NAIROBI, 21 June — Africa will erupt with joy if Senegal make soccer history tomorrow and book the continent’s first berth in the World Cup semifinals.
Africans are reveling in Senegal’s stunning progress at the game’s top tournament in South Korea and Japan.
The team’s uninhibited style has won new recognition for a continent beset by bad news. Especially sweet was Senegal’s opening win against former colonial boss France.
But a place in the semifinals — offering a chance at the final and ultimately soccer’s top prize — would stamp Africa’s identity on the world’s favorite sport as never before.
“Senegal has done Africa proud and we all stand as one in its support, willing it to greater heights at the World Cup,” said South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma. “It would be a huge celebration for the whole of Africa if they went all the way to the finals,” said Hilaire Kulenguluka, a newspaper-seller on the streets of Kinshasa.
After beating holders France 1-0 in their opening match, drawing 1-1 with Denmark and 3-3 with Uruguay, and seeing off Sweden in the second round, Senegal go into the quarterfinal against Turkey in Osaka confident they can win and book a contest against either England or Brazil.
Kenya’s Daily Nation commented: “For a moment we can forget famine, wars, presidents who cling on to power — the issues that make Africa favorites of the world media in matters negative.”
Besides lavishing praise on Senegal for becoming only the second African team to reach the Cup’s quarterfinals — after Cameroon in 1990 — other African nations are now dreaming about emulating their success.
Simply drawing confidence from the debutants’ gallant example is the first step, some say. That message has been taken to heart in east Africa, the continent’s footballing backwater.
“Only 12 years ago, Kenya and Senegal drew 0-0 in the preliminary stages of the African Cup of Nations finals in Algeria and, like Kenya, they were eliminated at the stage,” said Nicholas Musonye, general secretary of the Council of East and Central African Football Associations.
“Now they are on top of the continent and are scaling the heights of global soccer. Surely what better lesson have African nations, especially from my zone?”
Commentators concede that much of Senegal’s power lies in their ability to mix African flair with the European know-how and discipline obtained by experience in the French leagues.
Mamane Sadou, a civil servant and soccer fan in Niger, said Africa had to bring its own teams up to European standards.
“We must make the players more professional and bring their financial and other conditions near or identical to those we see on other continents. Then you will see more African teams reaching the quarterfinals in the future,” Sadou said.
Mark Ssali, sports editor of Uganda’s Monitor daily, agreed: “Africa’s success in this World Cup has been due to the export of our talent to Europe...what happened is that our raw talent has become professionalized. They have learnt the technical and tactical discipline needed to survive on the world stage.”
Back home, the beautiful game is in a sorry state.
