Road to FIFA World Cup [Brasil 2014]: My take on the Africa Top 10

As African soccer teams enter the final round of the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil,  I'm taking a quick look at the ten teams. By the way, Southern Africa is not just absent from the tournament, but also absent from the top 10.  But that is a matter for another time:

Algeria: Humm, Fennec? I am not sure.  What I know about this team is that they are keen on winning without having to do the work: sort of "by hook or crook".  Great football nation with some of Africa's greatest fans. But it does appear that they bring out their game when they play neighbouring countries..  If they make it to the final 5, how far can they go?  How well can they play?

Burkina Faso: I want the Stallions in. Bancé needs to scare some people on a global level.. They have the fastest growing  fan base in Africa. The President is a huge fan too and does not hide it. They did so well in the last African Cup of Nations and as Vice-Champions, I just wish for them to have greater opportunities to taste the world cup.  They have never been there.. and it will be HUGE if they make it to Brasil.

Cameroon:  Are the teeth that have been lost grown back? Eto'o has announced he is done with the team. Have the leadership issues been sorted?  I think there is something wrong with the Indomitable Lions and that needs to be sorted out first. Otherwise, they may end up in Brasil and be the  "scandal team", like France was in South Africa 2010. I still have my cherished dreams from the Roger Milla days, when we danced Makossa.. and Cameroon used to bring shivers.. but those days are gone.

Cape Verde: Oh please!! This is one team that should go to Brasil.  The team is young, the coach looks like a basketball player, and the players have vibes, style and swag.  The Blue Sharks gave us so much thrills in their African Cup of Nations outing that I just want them in Brasil.. to heat up the game!

Côte d'Ivoire: Humm. What can I say? The elephants are in a sort of "end of generation". Their qualification is most probable. Didier Drogba needs to be in Brasil. We need soccer artistes.. people who do "zouglou" and "couper-decaler" with football.  It does not seem that the level of the elephants has gone up since they played finals agains Egypt.. but hey! The expression that summarises my feelings is what they say in Côte d'Ivoire "L'éléphant, c'est un animal qui trompe". It says the elephant is an animal that "trompe", a word which means "trumpet" and "deceive" at the same time. Yes, the elephant trumpets: make a hell of a noise, gathers dust, scares adversaries.. but does not satisfy at the final run. Something akin to what someone said about the Holland team: a bra with lots of support and no cup!!

Egypt: Mega Africa Champion. Over and over again.  But does not bite "outside of the house". I dont know why.  Things have not been the same since the departure of Shehata. But it appears the team is re-consolidating. Will Brasil make or mar the Pharaoes? I cannot say.

Ethiopia: The team is still learning.  But is that positive or negative? Actually I dont know much about the team, but the only reason Ethiopia needs to go to the World Cup, for me, will be to show off the beauties!! Those Ethiopian girls rock. It will be good to have some awesomely beautiful Ethiopians give a run to the  Brasilian ladies for their beauty.

Ghana: These days, Black Stars seem to be stuck in a third-place kind of situation. I dont know how this will play out.. but if Ghana can place 3rd in Brasil.. then that will be HUGE. Plus, Asamoa Gyan needs to clear that missed penalty in a "world cup match".  So I am in favour of Ghana making the list.

Nigeria: Okay, being African champions is not enough. I was fairly disappointed at the Confederation Cup outing of the Eagles. But I will say Keshi deserves to be in Brasil. He has worked for it.

Senegal: These Lions give me the yikes. I'm not sure of them on the discipline end. Soccer is not just the game, but if you are going to Brasil as an African team, you need to represent  the continent well. I'm not sure here.

Whichever way the last round goes, we will support all 5 African teams..

We will go to Brasil.

We will come with the vuvzelas

And we will dance to the African beats..

Go teams!

Go Africa!

Senegal: waiting to explode

At about three months to the presidential elections in Senegal, the demons are rearing their heads. As the debates are heating up, and political sentiments are rising on the mercury scale, it is our duty to raise an alarm. Senegal is a political situation waiting to explode. Here are 5 points to consider:

The Constitutional Crisis

The country revised its constitution in 2001. Most of the revisions were linked to the office of the president, its prerogatives, tenure and duration. The revision shortened the duration of the tenure from 7 to 5 years. This tenure could only be renewed once. While obtaining an extension of presidential powers, the then President touted this "success in democracy", proclaiming himself as an avant-gardist and reassuring the population that he will no longer be a candidate in 2012.

Now 2012 is months away.. and someone is debating whether the 2 tenures should take into account the initial tenure.. The language is clear. The answer is Yes. But the president seems to either have lost a part of his democracy memory or forgot his language lessons!

The President who is looking for preachers of "another gospel"
As a legal person, the first reaction will be to refer to the constitutional experts of the country. Naturally. All of them in the country have spoken, except for one. All those who have spoken have said the same thing: President Abdoulaye Wade IS NOT constitutionally a possible candidate. And what do we see? The President who hires "International constitution experts" to a Dakar meeting so they can come read what Senegalese wrote. And these International preachers are insisting that "Yes", Wade can run for presidency in 2012 at the age of 86

Enter the Constitutional Council

Yes, the ultimate decision lies with the Constitutional Council. Though all its members are hand-picked by the President and some have attended the "International constitution conference" and that it has already jailed an activist wrote a strong-worded letter warning them of any unconstitutional decision in the Wade, issue, some people are still hoping that the constitutional council will render an unbiased decision.

The silence of the international community

I have not heard from the African Union. I have not heard from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Union Monétaire Ouest Africaine is as dumb as ever. Neither have I read any official position of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie. This silence is worrying.

A population that is thinking "we can handle it" and "it cannot happen to us"

Six months ago, many Senegalese were publishing on Facebook and Twitter, firm convictions of everything being under control. At about three months to the elections, the tendency is clear. The pro-Wade group are sure that nothing will happen and their candidate will win. The anti-Wade group are professing the same: nothing will happen. He wont get clearance. As the days approach, the die-hard believers are still there:
Folks who believe they have come a long way as a country,
People who believe that popular protests will give them victory,
Senegalese who continue to think that "everything is under control"


When it is only waiting to explode.