It's time for Africa? Seems not in Russia 2018. Despite its talent pool

By 1958, when the World Cup was into its sixth edition, Italy and Uruguay had already won the prestigious competition twice in its 28 years of its existence. Just four years prior, in 1954, West Germany won it for the first time after pulling off a shocking upset over Hungary, a team so dominant in the first half of the 1950s it hadn't lost a single match in about six years. The Germans called it Wunder von Bern -- "the miracle of Bern".

Brazil had hosted one, finished runners-up in another, before finally winning it in 1958, beating hosts Sweden in the final. Argentina had reached a final and France had hosted the 1938 edition. Mighty England, of course, was the home of the beautiful game. They would go on to become world champions in 1966. By the time the '60s came around, most of football's traditional powerhouses had already left a mark on the World Cup. 

On the other hand, it's worth noting, that no African nation, barring Egypt, had yet participated in football's quadrennial pageant, because they couldn't indulge in the luxury. They were still colonised by the very nations that were hosting and feasting at these World Cups. Most of Africa was either under the French or British rule, and just about every other European country had a finger in the pie. It must be least of Africa's concerns at the time. If football was a marathon though, Africa had started with a severe handicap, held prisoner at gunpoint at the starting line by the same gun that had signalled other participants to start running long back.

When the hurried decolonisation of Africa began in mid-to-late '50s, the continent was plunged in turmoil. Imperialism's exploitative hammer had struck down hard on economy and resources, both human and natural. Despite the grim socio-political and economic atmosphere, the Confederation of African Football, or CAF, the largest of the six FIFA confederations, was formed in 1957 and in 1970, only 14 years after regaining independence, Morocco became the first African nation apart from Egypt to qualify for the World Cup.

A distant African dream

This partly (read mostly) answers why African nations, despite producing some of football's great lodestars over the years, are yet to advance beyond the quarter-final stage of the World Cup.  Winning the darn thing is a distant dream. In over half a century, 13 African nations — Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Congo (formerly Zaire), Angola and Togo — have qualified for the World Cup, reaching quarter-finals on only three occasions. Five of them — Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Senegal — form the African contingent in Russia this summer. One would be hard-pressed to say if even one of them will reach the quarter-finals in a few weeks time.

Cameroon, a former French territory, were the early pioneers, nearly missing out on a semi-final berth in 1990. After upsetting Argentina in the group stage and thwarting Colombia in the Round of 16, they lost to England in the quarter-final. They were leading 2-1, only to concede two late penalties and crash out. Twelve years later, Senegal shocked defending champions France and drew with Uruguay in the group stage. Senegal's story continued as they dealt sudden death to Sweden in the Round of 16 and became only the second African nation in history to reach quarter-finals.

However, they found themselves at the wrong end of another sudden death conclusion against Turkey. Then, in 2010, Ghana probably came closest, literally inches from throwing the semi-final monkey off of Africa's back, and that too on African soil. They fought their way through to the quarter-finals after beating the United States in extra time in the Round of 16. Uruguay stood in the way of a historic semi-final appearance. The match was precariously balanced at 1-1 when right at the very death, a Ghanian freekick resulted in a scramble in the Uruguayan box. The keeper was off his line and both teams threw themselves at the ball.

Amidst the chaos, Luis Suarez, in a singular dirty play, decided to take on goalkeeping duties himself and made a goal-line clearance with his hands. Ghana cried foul, Suarez was sent off and an African nation were a spot kick away from semi-finals. Asamoah Gyan, Ghana's star in the tournament, stepped up to take the penalty. His shot, the last kick of regulation time, hit the crossbar, taking the game into extra time and then penalties. As fate would have it, Uruguay emerged triumphant in the shootout. Africa would have to wait.

Talent is not a shortage for Africa

The World Cup is essentially a Battle Royale. It's a do-or-die, kill or be killed in a shrinking arena. Besides nerves of steel, a maddening obsession to play seven straight games and, of course, considerable talent at disposal, you often need luck as an ally. Africa hasn't had any till now. As far as talent goes, the continent has produced icons of the game. Roger Milla, Samuel Eto'o, Lakhdar Belloumi, Didier Drogba, Yaya Toure, Seydou Keita, Nwankwo Kanu, Abedi Pele, George Weah, Jay Jay Okocha, Salif Keita, Michael Essien and many others have enthralled watchers of the beautiful game over the years. And though criticism of overreliance on star players can be levelled against a few African nations, many teams have boasted a truly gifted generation of players and strength in balance, and yet they have failed at the final frontier.

