Africa can reconjure magic of old!

The World Cup has officially begun. For the next four weeks, world football fans will be treated to the best of football, the best of coaching, the best of refereeing, as well as the best of journalism.

For us Africans, South-Africa 2010 is as unique and historic as our liberation from colonialism. Not only have we finally got the chance to prove to the world that we have also come of age economically, politically and infrastructurally, we also have the opportunity to prove that our football teams can match up with the performance of their European and South-American counterparts.

For the first time ever, Africa has six teams representing her at the World Cup; hosts, South-Africa, have been joined by Algeria, Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Nigeria and Ghana, in the battle for the worlds� most prestigious soccer prize.

I have been to the streets, the studios, the stadiums and the websites; I have sought the views of football fans in Ghana, Nigeria, South-Africa, Egypt, and the U.K, and basically most African football fans are sceptical about the chances of Africa's representatives at the World Cup in South-Africa.

Frank Agien, a Nigerian football fan I spoke to on Nigeria's first match against Argentina, said:

'I don't think the Super-Eagles can get anything from star-studded Argentina. They've got Di Maria, Messi, Tevez, Higuain; these guys will prove too much for our back line.'

The foregoing statement exemplifies the level of pessimism of many African fans with regard to how African teams will perform at South-Africa 2010.

There is no doubt that many African fans are justified to a large extent in their pessimism, especially because African teams have generally failed to perform to expectation at the World Cup:

AFRICA'S WORLD CUP INVOLVEMENT
Group-stage exit unless stated
1934: Egypt
1970: Morocco
1974: Zaire
1978: Tunisia
1982: Algeria, Cameroon
1986: Algeria, Morocco (last 16)
1990: Egypt, Cameroon (quarter-finals)
1994: Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria (last 16)
1998: Cameroon, Nigeria (last 16), South Africa, Tunisia, Morocco

2002: Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal (quarter-finals), South Africa, Tunisia

2006: Angola, Ghana (last 16), Ivory Coast, Togo, Tunisia

Our performance, as shown above, has been mediocre, if not poor. And it explains why many African fans are sceptical about the ability of African teams to perform at the world Cup in South-Africa.

The preceding observation notwithstanding, we ought to acknowledge that things haven't been so bad for African teams. In the past, we've had teams that have defied great odds to make Africa proud.

We remember with nostalgia, the opening match of Italia 90, where Cameroon defeated Argentina 1-0, despite playing with only nine men.

The indomitable Lions did not relent after that victory; they fought hard to reach the quarter-finals where they eventually lost to England.

Four years later at U.S. A 94, an irrepressible Nigerian side, made up of legends like Okocha, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Samson Siasia, and Sunday Oliseh, beat Greece 2-0 and Bulgaria 3-0 to qualify to the second round of the competition. At the end of that tournament Nigeria were named the 'most entertaining' team of the tournament.

At France 98, the Super Eagles continued their impressive performance at the World Cup by beating the likes of Spain and Bulgaria to qualify to the second round.

Are we going to forget Senegal's glorious feat in 2002, where they silenced critics and bookmakers by defeating a hitherto indomitable France in the opening match?

What about Ghana's amazing defeat of Czech Republic at Germany 2006, where the Black Stars defied pre-tournament predictions to defeat Czech Republic and the U.S.A, two sides which were ranked second and fourth respectively according to the FIFA World Rankings.

The above observations clearly show that African teams possess the ability to stand up to the best teams in World Football.

If in the past, the likes of Cameroon, Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana could defeat some of the World's best teams, what prevents them from doing so now?

I am one of those who believe that if African teams have anything to prove to the world, it has to be at South-Africa 2010.

European and South-American teams have performed greatly each time the competition has been held in Europe and South-America respectively.

Indeed, in 2002 when the World Cup was held in Asia, South-Korea became the first Asian team to qualify to the semi-finals of the World Cup.

The situation shouldn't be different for African teams.

I'm confident that with resonant and unwavering support from South-Africans and indeed Africans, African teams will go all the way.

Even if we cannot win the World Cup, we should have at least one team in the semi-final and two others in the quarter-finals.

Yesterday, South-Africa kicked-start the African campaign with an impressive draw with Mexico.

When Nigeria take on Argentina today, I expect the Super Eagles to reconjure their magic of 1994, when they held the world spellbound with their delightful skills and arrogant mastery of the ball.

The same should apply to Africa's other representatives when they also take to the field.

According to Cote d'Ivoire's Yaya Toure, the difference between the teams from African and European countries is no longer vast. In the past, African teams were taken for granted in big tournaments but this time it's going to be different."

Like Yaya said, we must start believing in the ability of our teams to succeed in South-Africa because this time, it's really going to be different!

African fans in Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, South-Africa, Kenya, Sudan, Madagascar and all over Africa should sit back, relax and watch the Etos, the Drogbas, the Pienaars and the Odemwingies take the world by storm.

Africa, it's our time!
Samuel K. Obour

samuelobour.blogspot.com