AFRICA: CAN WE PRODUCE ANOTHER GOLDEN GENERATION?
I had just arrived in Switzerland in to play professional football when Nigeria won the Atlanta Olympics gold medal, with some of my friends in that team. Nigeria was revered and feared going into the next year, both in Africa and Europe.
George Opong Weah (European player of the year ’95) was plying his trade in Milan/Monaco at the time. Sam Ossei Kuffour of Ghana was stopping strikers at Bayern Munich, while Yahaya, Akonnor, Yaw Preko and Tanko weree doing the honours in Germany for Ghana and there was Anthony Yeboah of Ghana taking the premiership by storm with Leeds and winning the canon ball in Germany.
Nwankwo Kanu was being previewed alongside the great Ronaldo of Brazil as the next superstars of world football, with the quote ‘who would be the next world player of the year?’
Jayjay Okocha was firing on all cylinders alongside Ronaldinho in PSG, Sunday Oliseh was in-between Dortmund and Juventus, Finidi George and Kanu were winning champions league and Dutch titles with Ajax, Victor Ikpeba was the king of Monaco, Taribo West was leading the charge at InterMilan, Jonathan Akpoborire was challenging for the cannon ball in the Bundesliga and Daniel Amokachi was terrorising defences in England while Rasheed Yekinni was the king in portugal and Celestine Babayaro was at Stamford bridge. Emmanuel Ammunike was plying the colours of FC Barcelona, Ike Shorunmu was leading the charge between the posts in Switzerland, Mutiu Adepoju was headmaster at Santander in Spain and every top game you watched, there was a Nigerian or African superstar starring on the big stage.
South Africa had Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish showing how it was done in England, John Mosheoue was impressive in Turkey, Shaun Bartlett and Phil Masinga impressed in England while Rigobert Song was shinning in France.
There was Hanny Ramzy of Egypt emerging as one of the top defenders in the Bundesliga, Joel Bwalya of Zambia was a force in Brugges, Moussa Said and Tasfouat of Algeria were plying their trade in France with Auxxerre and Metz and there was goalkeeper Alain Gouamene flying between the posts in France.
From Rabah Madjer, Klaus Bwayla, Youssof Fofana, Roger Milla, Antoine Bell and to the generation above, these players truly inspired me and my generation to play professional football.
Through the years we have had Moustapha El-Hadji, Patrick Mboma, Samuel Etoo, Abedi Pele, Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Kolo Toure, Bouba-Diop, Frederick Kanoute, Adebayor, Seydou Keita, Gyan, Ayew, Alex Song, Mikel Obi, among others.
Africa had so much talent, that Pele tipped us to win the World Cup by the turn of the new millennium, but as of today we have moved further away from winning it and one would struggle to see the cup wrestled from the big five: Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Spain, France.
So What went wrong?
In recent years, the names in top clubs seem to continue to dwindle in numbers with only and Aubameyang, Sadio Mane, Salah Mohammed and Riyad Mahrez. Add Moses at Chelsea really and you’ll struggle to find top performers in numbers as it used to be a decade or two ago.
What is the problem with Africa football?
Why have we failed in recent years to produce outstanding talents for the elite teams in European football (the mirror for world football)?
Where are the George Weahs? Abedi Peles? Anthony Yeboahs? Okochas? Kanus?
Is there a dearth of talents in African communities?
Is it a lack of development?
Is it infrastructures that are missing?
Or is it management, or dare I say lack of good management?
Perhaps it is the lack of funds to develop talents that is stunting growth?
Or should we just admit that there are no naturally gifted talents anymore?
Or has Europe caught up with Africa, by unearthing talents in soccer factories called club academies?
