Sports

Is Africa at Qatar World Cup to complete numbers? Here’s how we score the teams

Published

2 years ago

April 2, 2022

The five African teams that qualified for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar knew their opponents on Friday when the draws were held at the Doha Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Prior to the draw, reigning African champions, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Cameroon and Ghana, were pooled in Groups A, F, D, G and H, with fans of each team praying for favourable pairings.

But in the draws proper, different interesting scenarios played out as Ghana was given the opportunity to exact a revenge on Uruguay for the heartbreak they suffered in the 2010 edition when a Luiz Suarez’s last minute handball deprived them from advancing into the semifinals.

But how will the African teams fare at the World Cup after getting to know their opponents?

Senegal

AFCON 2021 winners, Senegal, presents Africa’s most realistic chance of getting farther in the Qatar 2022 World Cup after being drawn against host Qatar, the Netherlands, and Ecuador.

Undoubtedly Africa’s best side at the World Cup, Senegal has got a favourable draw and with the likes of Liverpool striker Saido Mane, Chelsea goalkeeper, Edouard Mendy, Watford’s Ismaila Sarr, and Napoli defence lynchpin, Kalillou Coulibaly, marshalling the defence, they will fancy their chances of ruffling some feathers.

Their toughest opponents in the group will undoubtedly be Netherlands but Aliou Cisse’s troops have what it takes to hold their own.

Cameroon

The Indomitable Lions defied the odds when they went to Blida to take on Algeria with a one goal deficit, only to shock their hosts with a dramatic 2-1 win to pick the World Cup ticket.

With the Lions drawn with five times World Cup winners, Brazil, Switzerland and Serbia, they face unarguably the toughest chance of making it out of Group C.

However, the Rigobert Song tutored Lions do have a mental toughness that could see them navigate through the tough first round and with their rugged style of play, all fingers will be crossed.

Tunisia

The Carthage Eagles will have to contend with world champions, France and Denmark, while keeping an eye on one of Peru, Australia or the United Arab Emirates to join the group after their different playoffs.

Drawn against the defending World champions and European Championship semi-finalists, Tunisia have their work cut out for them and will feel disillusioned even before a ball is kicked at the Mundial.

Ghana

Ghana’s reward for beating the Super Eagles of Nigeria is a rematch with Uruguay, a team that denied them a semifinal ticket in 2010 in South Africa.

The hurriedly assembled Black Stars, though not spectacular, managed to brush aside a disjointed and lackluster Nigerian team to qualify for the World Cup but do they have what it takes to go against a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Portugal, Uruguay and South Korea, complete with Tottenham Hotspur’s talisman, Song Heung-min?

Does this Ghanaian team have the quality to go better than its predecessors?

Only time will tell.

Morocco

The Atlas Lions have their work cut out for them having been drawn against Belgium who were semi-finalists in Russia in 2018 and runners up, Croatia, and will have to rely on the brilliance of their star player, Achraf Hakimi, to see them through.

Both Belgium, with their now fading golden generation, and Croatia, are not as good as they were four years ago, so Morocco can dream of getting out of the group, in the very least.

But with a Canadian side that qualified with three games to spare also in the mix, sheer will power and tactical discipline will be all the North Africans need to trudge on.

Related Topics:African Teams Featured FIFA World Cup

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Sports

Tears as slain Ugandan Olympian is laid to rest with full military honours

Published

16 hours ago

September 14, 2024

Isaac Dachen

There were uncontrollable tears and wailing as thousands of mourners turned out in eastern Uganda for the funeral of Olympic marathon runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who was set ablaze by her former boyfriend and later died.

At the solemn burial ceremony conducted on Saturday, Cheptegei was buried with full military honours with representatives the government and different arms of the country’s military formations in attendance.

Cheptegei who had participated in the road race at the Paris Olympic Games in July, was attacked by her ex-partner,
Dickson Ndiema, who doused her with petrol and set her ablaze.

She was to die four days later after the fire had consumed over 75 percent of her body. Ndiema himself who also suffered burns in the fire, died a few days later.

Local media reported that Ndiema allegedly attacked Cheptegei as she returned from church with her two daughters and younger sister in the village of Kinyoro, following a disagreement over a piece of land that belonged to her.

Cheptegei’s sporting successes include winning the 2021 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand, and a year later earning first place in the Padova Marathon in Italy and setting a national record for the marathon.

Cheptegei’s tragic death has sparked anger over the high levels of violence against women in Kenya, particularly in the athletics community, with the marathoner becoming the third elite runner to allegedly die at the hands of a romantic partner since 2021.

Her father Joseph Cheptegei told journalists that his daughter had approached police at least three times to file complaints against Ndiema, most recently on August 30, two days before the deadly attack.

Sports

South African World Cup winner bags three-year ban for doping

Published

4 days ago

September 11, 2024

Isaac Dachen

South African Rugby World Cup 2019 winner, Sibusiso Nkosi, has been slammed with a three-year ban by World Rugby after testing positive for an anabolic steroid.

His local club, Cheetahs, which made the announcement in a statement, said Nkosi’s urine sample showed traces of an anabolic steroid used by body builders and the suspension will run until July 15, 2027.

“Sbu had a World Rugby test in May and his A sample was positive. He has been banned for three years,” the club said.

Local media reports that the 28-year-old Nkosi, who understudied Cheslin Kolbe at the World Cup in Japan, is the second 2019 champion to be banned for doping with the other before fly-half Elton Jantjies who was suspended for four years last January for using a banned substance.

“Nkosi made the first of 16 international appearances in 2018 against England and won his last cap against New Zealand three years later. He scored nine Test tries,” a local sports paper said.

“He suffered mental health challenges while playing for the Bulls and disappeared for several weeks in 2022, triggering a police search, before being found at the home of a relative.

“After stints with the Sharks and Bulls, Nkosi joined the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs last March on a one-year contract.”