by Minor Magical

Created on: June 10, 2010

European teams have never won any FIFA World Cup tournament hosted outside Europe. On the other hand, Africa-as a continent-has neither hosted nor won a football world cup tournament prior to the upcoming 2010 FIFA world cup which is going to be held in South Africa between 11th June and 11th July. However, history will be made when an African team plays against a team from Europe, on the final day of the 2010 World cup tournament, to decide the ultimate champion. The furthest that a team from South America will go is the semi-final and consequently, a third place play-off. For the first time, football’s coveted prize will have a new winner outside the usual group of seven that have won the world cup since the first tournament was held in Uruguay in 1930.Unfortunately, Asia and North America will have to wait a little longer for Glory. The deductions I’ve made are not scientific but might just happen as I have predict.

Big names will fall in the preliminary group stage. France, Portugal and England are the big three who will make an early exit. Argentina might sneak through into the second round but they really don’t have the right mental attitude to make it into the quarter finals. We expect major upsets from the so called “small” teams. Algeria, Ghana, the U.S.A and North Korea will prove to be hard nuts to crack. They will surprise many including their own fans by making it past the second round into the quarter finals.

If Africa is ever going to win its first FIFA world cup title then this (South Africa 2010) is the place and time to do so is now. Africans can pin their hopes on the hosts-South Africa and elephants of Cote d’Ivoire. Any one of these two teams is capable of making this a tournament to remember for the African populace. We can not even start rating South Africa among the top five soccer teams in Africa but I believe in the power of the twelfth player and with the horn blowing- home crowd behind them, they are capable of frustrating even the mighty Brazil. Such a biased crowd is obviously psychologically intimidating. On the other hand, Cote d’Ivore is arguably the only African team in the tournament with five star players in all sectors i.e. from their impermeable goalkeeper to very sublime forwards.  With or without the incredible Didier Drogba, Cote D’Ivoire is already spoilt for choice as to who it will start in the first eleven. They also have one of the most experienced coaches in

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