The World Cup has not always been a glorious success for Africans. No African team has ever reached the semi-finals, despite the efforts of Cameroon and Ghana among others. Here are the African selections with at least one qualification to the 1/8 finals of the World Cup:
Nigeria: 3 (1994, 1998, 2014)
Argentina won logically but not without difficulty against an attractive Nigeria! Despite the defeat, the Super Eagles are also through to the last 8. In the final for first place in Group F, Argentina overcame Nigeria 3-2.
The Argentinians were badly outplayed by the Nigerians. But the Albiceleste can thank Lionel Messi, who, like his team, is on the rise.
With this third win in three matches, Argentina finish top of Group F ahead of Nigeria. Despite this defeat, the Super Eagles still qualified for the Round of 8, as Iran lost to Bosnia (3-1).
Argentina finished the World Cup unbeaten, taking top spot in Pool F.
The Argentinians will now face the second-placed team in Group E and should, barring any incidents, avoid the French team. Nigeria take the second qualifying place in the group and could therefore face Les Bleus.
Ghana: 2 (2006, 2010)
Ghana has qualified for the World Cup finals on four occasions: in 2006, 2010, 2014 and this year in 2022.
It was at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that the Ghanaian national team shone brightest. The “Black Stars” finished second in their group behind Germany. The other teams (Australia and Serbia) were eliminated.
In the 1/8 final, Ghana faced the USA. The match took place on June 26 in Rustenburg.
The Black Stars won (2-1) after extra time. For the first time in their history, they reach the quarter-finals of a World Cup.
Cameroon: 1 (1990)
Cameroon is the African country with the most World Cup experience. The “Indomitable Lions” have made 8 appearances at the finals (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2022).
Their best performance dates back to 1990, when the team was led by Russian coach Valeri Nepomniachi. The World Cup was held in Italy. In their group, the Cameroonians came up against Argentina (win 1-0), Romania (win 2-1) and the USSR (lose 0-4). To everyone’s surprise, Roger Milla’s team finished top of their group.
In the Round of 16, Cameroon faced Colombia. The match, played on June 23 in Naples, was a tight affair, with 0-0 at the end of normal time. Cameroon’s victory came in extra time, when striker Roger Milla scored twice in three minutes. In the end, the Lions win 2-1. Cameroon thus became the first African team to qualify for the quarter-finals of a World Cup.
The English put an end to this epic by winning the quarter-final. The match took place on July 1 in Naples. The Cameroonians were not far off the mark: they led 2-1 before being caught up in the scoreline, then overtaken during extra time. Final score: 3-2. The Lions leave the competition with the nickname of “indomitable”.
Algeria: 1 (2014)
The Algerians succeeded where their elders had failed three times in the past. But they had to work hard to earn a point that was enough for them, against an attractive Russian side.
Sbornaïa’s first chance fell to Alexander Kokorin, who cleared the top corner to give his side the lead (1-0, 6th). It was the first Russian header in the history of the World Cup.
The goal was a wake-up call for the Fennecs and their many fans at Curitiba’s Arena do Baixada. Hampered in the game, they were only able to react through set-pieces.
But Slimani (29th, 43rd), who could also have benefited from a penalty (31st), and Esseid Belkalem (45th) failed to capitalize on these corner opportunities.
Russia could even have brought the game to a close with a more realistic effort from Aleksandr Kerzhakov (45th+1st) or Alexander Samedov (47th).
Sofiane Feghouli’s team-mates had the merit of not giving up and ended up writing their own history. From yet another free-kick conceded by the Russians, just as the Algerian pressure was mounting, Yacine Brahimi laid the ball on to Slimani’s head.
The Sporting Portugal striker took advantage of Igor Akinfeev’s missed clearance to push the ball into an empty net (1-1, 60′).
Following the equaliser, the Algerians huddled in their own half and gave themselves a real scare. But Raïs Mbolhi saved from Igor Denisov (62nd) and Kerzahkov (70th) to preserve the draw.
The last twenty minutes seemed interminable for the Fennecs. When the final whistle blew, there was a huge explosion of joy. It was a match for the feat achieved by Algeria on Thursday.
Senegal: 1 (2002)
This year in Qatar, the Senegalese took part in their third World Cup finals. They were beaten in the 1/8 finals by England 3-0. Senegal were hoping to repeat the feat they had achieved twenty years earlier.
In 2002, the Lions of Senegal took part in their first World Cup, in South Korea and Japan.
And for a first-time participant, the players coached by Frenchman Bruno Metsu hit the nail on the head. In their first match, they beat reigning world champions France 1-0. Thanks to two subsequent draws, they finished second in their qualifying group, behind Denmark but ahead of Uruguay and France.
Here are the 5 African teams to have reached the 1/8 stage of the World Cup
Nigeria : 3 (1994, 1998, 2014)
Ghana : 2 (2006, 2010)
Cameroun : 1 (1990)
Algérie : 1 (2014)
Sénégal : 1 (2002)
Maroc : 1 (1986)
| Pos | équipe | Années |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nigeria | 1994, 1998, 2014 |
| 2. | Sénégal | 2002, 2022 |
| 3. | Ghana | 2006, 2010 |
| 4. | Algérie | 2014 |
| 5. | Cameroun | 1990 |
Leave a Reply