Cameroon and Nigeria of the nineties played electric football but couldn't live up to the expectations. Perhaps an African nation's greatest golden generation, through some miracle of chance, came around the time when the World Cup came to Africa in 2010. Including hosts South Africa, six African teams were in the fray and they looked strong. None as much as Ivory Coast. They had a team to die for. Didier Drogba, Kolo Toure, Arthur Boka, Yaya Toure, Didier Zakora, Romaric, Seydou Doumbia, Salomon Kalou, Cheick Tiote, Gervinho, Emmanuel Eboue all played in prominent European clubs and were in their prime.

Expectations weighed as much as a continent. But Ivory Coast found themselves in the group of death with Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. A goalless draw against Portugal, one they could've easily won, was followed by a 3-1 loss against giants Brazil. Ivory Coast thrashed North Korea 3-0 in their final group game, but it wasn't too little too late.

African stars in big European clubs

Today, African players star in some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Many of them — Riyad Mahrez, Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, Victor Wanyama, Naby Keita, Serge Aurier, Eric Bailly — won't even be in Russia. Despite these big name absentees, qualified African teams are stocked with enormous talent. Senegal's Sadio Mane and Egypt's Mohamed Salah were talismanic for Liverpool last season, propelling the club to a Champions League final. With 44 goals in all competitions — just one less than Europe's top scorer Lionel Messi — Salah broke records, won every award and captured the world's imagination. Armed with an affable smile, he became an instant hero and the hope of Egypt.

Besides Salah and Mane, Morocco's Medhi Benatia and Hakim Ziyech; Nigeria's John Obi Mikel, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Moses, Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi; and Senegal's Keita Balde Diao, Kalidou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gueye, Salif Sane, Cheikhou Kouyate and M'baye Niang, are all capable of winning games for their teams. They are all crucial members of their respective clubs. But the odds are still stacked against Africa.

The two best African teams in Russia find themselves in tough groups. Nigeria will have to overcome Argentina, Croatia and Iceland in Group D to reach the knockout stages and Senegal will face Poland, Colombia and Japan in perhaps the most open group of all, Group H. Even a promising Morocco side, fielding 17 foreign-born players and expats in a 23-man squad, find themselves stuck between Spain, Portugal and Iran in Group B. Hosts Russia have already taken the initiative in Group A by handing out a 5-0 thrashing to Saudi Arabia in the Thursday opener and Egypt will look to Salah to inspire them to a miracle win when they take on Uruguay Saturday.

Morocco face a relatively benign Iranian side later in the evening in a Group B clash, but this is a game they cannot afford to even draw as Portugal and Spain are up next. Senegal look like Africa's best chance. If they reach the Round of 16, the will face either England or Belgium. And if Nigeria progress finishing second in their group, they will likely face France, one of the strongest teams in the tournament. The road ahead is certainly not friendly. Their best shot? Top their group over Argentina, Croatia and Iceland — a task that looks highly unlikely, especially considering Nigeria's poor performances of late — and face a weaker opponent in either Denmark, Peru or Australia in the Round of 16.

The continent on a decline?

Africa's football power-centre has seen a shift from Central/West to North region, but the continent's prowess, after a period of slow and gruelling progress, looks to be on the decline before it even got a chance to hit its peak. Just days ahead of the World Cup, Nigerian international and former West Brom, Cardiff and Stoke City forward Peter Odemwingie echoed similar sentiments when he spoke to the BBC, and said it will be difficult for African nations to win the World Cup.

"Nigeria had one of the best African squads at the 1994 World Cup. We were knocking on the door. We won the 1996 Olympics by beating Brazil and Argentina with all their stars.

“That period was like, ‘yes, it’s coming’.”

It didn't. And as things stand, Africa will have to wait a bit longer.