2010 World Cup: The Top 12 African Players Expected To Shine (Part 1)

By Angela Asante/Live Soccer TV

For the first time in the history of the World Cup, as much as six nations will represent the African continent. They are Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Cameroon, Algeria, and the tournament’s hosts South Africa. Among those six teams is a bunch of big names and of rising stars.

Today, LiveSoccerTV.com looks at the top 12 African players that are expected to shine during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Check out the list of the 12 African players that should rock the stage in South Africa and carry the hopes of the Black Continent. Now the list doesn’t only contain aged experience players. There’s also room for fresh faces like FIFA U-20 World Cup’s best player Dominic Adiyiah. But in the first part of this coverage, LiveSoccerTV.com contemplates six players – two of which come from the Ivory Coast.

1) Didier Drogba - Cote d'Ivoire

The Chelsea and Cote d’Ivoire striker is regarded as one of the world’s finest striker. Drogba is fierce in front of goal and even though he cannot compare his pace to Cristiano Ronaldo or Arjen Robben’s, he can boast about his accurate shots in open play and set pieces. Didier Drogba can score from any distance and from any angle.

People will just need to remember his goals against Hull City on the first day of the 2009/10 English Premier League season. Free-kicks, penalties, headers; Drogba is good on the ball in all these three categories. He will enter the 2010 FIFA World Cup tournament as England’s Golden Boot winner and as Africa’s Player of the Year titleholder. With the support of Cote d’Ivoire’s numerous talented players, Didier Drogba could embody the fighting spirit of Africa.


2) Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon

He’s broken records over records in Europe like in Africa. The former Barcelona star has won almost anything a player could dream of in club football. His historic days with the Blaugrana are gone but he has experienced something new in Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho.

Samuel Eto’o seems to have lost the goal scoring touch he had five years ago and which saw him achieve a high status at the side of Ronaldinho. Still, Eto’o is a good passer and a humble national team captain for Cameroon. The 2010 World Cup will offer him the chance to emulate the legendary Roger Milla.


3) Kadeir Kaita - Cote d'Ivoire

This is a player who proves his patriotism for Cote d’Ivoire in each game he plays. He is fast, full of tricks, and he is physically strong. He is the type of midfielder who can turn defenders into school boys with his attacking instinct. He is great on both wings and dangerous in counter attacking situations.

Goals? Kader Kaita can stun goalkeepers with his long range firing shots. The only regret he might have felt in 2010 was during the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola. He certainly thought that his 88th minute screamer against Algeria would put the Elephants through to the semifinals of the competition on a 2-1 score line. However, Cote d’Ivoire’s sloppy defense and Algeria’s resilience made the difference. The Elephants surprisingly lost 3-2 after extra-time and Kader Kaita’s wonder goal subsequently proved meaningless. Kaita will surely come back more dangerous than ever at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.


4) Peter Odemwingie - Nigeria

His playing style is quite similar to Fernando Torres’ or Cristiano Ronaldo’s. He has quick feet, a flexible body which he uses to dance his way through defenders. He doesn’t have the best of goal scoring records as a winger/striker in the Nigerian national football team. But the 2008 Beijing Olympics (where Nigerian finished second behind Argentina) and the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournaments have certainly offered him immense experience as a captain ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.


5) Andre Dede Ayew Pele - Ghana

He is arguably the most exciting midfielder in the Ghana’s Black Stars squad but his hard work is yet to be recognized by the fans back home. Rumors suggest that the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup winning captain got his place in the Ghanaian squad through bribery as he is the son of the legendary Abedi Pele.

But Andre Dede Ayew Pele prefers to talk on the pitch through his aggressiveness and his commanding play. Above all, he often comes to the rescue of his team during crucial moments. A proof: his equalizer against South Africa in the knock out stages of the 2009 FIFA U-20 tournament and his lone goal in Ghana’s do-or-die group stage match against Burkina Faso during the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. A trademark performance during the 2010 FIFA World Cup could see him enjoy international recognition.


6) Benny McCarthy - South Africa

Do you remember the guy from the 1998 African Cup of Nations who scored four goals in a space of 13 minutes against Namibia and eventually topped the tournament’s goal scoring chart with seven goals alongside Egypt’s Hossam Hassan? The name is Benny McCarthy; Bafana Bafana’s all time goal scorer.

