The two biggest global sports events are the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics. Kenya has a diametrically different relationship with the two. It has never qualified for the World Cup but it is an athletics giant, which has returned sterling performances in the Olympic Games since 1956. The last Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marked 60 years of Kenya’s participation in the Olympics, punctuated only during the boycott years of 1976 and 1980.
In all these years, the country has chalked up an impressive 102 medals, all of them from track and field events and boxing. The historical record shows Kenya’s boxers as being in a class of their own: Philip Waruinge won the Val Baker Trophy for the best boxer in the 1968 Games, while Robert Wangila is the only African boxer to win an Olympic gold medal, which he did in 1988 in Seoul.
The World Cup story is different; the country hasn’t even come close to qualifying, much less participating. Whenever the qualifying competition enters the critical stages, Kenya drops out. The 2018 competition has been no different and the nation’s fanatical fans will again settle before their television screens to watch the world’s best 32 teams battle it out for the title of world champion.
Nevertheless, the competition draws a massive interest in the country. Television audience peaks during this time. Nigeria, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt represented Africa in the 2018 edition of the World Cup. Egypt blazed the trail with the continent’s first ever appearance in 1934. Since then, 12 other African countries have graced the big stage. These are Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Zaire (DR Congo), Angola and Togo. With seven appearances, Cameroon, who didn’t qualify for Russia 2018, are Africa’s most successful World Cup nation.
They are followed by their neighbours and big rivals Nigeria with six. Morocco and Tunisia (5), Algeria (4), Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana and South Africa (3) and Senegal (2) follow in that order while DRC Congo, Togo and Angola bring up the rear with one appearance each. No East African country has ever played in the World Cup. But despite Africa’s long experience, the farthest any of its participants has gone is the quarter-final stage. This was achieved by Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. Ghana failed to reach the last four at the last second of their quarter final against Uruguay in South Africa.
While Africa’s dividends on World Cup pitches have remained frozen at the quarter-finals, the continent has fared much better politically. When it comes to participation, the record shows a steady growth in numbers ever since the Brazilian, Joao Havelange, assumed FIFA’s reigns in 1974 and was succeeded by the like-minded Joseph Blatter in 1998. Both adopted a strong pro-Africa stance. It also seems as if the continent will be the biggest beneficiary of the competition’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams slated for 2026.
After Egypt’s lone participation in 1934, Africa didn’t see World Cup action again until 1970. In 1966, it boycotted participation in the qualifying rounds after FIFA decided to play off its winner with that of Asia to determine who would take that single slot. The continent demanded its own – and got it in 1970. Upon his election, Havelange decided to take away one of Europe’s slots and give it to Africa. Between 1982 and 1990, the continent sent two teams to the World Cup. In 1994, it had three and since 1998, five teams have represented the continent – save for 2010 when as automatic qualifiers, hosts South Africa made them six.
The most memorable African performance at the World Cup is doubtless Cameroon’s great run in 1990. After they defeated defending champions Argentina in one of the great shocks of World Cup history in their opening game in Italy, Carlos Bilardo, Argentina’s manager, received calls from President Carlos Menem and his immediate predecessor, Raúl Alfonsín. Both gave him suggestions on the tactical changes to make for the next game. “It was the worst moment of my sporting career,” Bilardo said.
“Everyone called me to tell me what to do. I heard from the president, two former presidents and the opposition leader. I have never seen anything like it before in my life. I have never seen anything unify the nation like that. Not politics or music or anything. Everyone was watching and hoping for the team. And when we came home, they were happy for us. We were proud to have reached the final.”
Knowing thus, the teams got into their infamous conspiracy. After Germany scored their first and only goal, the teams simply stopped playing. They just kicked the ball aimlessly around. A German television commentator asked his viewers to switch off their sets and then stopped commentating. A German fan burnt his national flag in disgust.
In Yaoundé, Cameroon were received by even more people. They had done Africa immensely proud. Omam-Biyik, the forward who had scored the goal that floored the world champions, remembered: “When we arrived at Douala airport, the aeroplane had to pull up and come around again because the runway was totally flooded with people.”
The country enjoyed two days of a national party. Their feat has since been replicated by Senegal and Ghana. No African team has broken the semi-final barrier. The reason is obvious: after Cameroon’s run in 1990, the world lost its innocence about African football. The trickle of African players in Europe became a flood and previous backwater countries like Togo and Mali entered the world stage on account of the exploits of their stars plying their trade in Europe.
The secret was out – African football was world class. And Roger Milla, who became the oldest player at a World Cup at 40, put it best: “No team could ever again do what we did in 1990. The element of surprise is not there. Everybody knows everything about all the teams now.”
In 1982, Cameroon had brought the talents of its immensely gifted goalkeeper, Thomas N’Kono to the world. Today, the world is united in agreement that Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Some people say he is undoubtedly the greatest. Buffon has a son named Thomas. The little boy is named after his father’s idol, Thomas N’Kono. Buffon says he started his career as on outfield player but when he saw N’Kono in action, he decided to become a goalkeeper and emulate him. He sure has done justice to the grand master of the art.
