AFCON

[Donavan Ried]

BTW this tournament epitomised why Africa don't have more World Cup slots. Would you really want to watch more of that? The highest world ranked team in Africa is Senegal at 18th (however they work that out). Though with the WC expansion they'll get more slots now along with all the other dross around the world.

Very few teams across the world could match the energy level shown in the AFCON by most teams, thought the skill level are somewhat lower. In the next 10 years or so It would not surprise me If you see a AFCON side reaching the finals or even winning the World Cup.

You have a lot more African player of them honing their skill and applying their trade in Europe and there abouts. Not to long age you would have said the same of the U.S. Canada and their players

 

[LeTallecWiz]

 

[Modo]

So freakin humble. What a man!

 

[LeTallecWiz]

So freakin humble. What a man!

It's such an endearing quality ...

 

[Modo]

It's such an endearing quality ...

It is. Just genuinly nice that guy.

 

[Red rose]

 

[Modo]

That's really cool. He almost saved Koulibaly's pen thanks to that.

 

[Frogfish]

Very few teams across the world could match the energy level shown in the AFCON by most teams, thought the skill level are somewhat lower. In the next 10 years or so It would not surprise me If you see a AFCON side reaching the finals or even winning the World Cup.

You have a lot more African player of them honing their skill and applying their trade in Europe and there abouts. Not to long age you would have said the same of the U.S. Canada and their players

We've been hearing that for the past 20 years. There's actually a strong case to make that it's actually going backwards (see USA too). There were some very good sides in the past (Nigeria, Cameroon) but that fizzled out. Likely just chance and a strong generation. The infrastructure isn't there and likely never will be due to corruption and the lure of Euro leagues.

 

[Red rose]

uh oh , wonder if this is true..they seemed ok, but salah defo briefed that goalie prior to Manes lost pen

 

[peekay]

We've been hearing that for the past 20 years. There's actually a strong case to make that it's actually going backwards (see USA too). There were some very good sides in the past (Nigeria, Cameroon) but that fizzled out. Likely just chance and a strong generation. The infrastructure isn't there and likely never will be due to corruption and the lure of Euro leagues.

Maybe it is my nostalgia, but I was definitely more impressed by the Senegal team of the 2002 world cup than the current version. Same with Nigeria, Cameroon teams of the 90s and 2000s.

Infrastructure is definitely the main thing that makes it difficult to sustain a great team. In the case of the US, it is not the physical infrastructure but more to do with the lack of top quality coaching at the youth level, the difficulty of access to football for most kids (it is predominantly an upper-middle-class game due to the costs involved), and the fact that it is like number 4 or 5 after the big three sports. Even with that, I think the current team can go far if they appoint a top-quality coach like Mancini or Conte, or Rafa. This is a talented generation and they are screwing its prospects with Berhalter.

I am also wondering if the lack of footballing identity hurts the African countries. Italy, Germany, Spain have footballers who are trained to play a specific way with common attributes and most of whom play in the league of their own country. With a good quality coach, it is easier to put together a team whose whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

 

[MomoWASright]

uh oh , wonder if this is true..they seemed ok, but salah defo briefed that goalie prior to Manes lost pen

Shit stirring cunts.

 

[Red rose]

Shit stirring cunts.

Yeh ! I posted it and thought the same after..not a good source, sometimes they get ya ..gob shites !

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Shit stirring cunts.

I dont think mo said anything that mane wouldnt have said. They weren't teammates yesterday... they both knew that, but showed each other respect before and after the game

 

[Richey]

If Mane and Salah didn't like each other much anyway then I doubt this incident would have really made much difference. Especially given that it didn't ultimately have any huge significance.

 

[Hyena]

There we go

 

[MomoWASright]

There we go

Would i get a ban for calling this Twitter user a fucking spastic? Sod it. This Twitter user is a fucking spastic.

 

[rurikbird]

Maybe it is my nostalgia, but I was definitely more impressed by the Senegal team of the 2002 world cup than the current version. Same with Nigeria, Cameroon teams of the 90s and 2000s.

Infrastructure is definitely the main thing that makes it difficult to sustain a great team. In the case of the US, it is not the physical infrastructure but more to do with the lack of top quality coaching at the youth level, the difficulty of access to football for most kids (it is predominantly an upper-middle-class game due to the costs involved), and the fact that it is like number 4 or 5 after the big three sports. Even with that, I think the current team can go far if they appoint a top-quality coach like Mancini or Conte, or Rafa. This is a talented generation and they are screwing its prospects with Berhalter.

I am also wondering if the lack of footballing identity hurts the African countries. Italy, Germany, Spain have footballers who are trained to play a specific way with common attributes and most of whom play in the league of their own country. With a good quality coach, it is easier to put together a team whose whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

Yeah, identity is a big one – even in Europe there are only a handful of clubs with a defined style of play that's passed through generations and even some big national teams go through periods of turgid football that's less than the the sum of its parts. South Africa had a pretty fun team a few years back, but now they are so bad they didn't even qualify for this AFCON and Ghana had a disastrous tournament. I think Nigeria will probably be the most cohesive of the Sub-Saharan African teams once they are back to full strength; even without many of their better players they had a certain structure about them. Ivory Coast also looked like they could potentially be a decent team to watch.

