Unlike in Russia when gloom pervaded African football after the early exit of its five teams, this time there is hope that better days lie ahead
As the 22nd edition of the World Cup in Qatar reaches the quarterfinal stage, it’s become clear that the gap is swiftly closing between the game’s traditional powerhouses and the smaller footballing nations.
The African representation in the second round may not have breached the ceiling of two, but at least it’s an improvement on the failure of any of the continent’s five teams to progress beyond the group stage four years ago in Russia. There were just five defeats for African sides, the fewest since 1990, and a record for tournaments containing five Caf teams, which has been the case since 1994. This neatly fits the narrative of a more open World Cup, with no team preserving a 100% record through the group stage for the first time since 1994.
The qualification of Japan, Australia and South Korea for the knockout stages provided a clear manifestation of the continuing rise of football in the Asian Confederation. It was the first time that three teams from that region appeared in the second round, eclipsing the record of two set in 2002 when South Korea, who co-hosted with Japan, went all the way to the semifinals, albeit on the back of some controversial refereeing decisions.
A growing number of footballers representing the African diaspora are making themselves available for countries where their parents or grandparents were born, and their impact has been evident in Qatar.
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