In 1990, not only did Cameroon’s Roger Milla show us that age can often be nothing but a concept in our minds, but he also revolutionised the way goal celebration is done. He gyrated his hips at the corner flag and caused amusement in all corners of the globe.
From then on, it was anything goes. Today, some celebrations are more interesting than the goals that precede them.
And then there is the iconic image of Nigeria’s Rashid Yekini gripping the net after scoring against Bulgaria in the 1994 World Cup. It is one of the game’s most evocative. He was a powerful, natural striker who deserved a better death than the one that eventually caught up with him.
One of the World Cup’s worst crimes was committed against an African team in 1982. It happened to Algeria. The culprits were West Germany, a title favourite, and Austria. This match spawned a new legend in sarcasm and finally drove the ever conservative FIFA into changing a key rule. In Germany, it became known as Nichtangriffspakt von Gijón (Non-aggression pact of Gijón) or Schande von Gijón (Disgrace of Gijón). Gijon is the city in Spain where it took place.
The Desert Foxes, as Algeria’s national team are called, pulled off one of the World Cup’s greatest upsets by defeating European champions West Germany 2-1 in a Group 2 match. Algeria played their final group game the day before Germany and Austria met for their own last match. Both teams went into it knowing that 1-0 win for Germany would qualify them both while a bigger German victory would qualify Algeria and Austria. A draw or a win for Austria would qualify Algeria and Austria and eliminate the Germans.
Knowing thus, the teams got into their infamous conspiracy. After Germany scored their first and only goal, the teams simply stopped playing. They just kicked the ball aimlessly around. A German television commentator asked his viewers to switch off their sets and then stopped commentating. A German fan burnt his national flag in disgust. From the stands, Algerian supporters waved bank notes at the players.
Writing for The Guardian ahead of World Cup 2010 in South Africa, Paul Doyle remembered the scandal: “The reigning European champions had stomped imperiously into the finals, winning all eight qualifiers with a goals for-against record of 33-3. They had a constellation of stars in their squad – Paul Breitner, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uli Stielike and so on – and were so certain of victory over Algeria that they entertained themselves in the pre-match press conferences by ridiculing their opponents.
Kenya’s athletes continuously make their marks on the world stage with every passing Olympiad. But Harambee Stars remain as distant from the World Cup as ever. But nothing is forever and someday this will change – or so the myriads of their fans hope.
“We will dedicate our seventh goal to our wives, and the eighth to our dogs,” quipped one player, while the manager, Jupp Derwall, promised that if his team contrived to lose he would “jump on the first train back to Munich”.
“One player even said that he would play against us with a cigar in his mouth,” said Algeria’s full-back Chaabane Merzekane, who, as it transpired, was made man of the match. “Some of us wondered if this was just a psychological ploy, whether they were only saying these things to lull us into thinking that they weren’t going to take us seriously – after all, who has ever heard of a German team that doesn’t do its homework?”
Germany eventually faced Italy in the final and pre-match discussions were dominated by the feelings in Algeria. A German victory, many said, would be met with derisive laughter across the vast desert land. Italy won 3-1 and some sort of justice was seen to be done. But most important is what FIFA did immediately after the World Cup. It decreed that final group games would henceforth be played simultaneously.
Paul Doyle asked Algeria’s full back Chaabane Merzekane if the Algerian players took offence at the conduct of the two European teams. He said: “Not at all. We weren’t angry, we were cool. To see two big powers debasing themselves in order to eliminate us was a tribute to Algeria. They progressed with dishonour, we went out with our heads held high.”
And their star forward, Lakhdar Belloumi remarked: “Our performances forced FIFA to make that change, and that was even better than a victory. It meant that Algeria left an indelible mark on football history.”
Kenya’s athletes continuously make their marks on the world stage with every passing Olympiad. But Harambee Stars remain as distant from the World Cup as ever. But nothing is forever and someday this will change – or so the myriads of their fans hope.
1934
When Egypt blazed the trail with the continent’s first ever appearance. Since then, 12 other African countries have graced the big stage. These are Cameroon, Nigeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Zaire (DR Congo), Angola and Togo. With seven appearances, Cameroon — who didn’t qualify for Russia 2018 — are Africa’s most successful World Cup nation. They are followed by their neighbours and big rivals Nigeria with six.
1966
Africa boycotted the qualifying rounds after FIFA decided to play off its winner with that of Asia to determine who would take that single slot. The continent demanded its own – and got it in 1970. Upon his election, Havelange decided to take away one of Europe’s slots and give it to Africa.
1982
When Cameroon had brought the talents of its immensely gifted goalkeeper, Thomas N’Kono to the world. Today, the world is united in agreement that Italy’s Gianluigi Buffon is one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. Some people say he is undoubtedly the greatest. Buffon has a son named Thomas. The little boy is named after his father’s idol, Thomas N’Kono. Buffon says he started his career as on outfield player but when he saw N’Kono in action, he decided to become a goalkeeper and emulate him. He sure has done justice to the grand master of the art.