The 32-year-old striker is arguably the most controversial football personality in South Africa. His commitment to the national team has been an issue for the past 10 years. McCarthy even retired from international football in 2002 before returning to the squad in 2004 on a irregular basis. But current coach Carlos Alberto Parreira has guaranteed him with trust. Statistically, Bafana Bafana have a feeble goal scoring record. Benny McCarthy will try to solve the hosts' problem in front of goal.

Nigeria drop Everton striker Victor Anichebe from 23-man squad

Nigeria have dropped Everton striker Victor Anichebe, but included Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi in their final 23-man squad for the World Cup released on Monday.

By Telegraph UK Agencies


The other surprise exclusions from Nigeria's World Cup party are Real Zaragoza striker Ikechukwu Uche and Nice defender Onyekachi Apam, who have both appeared not to have overcome knee injury problems.

Ikechukwu Uche was joint top scorer in the qualifiers with four goals but has been out of action for seven months following a major knee injury.


The other dropped players are Peter Utaka, Victor Anichebe, Bassey Akpan, Terna Suswan and Brown Ideye.

Mikel is recuperating from knee surgery and only joined up with the rest of the squad Friday after he was certified fit by doctors of his London club.

Nigeria are drawn in Group B along with Argentina, Greece and South Korea and play their first match on June 12 against Argentina.

Nigeria World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Vincent Enyeama (Hapoel Tel Aviv/ISR), Dele Aiyenugba (Bnei Yehuda/ISR), Austin Ejide (Hapoel Petah Tikva/ISR)

Defenders: Taye Taiwo (Marseille/FRA), Elderson Echiejile (Rennes/FRA), Chidi Odiah (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Joseph Yobo (Everton/ENG), Daniel Shittu (Bolton Wanderers/ENG), Ayodele Adeleye (Sparta Rotterdam/NED), Rabiu Afolabi (SV Salzburg/AUT)

Midfielders: Kalu Uche (Almeria/ESP), Dickson Etuhu (Fulham/ENG), Mikel Obi (Chelsea/ENG), Sani Kaita (Alaniya/RUS), Haruna Lukman (Monaco/FRA), Yusuf Ayila (Dynamo Kiev/UKR)

Strikers: Yakubu Aiyegbeni (Everton/ENG), Chinedu Obasi (Hoffenheim/GER), Nwankwo Kanu, John Utaka (Portsmouth/ENG), Obafemi Martins (Wolfsburg/GER), Obinna Nsofor (Malaga/ESP), Osaze Odemwingie (Lokomotiv Moscow

Low World Cup Ticket Sales In Africa

By Fred Vubem Toh/Cameroon Tribune/All Africa




Despite being cheaper than in previous World Cup finals, tickets are still beyond the means of many poor Africans.

Though the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was said to be an African festival, many African fans will not be part of the football fiesta owing to the high cost of tickets and the absence of direct flights to South Africa. Despite 2010 seats being cheaper than in previous World Cup finals, they are still beyond the means of many poor people. There is a disappointment with sales across Africa, where the expense of travel is likely to be a factor for fans of Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria.

As a result, with 3.2m tickets up for grabs worldwide, the top-buying country outside South Africa is neighbouring Botswana, where only about 1,700 tickets have been bought. Sales in football-mad countries like Nigeria run into only a few hundred. "The ticket sales on the continent are not what we expected," said local organising committee CEO, Danny Jordaan.

With ticket sales flagging worldwide, a maximum of just 200,000 foreign visitors against the initial estimate of 500,000 are expected in South Africa during the month-long tournament. Ticket sales outside South Africa have been led by the United States with some 110.000 applications, followed by the UK's 41,529 and Australia's 15,523. Mexico was fourth, news Jordaan described as "unexpected."

To fill stadiums, ticket kiosks have been opened in South Africa and tens of thousands of tickets have recently been made available to local fans at the exceptionally low price of 20 dollars. But fans in the rest of Africa are still expected to pay the international price of 80 dollars.

Nigeria/South Africa: 2010 World Cup - Eagles Will Not Win a Single Match

By Ben Efe/Vanguard/All Africa

Former Eagles defender and CAF Champions League winning coach, Kadiri Ikhana has advised Nigerians not to put their money on the Eagles to perform in South Africa.

Ikhana who was in the team that won the Africa Cup of Nations in 1980 in Lagos, hinged his pessimism on the fact that the Eagles have not recorded any meaningful preparation and also the last minute appointment of coach Lars Lagerback according to him, did not helped matters.

"Taiwo Ogunjobi the Nigeria Football Association technical committee chairman said the Eagles have prepared well for the World Cup.

