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Favourites pay the ultimate price

Posted by Nurudeen Obalola on 2005/10/15 | Views: 573 |

Favourites pay the ultimate price


Hopefully, the big lesson has been learnt. No team can qualify for the World Cup without working really hard for it.

Hopefully, the big lesson has been learnt. No team can qualify for the World Cup without working really hard for it.

If big names like Cameroun and Nigeria and their ilk thought that they could stroll to the World Cup, they now know better.

The streets of Yaounde, Lagos, Dakar and Johannesburg were supposed to come alive last weekend as Africa's World Cup qualifying race came to a screeching halt. At least that was the unwritten script from the beginning when the campaign began in June, 2004.

Only some of the so-called small teams had other ideas and they were not going to let the favourites ride them roughshod on the way to Germany. Who says the greatest single-sport spectacle on earth was an exclusive preserve of a chosen few?

Cameroun, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa were the seeds in their groups and they were all expected to qualify for Germany 2006, even if they encountered some little difficulties on the way.

Those envisaged 'little difficulties' were just those at the beginning, but by the end of the campaign they had become gigantic problems that simply refused to go away.

The Lions of Cameroun had expected the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire and the Pharaohs of Egypt to be their major rivals for the sole ticket in group C and they were soon proved right.

The Ivorians, powered by the combined talents of Didier Drogba, Haruna Dindane and Bonaventure Kalou in attack, shot out of the blocks and won their first two games, including away to Egypt. They had made their intentions known early and Cameroun had to give chase if they were going to reach their sixth World Cup finals in seven attempts.

Although the Ivorians were brought back to earth in their third game when they were beaten 2-0 in Yaounde by Cameroun, they were undaunted in the quest for the golden World Cup place.

Coached by the former France boss, Henri Michel, who led Les Bleus to the World Cup semi-finals in 1986 and led Cameoun and Morocco to the finals which followed, the Elephants chalked up vital points in the run-up to the make-or-mar encounter with the Lions in Abidjan in September.

By the time of the September clash, the one most anticipated on the continent, Cote d'Ivoire were already two points ahead of their bitter rivals with just two matches to go. Even a draw at home would still have been good for Drogba and company, as they would still be guaranteed qualification if they won their last match against Sudan.

The Elephants, apparently overwhelmed by the weight of the occasion, crumbled at home and their World Cup hopes appeared to be in tatters. Cameroun's 3-2 win meant the Lions needed just a 'routine' victory over Egypt and they would have booked their ticket. But, like true warriors, the Elephants refused to give up the fight and they went to their last match in Sudan chasing a win just in case 'almighty' Cameroun slipped. You could bet your life savings on Cameroun winning at home against even a full Brazilian side on a day like this but the Ivorians were not deterred.

With both games going on simultaneously in Khartoum and Yaounde, it became an occasion too much for the faint hearted, especially those from Cote d'Ivoire.

Cameroun got into the lead as expected against an Egyptian side that had nothing to play for, and the Ivorians' lead in Sudan seemed meaningless. But, against expectation, Egypt equalised and the Elephants were back in it.

The roller coaster ride was yet to end though as Cameroun got a penalty in the fifth minute of added time and then lost it. In the space of a few seconds, emotions in strife-torn Cote d'Ivoire had switched from elation to despair and then back to unbridled joy. Pierre Wome smashed his kick against the upright and the parties began in Abidjan, Bouake and other Ivorian cities. The Elephants had bested the Lions and the reward was a fitting trip to Germany. Perhaps, a bottle of vintage champagne from all Ivorians to Inter Milan's Wome would not be out of place.

Like Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Angola and Ghana also earned debut places at the World Cup and nobody can honestly begrudge them their good fortune.

A combination of total commitment and untarnished patriotism was what worked for these sides and, whatever happens in Germany, they have proved their point.

Togo were not given any chance to grab the ticket in group, what with Senegal, Mali and Zambia as group 1 rivals but the Hawks had two incredibly resourceful men in their ranks.

Coach Stephen Keshi, who had not been able to match his playing success when he became a coach in his native Nigeria, and striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who had gained invaluable experience when he got to the UEFA Champions League final with Monaco in 2004, were the pillars of the team and they ensured they did not crumble.

