As the world gears up for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, African teams are preparing to compete on football’s biggest stage. Africa has produced some of the most talented and exciting players in the game, but its teams have struggled to make it past the quarterfinals of previous World Cups. However, this year could be different as several African nations have been making steady progress over recent years.
One team that is expected to do well is Senegal. They were one of only three African teams to reach the knockout stages at the last World Cup in Russia and will be looking to go even further this time around. Led by Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, Senegal boasts a strong squad with plenty of attacking options. Their midfield is also solid, with Idrissa Gueye providing defensive cover while also contributing going forward.
Another team that could surprise many is Morocco. They dominated their qualifying group without conceding a single goal and boast one of Africa’s most exciting young talents – Achraf Hakimi. The right-back has been impressive for Inter Milan in Serie A and has already scored four goals in nine appearances for his country.
Nigeria will also be hoping to make their mark at this year’s tournament after narrowly missing out on qualification for Russia 2018. The Super Eagles have a wealth of talent at their disposal including Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho and Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze. However, they will need to improve defensively if they are to progress beyond the group stages.
Egypt will once again rely heavily on talismanic forward Mohamed Salah who has been instrumental in guiding them to their first World Cup since 1990. As well as being one of Africa’s best ever players, Salah is also one of Europe’s deadliest strikers having won two Golden Boots during his time at Liverpool.
Cameroon may not be fancied by many but they are former champions (1990) and have a strong squad that includes Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana and Villarreal forward Karl Toko Ekambi. They may not be as dominant as they were in the 90s, but they are still capable of causing an upset.
South Africa is another team that could surprise many. They won the African Cup of Nations on home soil in 1996 and will be looking to build on their recent form under coach Molefi Ntseki. Bafana Bafana boasts several talented players including Percy Tau who has been impressive for Anderlecht in Belgium.
Ghana is a team with a rich footballing history having reached the quarterfinals at both the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. However, they failed to qualify for Russia 2018 and will be eager to make amends this time around. Led by Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey, Ghana has plenty of experience throughout its squad.
Tunisia also cannot be overlooked, despite being drawn into what appears to be a tough group alongside Spain, Portugal, and Iran. The Carthage Eagles have been one of Africa’s most consistent performers over recent years and boast several exciting young talents such as Saif-Eddine Khaoui who has been impressive for Marseille in Ligue 1.
In conclusion, African teams have often struggled to make an impact at previous World Cups due to various reasons ranging from poor preparation to lack of consistency within their squads. However, with several nations making progress in recent years, there are high hopes that this year’s tournament could see an African team finally break through the quarterfinal barrier. With talented players such as Sadio Mane (Senegal), Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco) among others set to light up the tournament stage when it kicks off late next year amidst much anticipation across different continents globally!