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Africa has long nurtured dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup. With stars like Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, and Mohamed Salah dazzling the global football stage, many have argued that the continent’s time is near. But, according to Democratic Republic of Congo’s coach, Sébastien Desabre, Africa’s football pitches and stadiums might just be the stumbling block keeping the continent from its moment of glory.
Desabre recently dropped a bombshell during an interview on BBC’s Newsday, boldly claiming that Africa’s football infrastructure is simply not up to scratch. “Unfortunately, some pitches and structures don’t match the ambitions of the [CAF] president or the federations,” Desabre stated, essentially pointing a finger at sub-par stadiums as the reason Africa hasn’t bagged a World Cup win yet.
But let’s be real for a moment. Is the grass really greener on the other side, or are we just using dusty pitches as an excuse? It’s almost as if we’ve turned football stadiums into scapegoats for bigger issues. Ghana, one of Africa’s football giants, was recently slapped with a ban from hosting international matches by CAF due to concerns over their Baba Yara Stadium’s pitch. The same country that has gifted the world with players like Abedi Pele and Asamoah Gyan is now struggling to host international matches because of… grass? Surely, we can’t reduce Africa’s footballing future to blades of green.
Other nations like Benin, Kenya, and Madagascar have also been hit with the same “poor infrastructure” hammer, having to play their 2025 Afcon qualifiers at neutral venues after failing to meet CAF’s requirements. But here’s the kicker – Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup without their stadiums grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. So, are we saying that infrastructure is the real roadblock for African teams, or is there a more complex puzzle we’ve yet to solve?
Desabre, whose DR Congo team reached the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, isn’t entirely wrong, though. He acknowledges that while player quality has improved, there’s still a long way to go in terms of training facilities and stadium standards. “I know one time surely, an African team will win the World Cup because either way, it’s destined for African football,” he boldly predicts. But then again, hasn’t this been the mantra for decades? Africa is always on the verge of greatness, but somehow, infrastructure is now the final frontier?
Yet, one can’t help but wonder – why do we seem to care more about stadiums when it comes to football, but in politics, many of our leaders seem comfortable governing from dilapidated parliaments? Maybe if we demanded the same stadium standards for our politicians’ offices, we’d solve both governance and football issues in one go!
In truth, Desabre does have a point. Proper infrastructure is essential, but it feels like a convenient narrative to pin all of Africa’s footballing shortcomings on stadiums. After all, the real issue may lie in the structures beyond the field – poor management, corruption, or the lack of consistent football development programs. Until those issues are tackled, Africa’s World Cup dreams might remain just that – dreams.
So, while we rush to fix our pitches and stadiums, maybe we should also focus on building a football culture that doesn’t crumble when the grass gets a little dry. Because let’s face it, the World Cup isn’t won on perfect pitches – it’s won with heart, strategy, and just a little bit of luck.
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