Mane, Partey lead African contingent to Qatar
March 30, 2022
Football is filled with endless drama and the higher the expectation, the greater the reward, or the failure.
The excitement across Africa was palpable as the continent's last 10 teams fought for five tickets to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After two highly competitive legs, Senegal, Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco and Cameroon claimed their place in Qatar, but the games were marred by ugly scenes on and off the pitch.
The rise and rise of Senegalese football
The headline act was a replay of February's Africa Cup of Nations final between Egypt and Senegal. Once againSadio Mane proved the match winner by netting the decisive penalty in the shootout at the expense his club teammate Mohamed Salah.
The shootout though, was marked by a host of laser pointers targeting the Egyptian players and goalkeeper with captain Salah one of four players to miss from the spot. The Egyptian FA have lodged a complaint to world football's governing body FIFA.
If the result stands it will be the second time in six weeks that Senegal have beaten Egypt to a major prize.
"It was very important for Senegal to be at the World Cup," Thierno Drame, football analyst at the Senegalese national broadcaster, RTS told DW. "That's the validation of the African title.
"The best African players and the best African team must be at the rendezvous of the best teams of the world. Senegalese football is taking a new dimension with that title and this second successive qualification."
The drama of Abuja
In what was dubbed the Jollof Derby of West Africa, Nigeria needed to win to reach their seventh World Cup as they welcomed Ghana to Abuja for the second leg after a goalless draw in Kumasi four days earlier.
But first-time coach Otto Addo had his team set up for an upset. Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey silenced the 60,000 crowd with the opener and while William Troost-Ekong levelled from the spot, Ghana were able to claim an away-goals win over their greatest rivals.
As the Ghanaians celebrated their ticket to Qatar, angry Nigerian fans wrecked parts of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, which was recently restored after years of neglect. The shameful scenes of destruction were streamed across many social media accounts.
Even those scenes were overshadowed by the tragic passing of a FIFA doping officer, Zambia’s Dr Joseph Kabungo, during the game. The Zambian FA released a statement on Wednesday with ZAF President Andrew Kamanga saying: "We take note that it is too early to dwell into the nitty-gritty of the cause of his death but will wait for the full report from CAF and FIFA on what exactly transpired."
Late heartbreak in Blida
After Morocco comfortably beat DR Congo and Tunisia defended their 1-0 first-leg-win against Mali, attentions turned to extra time at the Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Algeria thought they had booked their ticket to Qatar after Ahmed Touba scored in the 118th minute. However, an even later goal from Karl Toko Ekambi saw Cameroon snatch it from them.
At the final whistle, Algeria's coach Djamel Belmadi was inconsolable, sprawled on the ground mourning a defeat for the 2019 African champions. "My sadness goes first to my players. For some, it was surely the last opportunity to go to the World Cup," he told reporters.
His counterpart, Rigobert Song, meanwhile, will now have a chance to return to the World Cup stage as coach having made his debut as a 17-year-old in 1994.
The price of a World Cup ticket
For African countries, the FIFA World Cup is not just about its prestige, but also its financial rewards. Each qualifying country is guaranteed a sum of $12 million (€10.8 million) which is a 140% increase on the $5 million fee Senegal received for winning the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Qualifying for the World Cup is a source of direct monetary injection into the sport which is good for the African country that makes it to the tournament," Njororai Simiyu, a professor of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Texas and leading African football expert, told DW.
The money is supposed to be used to develop the sport and ensure that infrastructure is provided for its growth. Often, the bulk of the funds are hardly accounted for.
"It is my hope that when this money comes into African football associations, they can invest it in youth development in order to remain competitive several years down the line," he said.
Edited by James Thorogood