Unfulfilled Dream of Seeing an African Win the World Cup

Pele dreamt of an African team winning the FIFA World Cup before the year 2000. However, when this failed to happen, he didn’t lose focus. He kept hoping this would happen some day.

He was enthralled by the enormity of talents in the African continent. He loved Nigeria’s play at both the Under-17 and Under-20 tournaments. Super Eagles robust play at USA ’94 further reinforced his belief in Africa. But sadly, that didn’t happen in his lifetime.

Cameroon, Senegal, Ghana and Morocco almost made that happen.

In Qatar 2022 World Cup, Cameroon became the first African nation to beat Brazil at a World Cup tournament; Tunisia scored a victory over reigning champions France; and Morocco became the first African nation to win a group, with seven points to their name and went all the way to the semi final, losing to 2018 finalist Croatia.

Black Stars of Ghana were a penalty-kick away from the semi-finals in 2010 in Africa’s first World Cup in South Africa but for Luis Suarez’s ‘Hand of Devil’ interference.

With the possibility of more slots for Africa in the next World Cup, what is termed ‘Mission Impossible’ may become real.

In 1966, the African continent boycotted the World Cup in England to send a message to FIFA that it demanded a guaranteed place at the tournament, which it then secured in 1970. Over the next three decades, African teams managed brilliant upsets, including Algeria defeating West Germany, Morocco dispatching Portugal, and Cameroon bludgeoning Argentina (in more ways than one).

Despite this, FIFA continued to drag its feet, awarding African nations only two places in 1982, three in 1994, and then five in 1998.