Africa-Press – Ghana. With most of the FIFA World Cup qualifying rounds done, we look into the teams from the African continent. After rounds of games among 40 teams across the continent are divided into ten groups with four teams each, the team in the top spot for each group enters the second round of qualification.
In the second round, each of the ten top teams is paired in a two-leg knockout match, and according to some sports news, both matches are subjected to away goals. Meaning that a single away goal counts as two. So, if, in the end, the tie ends in a 0-0 and 1-1 for both legs, the home team in the first leg qualifies. A perfect example is Ghana seeing off Nigeria after both ties ended in a draw.
With that done, we now have five teams from the African continent going to Qatar. Although no African team has made it past the quarter-finals, we expect to see a more substantial setup this year. So, in that case, we will be looking into the teams as the World Cup draws closer. Let’s dive right in!
Ghana
One of the first teams to secure their spot in the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament was Ghana, after besting the Super Eagles of Nigeria on away goals. Ghana made the playoff round by securing the top spot in their group qualifying games on goals scored. They won four, drew one, and lost one.
They ended the round on the same point as South Africa. However, they scored more goals than second-place South Africa. As a result, they head into the playoff round, where they had to face Nigeria with the first leg in Accra. The first game ended in a 0-0 draw, and it didn’t lack controversy from the Nigerian point of view.
The return leg in Abuja gave the Black Stars a chance as they could rely on the away goal rule, which is what they did eventually. After going in front in the first half-hour, the team went on the defensive from a howler from the Nigerian goalie. Even though they conceded a penalty, later on, the first goal was enough to take them to the World Cup.
Although Ghana did not have an impressive run to the World Cup group stages, and they were poor in the African Cup of Nations, there is a chance that they might repeat 2010’s incredible run. That year, they made it to the Quarter-Finals and could’ve quickly gone all the way, but an Asamoah Gyan late-minute penalty howler saw them miss out.
Cameroon
Cameroon is another team representing Africa in the FIFA World Cup finals, having seen off Algeria in the knockout qualifying rounds. The team made it to the knockout stages by winning five out of six games in the group rounds. They were one of the best teams in that round.
After the incredible performance in the cup of nations, and even though they couldn’t get the title, they showed that they are a formidable side. In that case, it was shocking when they lost the first leg of the knockout tie when they faced Algeria at home. However, they were able to turn things around by beating Algeria at home 2-1.
Thanks to the away goal rule, we would be seeing the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in Qatar. And, the likes of Aboubakar will spearhead the team to give them a chance to reach the later stages of the FIFA World Cup tournament.
Morocco
One of the many Northern African teams to qualify for the Qatar 2022 World Cup is Morocco and an unsurprising one as they are one of the best teams in Africa. Even though they couldn’t go far in the African Cup of Nations competition, they remain one of the most formidable teams from Africa.
They didn’t lose any game during the group qualifying round or draw a single match, meaning that they were the best teams in the group qualifying round. We were not shocked to see the team cruise past DR Congo to secure a spot in the World Cup finals. The first leg ended in a 1-1 draw, giving Morocco the away goal edge.
However, it did not matter after they trashed DR Congo 4-1 at home. So, we will be seeing one of the strongest teams on the continent take on others worldwide.
Senegal
They are probably the most potent team from Africa currently. Senegal has shown what they are capable of, and they play as a unit with a massive list of talent to pick from. Spearheaded by Sadio Mane, the team showed their prowess in the just concluded Afcon, and they could easily be on the way to becoming one of the greatest squads from Africa.
The team cruised through the group qualifying rounds and ended with 16 points after drawing only one game. As a result, they remained one of the best teams in that round. After moving to the knockout stages, they were paired with AFCON finalist Egypt. The tie ended in a penalty shootout, and as the cup of nations, Edouard Mendy and Sadio Mane took their team to victory.
Tunisia
Another Northern African team going to Qatar is Morocco. They’ve had a consistent presence in the World Cup, so this wasn’t a big surprise. Although their AFCON run was underwhelming, the team is still one of the best on the Continent. We expect them to do a lot when the World Cup starts proper.
Tunisia had four wins, one draw, and one loss during the group qualifying. And for the playoffs round, Tunisia’s lone goal against Mali was enough to see them secure a place in the World Cup.
Final Verdict
With the teams set for the World Cup in November, we hope to see an African team or more reach the final stages of the competition. Although only Senegal, Cameroon, and Morocco seem like they can make a massive impact, we can’t write off Ghana and Tunisia just yet.
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