He wants us to believe that Nigeria will go far in South Africa. But for me I cannot be deceived from what I have seen of our build up. I don't see the Eagles winning a single match," said Ikhana.

He said that the NFA was wrong to have fired coach Shuaibu Amodu adding that coach Lagerback will find it difficult moulding the team in such a short time.

"Any serious football nation, will weigh all the options before firing their coach a few months to the World Cup.

"We shouldn't have embarked on that road. The NFA should have waited till after the World Cup, before removing the coach. Honestly, I don't see us go far in South Africa," Ikhana said.

However, coach Lagerback, has assured that he has the magic to make the difference. He listed a 30-man tentative list for the World Cup on Monday and Nigerians have reacted with mix feelings.

"Well of course Nigeria has always surprised us by doing well when least expected. Things cannot always go our way, we need to have a good build up," Ikhana added.

Nigeria 2010 World Cup Plan Back On Track

BY OLUWASHINA OKELEJI, BBC SPORT, LAGOS

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has resolved its accommodation problems ahead of the World Cup in South Africa.

The Super Eagles will now stay at the Protea Waterfront Hotel at Richards Bay after dumping Hampshire Hotel

The Fifa accommodation office, Match, as well as the country's sports minister reached a truce with Hampshire Hotel at the weekend.

This comes after Nigeria coach Lars Lagerback rejected Hampshire Hotel as their base during the tournament.

"Collectively the hotel and Nigeria have agreed to share the compensation cost following the dissolution of our agreement," NFF president Sani Lulu Abdullahi told BBC Sport.

"Contrary to what has been written all over, we considered a lot of things before settling for that hotel late last year but twice they fail to meet our deadlines to put things in place hence the cancellation.

"The NFF is grateful to the Nigerian government and Fifa for their support in resolving this as well as fixing the new place.

With the hotel issue sorted out, the NFF has also finalized the Super Eagles friendly matches scheduled for the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Nigeria's build-up to the World Cup has been disrupted by several different problems - including the abandonment of a planned training camp in London.

But the NFF said the protracted training camp and friendly matches have been formalized.

"We will play Iceland on 26 May in London at a venue to be decided while the match against Colombia four days later will be played at the Leyton Orient stadium," NFF spokesman Ademola Olajire confirm to the BBC.

"Another friendly is also scheduled for 4 June against North Korea in South Africa but we will announce the ground as soon it is worked out."

Meanwhile, Nigeria assistant coach Austin Eguavoen believes the return to club action for several Super Eagles players can fire up Nigeria's World Cup campaign.

With barely six weeks to the World Cup, the likes of Obafemi Martins, Taye Taiwo, Danny Shittu, Adefemi Olubayo and Yakubu Ayegbeni are prominent names struggling to break into their clubs' first team.

Captain Joseph Yobo was in action against Stoke City on Saturday, the defender's first start for Everton since their Europa League defeat at Sporting Lisbon in February.

"We need all our players back in regular action and we have been worried about Yobo, but it was good to see him back in a more assuring manner." Eguavoen said.

"Yobo as one of the few experienced defenders in our squad brings a lot to the team and it was good to see him back for Everton.

"John Utaka scoring for Portsmouth and Ikechukwu Uche making a return to action in the Spanish league gives us a huge boost."

Nigeria play Argentina, Greece and South Korea in Group B of the World Cup.

Soccer Betting - Will Africa Nation Win 2010 World Cup?

BY NILA AMEROVA/BETUS

That is the overriding question ahead of the 2010 South Africa World Cup. The allure is entirely geographic in nature, the occurrence of the World Cup for the first time ever on African soil. But it is no less a seductive question.

Some would have this sort of consideration/debate premature as an African nation has yet to make it into the semi-finals let alone the final of the world’s biggest soccer event. Only two nations have made it as far as the quarterfinals – Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002).

BetUS has rolled out several interesting markets of which some are as follows:

Winning Continent:

•Europe -210
•South America +185
•Rest Of The World +1200
To Reach Semi-final:

•Ivory Coast +500
Ghana +1000
•Cameroon +1000
•South Africa +1400
•Nigeria +1500
•Algeria +4000

To Reach Final:

•Ivory Coast +1200
•Ghana +3000
•Cameroon +4000
•Nigeria +3500
•South Africa +4000
•Algeria +20000

Some interesting anomalies in the last two aforementioned markets are a) Nigeria are priced larger at +1500 than Cameroon at +1000 to reach the semis, yet conversely b) Cameroon are priced larger at +4000 than Nigeria at +3500 to reach the finals. Huh?