 

[Donavan Ried]

We've been hearing that for the past 20 years. There's actually a strong case to make that it's actually going backwards (see USA too). There were some very good sides in the past (Nigeria, Cameroon) but that fizzled out. Likely just chance and a strong generation. The infrastructure isn't there and likely never will be due to corruption and the lure of Euro leagues.

Twenty years ago only a minority of the players were applying there trade outside of homelands. today it is only a minority of the applying there trade inside there homelands. And in the past ten years it has been players of African descent that has been the most vaunted in and around Europe, Saka, Osimhen, Moukoko are but a few players that could choose to play for a African nation in the future. So I believe the future looks bright for a African nation to being in the finals by 2030

 

[Frogfish]

Twenty years ago only a minority of the players were applying there trade outside of homelands. today it is only a minority of the applying there trade inside there homelands. And in the past ten years it has been players of African descent that has been the most vaunted in and around Europe, Saka, Osimhen, Moukoko are but a few players that could choose to play for a African nation in the future. So I believe the future looks bright for a African nation to being in the finals by 2030

OK wrong on the first point (although TBF it can't ever be more plying their trade outside a country than in can it, that's just common sense. Oops). The second just proves my point (of African descent doesn't mean African as I'm sure they'd agree) and you're more than likely wrong on your finals assertion too. You are just repeating the rhetoric many before you plied decades ago, didn't happen then, and won't happen by 2030, and not even by 2050, unless there are drastic changes in both corruption levels and cronyism. Clearly you know little of what constitutes real life in Africa.

Oh and it's 'plying' not 'applying' (x2) and 'their' not 'there' (x3).

 

[peekay]

Twenty years ago only a minority of the players were applying there trade outside of homelands. today it is only a minority of the applying there trade inside there homelands. And in the past ten years it has been players of African descent that has been the most vaunted in and around Europe, Saka, Osimhen, Moukoko are but a few players that could choose to play for a African nation in the future. So I believe the future looks bright for a African nation to being in the finals by 2030

I will be very surprised if an African nation reaches the final of the worldcup in 8 years time. Even if it did happen, and I hope it does, it will be a one off random event.

The real question is, in 8 to 15 years, can African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast raise their footballing infrastructure to a level where one of them will be considered favorites to reach the finals every time there is a world cup in the same way France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina are viewed. I am skeptical on that front.

Because it takes a lot of time and effort to build that infrastructure and effort. Look at France and Spain. They had everything but it did take quite some time before they cracked it. That final jump is the hardest and it requires sustained effort over a generation to get to that point - coaching, talent identification, player development, developing a cohesive footballing identity, tactics, etc - all takes time.

By the way, no one is questioning the quality of talent coming from Africa or players of African origin.

 

[Hansern]

 

[Rosco]

Would i get a ban for calling this Twitter user a fucking spastic? Sod it. This Twitter user is a fucking spastic.

No.

But the fucking spastic will probably get an invite to join the Mystic and Hansern spastic club on here.

 

[Red rose]

Wow !

 

[Modo]

Some idiots are actually, like seriously, questioning Mané's motivation for Liverpool when he said that winning the AFCON was bigger than winning the League and CL for LFC.

 

[rurikbird]

 

[Red rose]

Haha funny really, they both in on it 😀

 

[rurikbird]

 

[Donavan Ried]

OK wrong on the first point (although TBF it can't ever be more plying their trade outside a country than in can it, that's just common sense. Oops). The second just proves my point (of African descent doesn't mean African as I'm sure they'd agree) and you're more than likely wrong on your finals assertion too. You are just repeating the rhetoric many before you plied decades ago, didn't happen then, and won't happen by 2030, and not even by 2050, unless there are drastic changes in both corruption levels and cronyism. Clearly you know little of what constitutes real life in Africa.

Oh and it's 'plying' not 'applying' (x2) and 'their' not 'there' (x3).

OK I did not explain that too well... But I stand be the basic premise of my statement

"Clearly you know little of what constitutes real life in Africa."

No I do not

 

[Donavan Ried]

I will be very surprised if an African nation reaches the final of the worldcup in 8 years time. Even if it did happen, and I hope it does, it will be a one off random event.

The real question is, in 8 to 15 years, can African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Ivory Coast raise their footballing infrastructure to a level where one of them will be considered favorites to reach the finals every time there is a world cup in the same way France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brazil, Argentina are viewed. I am skeptical on that front.

Because it takes a lot of time and effort to build that infrastructure and effort. Look at France and Spain. They had everything but it did take quite some time before they cracked it. That final jump is the hardest and it requires sustained effort over a generation to get to that point - coaching, talent identification, player development, developing a cohesive footballing identity, tactics, etc - all takes time.

By the way, no one is questioning the quality of talent coming from Africa or players of African origin.

Love that, LOL the way you did not name England in the list of favourite's LOL
Respect to you @peekay

 

[rubans]

If Greece can win Euros then even with current state of play it’s possible for an African nation to win WC, it would be plain silly to just say it won’t happen in next few tournaments.
In WC 2002, US made it to to semis so it’s all about the draw and how it opens up. All possible.