You may be wondering what other factors would suggest African football’s predicted rise to power. Simple: exported players in Europe. The Ivory Coast national team, when selecting their 23 man squad for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, called up 19 from Europe and a couple from Russia. Barely 30 years ago, African players seen professionally competing in Europe were a rarity, and therefore a momentous turnaround has seen inspirational talents like Yaya Toure and his brother Kolo (from Ivory Coast) of title-winning Manchester City and Didier Drogba (who, after winning the Champions League for Chelsea with his final kick of a ball for the club, ensured his place an icon for Africa) flourish in Barclay’s Premier League.
During the 2011/12 campaign, the watching world was bombarded with an extremely respectable quantity of sublime goals from the two Senegalese strikers who spearheaded Newcastle’s high-flying squad. These two are, of course, the devastatingly effective Demba Ba and his fellow countryman, Papiss Cisse. Also playing a major role in the Magpie’s success was Cheik Tiote, the Ivorian. Similar to Ba and Cisse, their names are expectedly being linked with European giants. Players like Tottenham’s Steven Pienaar (the South African captain) and the continuous Nigerian goal threat Ayegbeni Yakubu (who has been around for many a year) leave their own legacy on English football.
Many of the high-profile African players from the Premier League travelled to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the 2012 African Cup of Nations, which, surprisingly, ended in Zambia winning the trophy after overcoming Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties.
The first African stars to boldly take the first steps into Europe continue to provide inspiration for today’s players who hope to imitate their predecessor’s successes. These men were role models on and now off the pitch. George Weah (who played for A.C Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City), the Liberian, won FIFA World Player of the Year, the Ballon d’Or and the African Player of the Century – to name a few of the awards – was a catalyst for the world’s football fans to cast their eyes over to the 2nd largest continent on the planet. Historically, another African great, Abedi ‘Pele’ Ayew, won the 1993 Champions League plus with Marseille in France and, like Weah, is the reason many of today’s African professionals pulled on a pair of boots as children.
Large worldwide brands are also becoming more aware and involved with African football. Puma, as a prime example, are at the head of a rather spectacular project involving 10 African football nations and the Creative African Network (a group of African Artists). The partnered teams received new kits that celebrate each individual country’s ‘heritage, culture and tradition’.
Pele, arguably the world’s greatest football player, believed an African team would have lifted the World Cup by 2000. Albeit premature, there are a number of reasons mentioned in this article that keep Pele’s optimism alive; however it will mean patiently waiting for a fair amount of time. As Ivory Coast and Ghana are 16th and 22nd in FIFA’s world rankings respectively, progress is undoubtedly a priority of the African teams who hope, one day, to fulfil the prediction that would signify a milestone for not just the amazing continent, but the whole world of football.
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