Keshi instilled a new belief in the players, changed the way they played and Adebayor, whose roots are in the western part of Nigeria, did the rest. The Monaco striker took the qualifiers as a personal crusdade and his efforts, which included 10 goals - half of Togo's total- and two assists in the ticket-clinching 3-2 win in Congo last Saturday, were rewarded with qualification for Germany.

Adebayor, like Cote d'Ivoire's Drogba who scored nine goals, was the true epitome of commitment to his country's cause as he made himself available for every match and went about his business with a minimum of fuss. Unlike Nigeria's prima donnas, neither Adebayor nor Drogba was too tired or too 'busy' to don their nation's colours and they are the ones going to the World Cup. That tiny, unfanciedTogo finished as the team with the most points-23- in the entire African campaign is a fitting tribute to a side short on star names but huge on passion for the game.

Like Togo, Angola's chances of qualifying from the beginning were as realistic as a goldfish finding a hiding place. Nigeria were the runaway favourites to top the group and the Super Eagles were tippedto have the easiest run to their fourth straight World Cup finals.

Perhaps the pundits had conveniently forgotten to take into account Nigeria's unique ability to fiddle with the self-destruct button. After labouring to a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in the opening game in Abuja in June 2004, the Eagles showed their true colours in the next match.

Evidently not regarding Angola as a threat and not really caring what happened in the early stages- a very costly error of judgement it turned out in the end- the so-called stars stayed away from the second game against the Palancas Negras in Luanda.

On match day, shorn of his overpampered regulars, among whom was captain Austin Okocha who was throwing a birthday party in Lagos, coach Christian Chukwu was left with a rag tag team to confront the ambitious hosts.

Only Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and Julius Aghahowa were the regulars and shirts were given to the likes of Aliyu Datti, Rabiu Baita and such other journeymen. The makeshift team held their own for much of the game but the inevitable goal came through inspirational captain Fabrice Akwa and Nigeria's end had begun at the Stadio Cidadela in Luanda.

Akwa took confidence from that win and the skipper, who played all of their games compared to Okocha's four, proved to be the match winner again in Kigali last Saturday when his headed goal with 10 minutes left sealed his country's qualification.

"It's amazing to qualify for the first time and I don't know how to express my emotions. It's fantastic, not just because of my goal, but because we did great.

"It was a difficult game," he explained. 'But I kept believing, working hard and kept trying to score.

"I had one or two chances: one of them was a really good chance and I scored.

"For all those people in Angola, it's just amazing," Akwa gushed after the epoch-making victory.

One-on-one, Nigeria are light years ahead of Angola in terms of talent but the Southern Africans had that vital ingredient that the Eagles lacked - dedication- and that was what made the difference eventually. The Angolans simply wanted it more.

In spite of scoring just 12 goals to Nigeria's 21 and winning only one away game to Nigeria's two, it is Angola who will be in Germany. And the key games for them were the meetings in Luanda and Kano.

In Luanda the stars stayed away; in Kano they came strolled into camp two days to the game. The Eagles, without Obafemi Martins who was 'too tired' to play the game, were largely unfit and they wilted under the scorching sun of Kano, allowing the Angolans to nick a valuable draw.

In the end, only group 4, Nigeria's pool, was decided on the head-to-head rule and Angola profited.

While Nigerians are still mourning their great loss, their West African neighbours Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire are still savouring the sweet taste of victory.

Ghana had dominated African football for decades, winning the Nations Cup four times, but the World Cup had eluded them until now.

After starting slowly, Ghana got their break when they won 2-0 in South Africa and they did not look back until they had the ticket, as precious as the gold the country is renowned for.

"Today is the happiest day of my life. Every Ghanaian has been waiting for this," said Black Stars skipper, Stephen Appiah, after the team confirmed their participation in Germany with a 4-0 win over Cape Verde on Saturday. Appiah should be happy because he led by example, turning up for games and giving his all to the team.

For Appiah, Akwa, Drogba and Adebayor, they and their teammates may be going into uncharted territory but they are in for an experience they will never forget. And after tasting the addictive World Cup dish, they will surely yearn for more.

Nigeria, Cameroun and the other fallen giants had better be ready for a real tug-of-war to regain their places for 2010 because these new forces will not let go easily.

SATURDAY PUNCH, October 15, 2005

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