African nations should change their World Cup story

Even if football’s greatest showpiece kicks off in just under three weeks, I feel the story of Africa is already told. We have this self-destruct button that we always reach for every four years. And our failures are always about money, hardly about football.
Our technical ability has undoubtedly come a long way and for the first time in a very long while, we shall be represented by a very technical group in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Nigeria and Senegal.
Besides that, Africa owns some of the world’s greatest talent. It is home to Mo Salah and Saido Mane walking in the big shoes of George Weah, Jay Jay Okocha, and Didier Drogba.
We could also mention the sons of immigrants, who ended up as Europeans like the entire French national team, or if one must stretch it, all the descendants of slaves like those nimble-footed Brazilians. And yet one wonders at the continents collective shambles at this stage.
If we are as talented as any, why have we never won a World Cup or even showed signs we could do so soon?
Our performances instead mostly reveal a level of administrative sophistication incapable of lasting a tournament.
And I know no Maghreb nation has come close to winning it either, but this disorganization is more likely to be demonstrated by sub-Saharan nations. We don’t have to go far back in history in search for our sub-Saharan legacy of controversy – Brazil 2014. As if it wasn’t bad enough that only Nigeria and Algeria made it to the last 16, Ghana, Cameroon and even Nigeria will be remembered for pay disputes and match fixing allegations.
It all began with Cameroon, who refused to board the flight to Brazil until they got paid. With hindsight, their federation should have called their bluff, as all they did was embarrass Cameroon once they got to Brazil. To this day we still await the outcome of the investigation into the seven “bad apples” accused of match-fixing. Then came Ghana’s pay dispute of astonishing stupidity only matched by the decision to fly $3m in cash to pay the contract rebels. When the cash touched down the ensuing scuffle broke up the team leading to a violent failure in discipline.

Money hungry
Nigeria, who alongside Algeria, had made it past the group stages then chose their appearance-money moment to coincide with their preparation for their round of 16-game against France. They deservedly, if not flatteringly lost 2-0. Another failed World Cup then, and the thing is even if African fans feel let down by all this chaos, few are surprised. It is familiar.
Our story of football governance is one of corruption and greed. It is hardly the environment to build a winning team. I would be shocked if Egypt Tunisia or Morocco got caught up in this. They have no such history.
But Senegal and Nigeria are obliged to sanitise this image and prove us self-doubters wrong. Then we can dream of a semi-finalist. And after that, who knows?

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MBanturaki