Some interesting World Cup facts in the last two decades to take note of when considering the market values of each of these outfits are as follows:

1990 World Cup in Italy – Cameroon and Egypt represented Africa.

Cameroon surprised everyone when they finished at the top of Group B, ahead of Romania, Argentina and Soviet Union, in that order. Top three nations at the time advanced out of the group stage.

Cameroon were the Cinderella story of the tournament, going all the way to the quarterfinals inspired largely by the play of Roger Milla, the first African player to become a major star on the international stage. Cameroon beat Colombia 2:1 in the last 16 before losing narrowly to England 3:2 in the quarters.

1994 World Cup in USA – Cameroon, Morocco and Nigeria represented Africa.

Neither Cameroon nor Morocco advanced out of the group stage. Nigeria though did, once again surprising pundits by topping Group D, ahead of Bulgaria, Argentina and Greece in that order.

Nigeria’s run ended in last 16 when they were eliminated by Italy 2:1.

1998 World Cup in France – Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tunisia represented Africa.

Once again, Nigeria topped group D, this time ahead of Paraguay, Spain and Bulgaria. Nigeria’s run ended in the last 16 when they lost to Denmark 4:1.

2002 World Cup in South Korea –Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia represented Africa.
This time Senegal emerged the Cinderella of the tournament. Senegal advanced out of the group stage on second place finish, after Denmark and ahead of Uruguay and France (defending champions no less) in that order. In fact, Senegal handed the tournament’s first big shock upset when they beat the defending champs France 1:0 in their opening group match. Senegal emulated Cameroon’s inspired run of 1990, going all the way to the quarters, beating Sweden 2:1 in the last 16 before falling somewhat surprisingly to Turkey 1:0 in the quarters. Senegal were minutes away from setting a new standard for Africa by reaching the semis.

Jay-Jay says Bafana will Shine

By MOZOLA MOLEFE/TIMES LIVE

Jay-Jay Okocha is backing at least one of the six African countries at the World Cup to reach the semifinals in July.

The former captain of Nigeria said yesterday that the African teams would be especially inspired at this year's World Cup because it was in their own backyard.

Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Algeria, and South Africa all have difficult groups in the first round, especially Bafana, who are joined in Group A with France, Uruguay and Mexico.

But even the hosts, lowest-ranked of all the African teams, are given a chance of going beyond the first round.

"I saw them [Bafana] during the Confederations Cup last year and after that I was confident that they would do well in this year's tournament. They also have the added factor of having a Brazilian coach," said Okocha.

He said the World Cup in South Africa would be a huge opportunity for African countries to "re-write our football history".

"Based on the current form of some of the teams, a semifinal finish should not be impossible. Let's face it, our football is suffering. But, we can achieve this," he said.

He singled out Ivory Coast as favourites to take that semifinal spot despite their poor performance in the African Cup of Nations.

"It is typical that when one country is given so much attention they tend to be a disappointment because of the pressure on them," he said of the Ivorians' Nations Cup performance.

The Didier Drogba-led Ivory Coast will face Brazil, Portugal and North Korea in the group stages in June.

On Nigeria's chances at the World Cup, Okocha said the appointment of coach Lars Lagerback last month had brought optimism.

"We needed help," he said. "He was the favourite when interviews were conducted earlier on and now it is his job to get the top players to do the job for the country."

He said the Super Eagles were not under pressure ahead of the World Cup, but felt they had already been written off as a surprise package in the tournament.

Nigeria Government To Name Foreign Coach For World Cup Next Year - Report

The Super Eagles could yet get a new coach for South Africa 2010... Samm Audu Audu

The Nigerian government plans to soon name a new foreign coach for the country's team ahead of next year's World Cup despite the recent endorsement of coach Shuaibu Amodu by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to lead the Super Eagles at South Africa 2010.
According to the daily Nigerian sports newspaper, Soccer Star, top officials of the sports ministry have insisted on going ahead to engage a foreign coach in place of Amodu.
"We are more concerned about Nigeria having a decent outing in South Africa next year. As such we cannot afford to leave the destiny of the Super Eagles in the hands of Shuaibu Amodu, " a top official was quoted by the newspaper.

The newspaper further claimed that the new foreign coach will be appointed in time for the African Cup of Nations in Angola, which kicks off in January 10, so that he could start monitoring the team.

with the top Nigerian job.
On Wednesday, the NFF threw their full weight behind Amodu, announcing that the former BCC Lions handler will lead Nigeria to both the Nations Cup and the World Cup.