over Ivory Coast?
It is a tough decision. It was one of those games which were a very doubtful case. When I and Shabbir Ali (Former Indian Football coach) saw it later, he felt it was a doubtful decision; it was not a very clear penalty kick. Ivory Coast was relatively in an easier group. So that is where they were disappointing.
What about Ghana’s debacle?
Ghana was impressive. They played as a team except for the commotion in the last game. Boateng and Sulley Muntari were removed because they abused the officials, we heard from journalists friends there… they were in fight. Kevin prince Boateng was always fighting and arguing. It was not a happy atmosphere there. Let’s take an example, Germans, who have been everybody’s favorites and the world champions, took 23 tons of equipment with them everything, every need is taken care of. The players don’t have to think about anything except playing. Even their clothes are taken. All you take is your underclothes.
They even provide you recreation and everything. You, just for 1 month concentrate on football. They have no distractions. Whatever the promises, bonuses – everything is worked out.  So about this thing, stories keep coming from Ghana and other African countries, plane coming with money, Prime Minister has to intervene – it fulfills that entire stereotype. It’s sad. Whatever is worked out should be duly paid to them. Their energies digress. That is the fault. Ghana, what it really missed out was the crucial game with Germany. Although they played well and held Germany to a two all draw. But they missed out big time against USA.
And Nigeria?
This time, Africa should really have done well. Positive is that at least two reached the round of 16. Previously, it has always been only one. Senegal-2002, Cameroon-1999, Nigeria-1994, so it’s always been just one. This time we had two. Nigeria had a very good win against Bosnia. With Ivory Coast getting upset, you see the referee is human being. He tends to make a mistake. Football yet doesn’t have TV replays, the third Umpire type of thing. So, it evens out, like Nigeria got lucky at that match. If CIV was unlucky, there Bosnia was denied a goal. You can’t say that referee favored Africa. It’s very easy to take refuge in these. Things which are very populist and don’t really help out in the
long run.
Nigeria was held by Iran and Bosnia, also they gave a very tough fight to France. But again you see, for Nigeria the difficulty was, there was constant criticism about the selection of the players. The older players were bickering, they also met financial problems. That is why I say Algeria has set an example by maintaining a happy atmosphere. They kept Vahid Halilhodžic, a Bosnian coach for two years so that he is with them for long. The coach has to be like a father figure, this one month in WC you are a physcologist, and you understand food habits, aggression. So many people have different personality – who needs firing, who needs petting and cajoling… this fellow blended them as a team and the important thing is that 17 Algerians in the squad of 23 were playing abroad and willingly came back to Algeria, which doesn’t often happen.
The Algerian football federation has managed it so well that Madjid Bougherra, the Algerian captain who played large part of his career in Scotland (and such players generally tend to just drift and opt for country where they are staying), opted to return to play for Algeria. You have to create that atmosphere for professionals. And that way surely Algeria has shown the way.
Because there is this constant thing that African players play abroad and do well for their clubs, then why don’t they do well for their country? During WC this becomes a major dispute when you should be totally in harmony.
How long before the match do these guys come together?
They get very little time. All these players fly and come for qualifying matches, they will play as a team, and then they fly back to their clubs. So they stay together physically only during the WC and that is generally 2-3 weeks so that is less time. It is where the federation really has to work. They would play together but they don’t stay together. Algeria got this part right. The way Algeria troubled Germany. Despite Germany being the strongest team.
Hasn’t Africa been qualifying for long now?
In 1974 world cup, what is now called Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC); their first match was with Scotland. Scotland had this iconic player called Dennis Law, who used to play for world’s greatest club Manchester United – European champions. DRC players were just so excited that they would meet Dennis Law, in the beginning of the match they went to his dressing room to have a photo with him, they wanted to take his autograph. That was very sweet and simple, but extremely amateurish. They were not ready for a WC. That’s where their journey started. The next big performance from Africa was in 1982, then again Algeria.
Algeria has been very good front runner.
Since 1982 African countries have started entering WC regularly. Earlier there was one country each, from Asia and Africa. Then African standard picked up 2, 3 4 now 5 qualifying from Africa! So it’s almost 30 years they have been there. So it’s time they put the act together. They organize better. Compared to 2010, it’s a better world cup. In South Africa, all 5 African countries failed and they did very badly. This time they came out of tough groups. See Algeria in their group played the most remarkable game against Russia. In this world cup the other positive for Africa is that in all the Africa vs Asia battles, Africa has won. Those are the two big rivalries Africa vs. Asia.
What can be a game changer for Africa going forward?
What African countries must do is they should have a settled coaching staff. For example Germany has Joachim Low for the last six years. They had WC in mind. They need to look at settled coach who has at least two years to look into players. Sebaya, the Argentinean coach has been with the team since Messi came to Calcutta in 2011 to pay the exhibition match with Venezuela.
Forward thinking it is. African countries keep chopping and changing coaches. This time some of them did opt for local coaches like Nigeria has Stephen Keshi. But it did not work because he was a local coach; there were pressures on him from all over. Parliament, PM’s house, you select this one, select that one. The tendency is that, because he is a local chap we can influence him. Foreigner you hesitate to talk to. That’s again the weakness of the federation.
With the foreign coaches the irony is that these coaches are mostly European. Although some European coaches do adjust well. You know the Asia/Africa syndrome is that they are both very family oriented. But the coaches who came to India could not understand Diwali, Pooja etc that everybody has to go home for these festivals. There could never understand this. Same problem happens with Africa. The European coaches don’t want to stay there longer. They must opt for ones who are not hopping from one job to another.
Talent is there. Their physique is perfect for football, the strength, the speed. It’s the team spirit that is the main problem. They always come unprepared. They are quarrelling among themselves. That is become their biggest drawback. Money is coming in to African football, so that’s not the issue, earlier that was an excuse. They should only learn from their mistakes.
email : novykapadia2@gmail.com
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