‘African players don’t know how to play football but the ball’

Morocco’s Atlas Lions broke new frontiers after becoming the first African team to scale the dizzy semifinal heights of FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

However, that it has taken over five decades for an African team to come two games away winning the World Cup should be puzzling.

Afterall, the continent is spoilt with perhaps the most talented players in the world.

An African team should have won the World Cup by now…but.

Former Mozambican international Dario Monteiro says individualism and lack of technical ability connive to deprive Africa of World Cup glory.

The former Mambas forward said Africa struggles to produce top players who can translate on the world stage due to lack of proper football education.

Monteiro said while most African footballers are skillful, most of them do not understand football concept.

“African players have the abilities but they must understand the game. They don’t know how to play football but they know how to play the ball,” Monteiro told FARPost.

It is not enough having skilful players, you need tactical and technical discipline, which most African teams, especially from Sub Saharan Africa, lack.

In this lower half of Africa, as the Mozambican observed, it is all about dribbling, flicking the ball, twisting and turning. Even when doing that does not translate to a set-piece, an assist let alone a goal.

Monteiro, therefore, called for more investment in youth football development.

“I think in football, you need to develop physically and tactically,” Monteiro FARPost.

“A good player must know how to make a run, how to receive the ball and how to position himself.”

The former SuperSport United striker Monteiro said African teams struggle at the World Cup because most of their players lack football education.

“Even at the World Cup, a team with a lot of players drawn from clubs in Europe such as Morocco was able to compete and did well,” he said.

“However, teams with more players drawn from the continent struggle to do well.”

Watching Morocco eliminate the likes of Spain and Portugal, all you saw was the collective – defending and attacking a unit.

The Atlas Lions paid attention to detail, were resilient, maintained shape and seized their moments.

Most of the Moroccan players such as Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakim received their football education in the Netherlands and Spain.

Somehow, most players in Africa learn to dribble and pass without sufficient education of how to make a run, receive the ball and position.

The 2010 South Africa World Cup skipper Aaron ‘Mbazo’ Mokoena seemed to agree with Monteiro in a separate interview with FARPost.

Mbazo said Africa must pay attention to football development and entrust leadership positions in right people.

“I think that in terms of sending players abroad, we are very good but how do we mix the teams?”

“We need to change the mentality in terms of youth development. We need to invest in infrastructure development and I am talking about every country in Africa.”

Mokoena was privileged to receive proper football education at Ajax Amsterdam.

He learned that football development is not only what happens on the pitch.

“We need to understand what development is. Development is holistic,” he said.

“It is not only about developing players and participating in competitions, but also making players into good people; to have principles.”

The former Blackburn Rovers defender said it was high time Africa entrusted football administrative positions in selfless leaders.

“We need to understand professionalism. We all want to make money but we want to deliver first then make money,” Mokoena added.

Ivorian football legend Didier Drogba told the BCC that most African teams struggle to perform at the World Cup due to individualism.

“It’s very difficult for African teams because you’ve got individualities. They’re very good in their clubs, especially those playing in Europe,” the Chelsea great said.

“But when they come together, it becomes more difficult for the manager to find the right system.

“To play the right guys at the right position, to keep that intensity that is required when you play at that kind of level.”

AFRICA RECEIVES FEW WORLD CUP QUALIFYING SLOTS

Former Ghana coach Otto Addo gave another theory as to why an African team is yet to win the World Cup.

Addo said Africa has a few (five) World Cup slots compared to other continents and this undermines chances of winning the cup.

“It’s very difficult for us, the probability for us to proceed is lower than the other nations like in

Europe; they have 13 spots. And so, the probability is much, much higher,” he told the press.

All these factors have derailed the progress of African teams at the World Cup, which Argentina won on Sunday after beating France on post-match penalties.

For now, Pele’s dream that an African team would win a World Cup remains like that—a dream.

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