End clap for the World Cup in Qatar.
The African selections in the running have known different fates in recent weeks: two selections have participated in the knockout matches - including Morocco, which has climbed to the semi-finals - and three nations have been eliminated from the knockout stages. of hens.
It is in any case a successful World Cup-2022 for the African continent compared to the one held in Russia four years ago: Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal were then out. from the first round.
In Qatar, African football has made an appointment with world football for the next international matches.
And it is not Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco, who will say the opposite.
After the third place match lost to Croatia (2-1), the coach said he was “convinced” that “in 15, 20 years (…) an African team will win the World Cup because we will have learned”.
And he continued: “We have a level to pass.
We have to build on that.
With work, with desire.
This DNA (of victory, editor's note), we do not build it only for Morocco, but for the African continent.
Morocco writes history by reaching the semi-finals
The Atlas Lions were the locomotive of African football during this World Cup in Qatar.
They first managed to emerge first from the “group of death” promised to them by drawing (0-0) against Croatia – finalist of the 2018 World Cup – and beating (0-2) Belgium – third in the competition in Russia four years ago.
A performance of size… which continued during the knockout matches.
Morocco blocked the Spanish tiki-taka in the round of 16 (0-0, tab 3-0) before getting the better of Portugal in the quarter-finals (1-0).
The selection coached by Walid Regragui then climbed to the semi-finals of the international competition – against France (2-0 defeat).
>> Morocco: 4th place at the 2022 World Cup for history and ambition for the future
Morocco thus became the first African nation to reach this stage of the competition, breaking the glass ceiling of the quarter-finals – level reached by Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. Despite a 'little final' loss to Croatia, the Atlas Lions have shown the way forward for the upcoming international competitions.
"You shouldn't have an inferiority complex," said Moroccan defender Romain Saïss. "Today, African teams are all made up of very great players, not just those who were there (in Qatar)". And to continue: "I hope that (the course of Morocco) will serve as an example for the future, that there will be more and more African teams which will reach the semi-finals".
Senegal offers an eighth gala despite absentees, including Sadio Mané
The Lions of Teranga made their contribution to the world of African selections.
Despite an inaugural defeat against the Netherlands (0-2), Senegal emerged second in their group after two victories against Qatar (1-3) and against Ecuador (1-2), climbing up to in the round of 16 for a poster against England.
But the march seemed too high against the Three Lions (3-0 defeat) despite a good start to the game from the Teranga Lions.
“We were missing a few key players,” said goalkeeper Édouard Mendy after the game. “Today added the absences of Idrissa (Gana Gueye) and Cheikhou (Kouyaté). it is clear that it is immediately complicated. But throughout the tournament and throughout the year, we have shown that Senegal is not just a player but a group. We will continue to to move forward, to progress, and we will come back stronger at the 2026 World Cup.”
Dear brothers, you have fallen with arms in hand.
The people are very proud of your journey which has warmed the hearts of the supporters, defending the national flag with dignity.
Good luck, the learning continues.
We'll go looking for other Inchallah trophies 🦁🇸🇳❤ pic.twitter.com/iWfJ9vPwMH
— Sadio Mané (@SMane_Officiel) December 4, 2022
Sadio Mané's absence from the 2022 World Cup – due to a right fibula injury – also probably played into Senegal's performance: the Bayern Munich striker is a major player and the captain of the selection.
He had also shown the way to success for his teammates last February, during Senegal's first victory in an African Cup of Nations – against Egypt (0-0, 4-2 on pens).
Tunisia “does not go out the back door” and wins France
The Carthage Eagles did not manage to pass the group stage, but they came close to qualifying for the round of 16.
After a first meeting where they posed problems in Denmark before holding the draw without cracking (0-0), Tunisia missed out on their match against Australia (0-1).
This is the turning point of her competition: behind in the score, she never managed to obtain at least the point of the draw despite several opportunities.
This precious point could have counted double when approaching the last day of the group stage: it could have allowed the Tunisians to finish second in their group… with a point ahead of Australia.
Because while the latter won against Denmark (1-0), the Eagles of Carthage offered themselves a prestigious victory against a revamped French team thanks to a goal from Wahbi Khazri (1-0).
>> Mondial-2022: Tunisia offers France but takes the door
"We do not go out the back door," said the Tunisian captain after the victory against the Blues.
“We had a good match, showed good things.
We had a real team game.
There is the disappointment of not qualifying despite four points… we can only blame ourselves after our defeat against Australia, it leaves a little bitter taste”.
Tunisian coach Jalel Kadri admitted that the objective of qualifying for the round of 16 “has not been fulfilled”, while qualifying: “It was not easy to collect four points (…).
We leave the competition, but with great honor and pride.”
Cameroon emerges with honors and wins Brazil
The Indomitable Lions got off to a bad start at the 2022 World Cup with an inaugural defeat against Switzerland (1-0), before recovering against Serbia – the two teams delivered one of the most spectacular draws of the competition (3-3).
With one point scored in two days, the case seemed almost settled for Cameroon before their last meeting...
The African selection could have climbed into the round of 16 thanks to a combination of circumstances: Cameroon had to beat Brazil – which it did, offering itself a prestigious victory in the competition (1-0) – and Switzerland was not expected to win against Serbia… which finally happened (2-3 victory).
The Indomitable Lions showed panache during all their meetings, but the youth – and the inexperience – of the selection probably counted when playing a qualification in eighth.
The coach of Cameroon, Rigobert Song, did not say anything else after the match against Brazil: “It's a young team, we saw our youth growing in power, it should be emphasized.
(...) The World Cup allows us to learn and not make the mistakes of the first matches (...).
It's a regret, we realized that we could do better.
(…) It's a shame that we stop there, but we have to keep the positive.”
Ghana did not deserve
The Black Stars had to deal with a choice opponent in their first match: against Portugal, they delivered a spectacular match but lost at the end of the suspense (3-2 defeat).
Ghana did not give up, however, and won by the same score for their second match against South Korea (3-2).
Going into the final day, qualification for the round of 16 was still possible for the Black Stars – provided they beat Uruguay and South Korea did not win against Portugal.
Quite the opposite happened: the Koreans created the feat (2-1 victory) and Ghana lost (0-2 defeat) in a match that looked like a revenge match controversy between the two teams at the 2010 World Cup.
Against Uruguay, André Ayew missed a penalty, twelve years after that of Asamoah Gyan against the same opponent for a place in the semi-finals – after the voluntary hand of Luis Suarez.
After this missed shot, the Uruguayans scored twice and sealed the fate of the Black Stars.
Enough to leave Ghanaian players bitter but also optimistic, like defensive midfielder Daniel Amartey: “It's football, it happens.
If we score this penalty, I think we kill them.
But we miss it, and we saw the game change.
(...) That's life.
We continue.
It was my first World Cup, I learned a lot.
We will qualify for the next World Cup and we will come back."
The World Cup in Qatar beyond football:
>> Italy, Argentina, Russia… Before Qatar, three controversial World Cups
>> Behind "carbon neutrality", the "greenwashing" World Cup
>> "It's a disposable workforce": the hell of migrant workers in Qatar
>> A controversial World Cup: Qatar's efforts to counter criticism
>> Qatar: shadow workers
>> Should we boycott the World Cup in Qatar? An Emirate under criticism
>> A bought World Cup? Since 2010, suspicions of corruption have weighed on Qatar
>> After Qatar, is a "greener" World Cup possible?
>> Mondial-2022: a political, economic or "hypocritical" boycott?
>> I have the right, I don't have the right... Guide for the good little supporter in Qatar
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