Africa teams need to improve

Senegal and Nigeria are both decent to be honest and deserved more, disappointing not to see both make it through. Morocco were desperately unlucky.

comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 2 minutes ago
Morocco played well, were unlucky. They obviously regret that failure to beat Iran.

Nigeria were a couple of minutes of going through at the expense of Argentina. Hardly embarrassing was it?

Senegal missed out on yellows

Tunisia were poor and Egypt very disappointing.
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DJ

If Cameroon and Algeria were good they would have qualified. Senegal have a whole load of ‘technical’ players that are no worse on paper than their international counterparts. And read DJ’s post, Nigeria and Senegal both ridiculously close to going through, Nigeria with a hard group too.

I thiink there's a good chane one of them wins it in four years. that weather will suit them.

Agree with DJ here. African teams do need to improve. So do Asian teams. If there is a 48 team world cup with more teams from outside Europe, we may see more Asian and African sides go further.

Haven't Cameroon lost their last 7 games at the World Cup? I'm not sure what impact they would have made unless they've massively improved since four years ago.
Egypt were the biggest disappointment this time.
Morocco, Senegal and Nigeria all showed glimpses of quality but were not consistent with it.

I used to watch quite a bit african football, like in the ACON, then in dawned on me the standard is not very good. We've seen some great african players but not a great team. Ghana were decent in 2010.

I saw an article on ja earlier about African football. I was shaking my head because at most one African team could have escaped their group.

It's quite simple even with greater priorities for African countries like building growing sustainable economies, they need to invest in producing better players.

Look at England, we were rubbish (alright who knows where we are currently), but we started to accept our archaic football had to go and started to take youth tournaments seriously, producing better technique at a younger ages, smaller pitches etc. We look better.

Asian teams have been treading water a bit too. They have to improve.

comment by The~Distinguished~Englishman (U4080)
posted 2 hours, 51 minutes ago
I used to watch quite a bit african football, like in the ACON, then in dawned on me the standard is not very good. We've seen some great african players but not a great team. Ghana were decent in 2010.

I saw an article on ja earlier about African football. I was shaking my head because at most one African team could have escaped their group.

It's quite simple even with greater priorities for African countries like building growing sustainable economies, they need to invest in producing better players.

Look at England, we were rubbish (alright who knows where we are currently), but we started to accept our archaic football had to go and started to take youth tournaments seriously, producing better technique at a younger ages, smaller pitches etc. We look better.

Asian teams have been treading water a bit too. They have to improve.
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You can't compare football in Africa with football in Europe. They don't really have the same money or infrastructure

The main issue with African football especially west African football is that they've lost their identity and flare, mainly due to the players that European clubs look for now.

Before African football use to have a lot of skill and trickery, so instead of the Okocha's, Kanu's they prefer the big powerful players like Drogba.

There was actually a good BBC documentary on this issue a few years ago.

"Not a single African team made it to last sixteen"
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Yeah... it's not keeping me up nights...

comment by Passion Power - ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (U8398)
posted 38 minutes ago
comment by The~Distinguished~Englishman (U4080)
posted 2 hours, 51 minutes ago
I used to watch quite a bit african football, like in the ACON, then in dawned on me the standard is not very good. We've seen some great african players but not a great team. Ghana were decent in 2010.

I saw an article on ja earlier about African football. I was shaking my head because at most one African team could have escaped their group.

It's quite simple even with greater priorities for African countries like building growing sustainable economies, they need to invest in producing better players.

Look at England, we were rubbish (alright who knows where we are currently), but we started to accept our archaic football had to go and started to take youth tournaments seriously, producing better technique at a younger ages, smaller pitches etc. We look better.

Asian teams have been treading water a bit too. They have to improve.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can't compare football in Africa with football in Europe. They don't really have the same money or infrastructure

The main issue with African football especially west African football is that they've lost their identity and flare, mainly due to the players that European clubs look for now.

Before African football use to have a lot of skill and trickery, so instead of the Okocha's, Kanu's they prefer the big powerful players like Drogba.

There was actually a good BBC documentary on this issue a few years ago.
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Yes, clearly African FAs should not be investment huge money in football. It's football ffs no matter how popular. I understand the identity argument, but I have to dismiss that. That may get a win here or there but they'll be torn apart by better teams. That's like an englishman harking back to the good old days of playing 4-4-2 wingers and chucking it in the box.

Nothing wrong with structure but you need the players to do it. African teams aren't particularly balanced. Lack creativity and guile (where are the creative players) and west african strikers are nowhere in the class of Drogba and Eto'o.

Egypt are interesting one, but dare I say there were a bit unlucky not to qualify with more balanced teams but now they have a single super star who propelled them into the world cup.