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AFCON 2025

zimbos05

zimbos05

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G&G Podcast
Joined
Nov 9, 2024
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232
I suspect I'm the only one with a somewhat keen interest in African football, but I could not allow my home continent to be the only forum empty.

AFCON 2025 is taking place in Morocco from end of December to early Jan. Teams are already decided after final round of qualification.

Some big name teams missed out. Ghana the biggest of the lot finishing bottom in their group and not winning a single match. Togo finish 3rd in Group E, winning only 1 game and ending up 3 points behind Equatorial Guinea. Cape Verde are the highest ranked African side -72nd - to miss out finishing fourth in Group A with Botswana -ranked 140th - taking 2nd spot.

Morocco (Host. 20th appearance. Best finish Champion in 1976)
Algeria (21st appearance. Best finish Champions in 1990, 2019)
Angola (10th appearance. Best finish Quarter-Finals in 2008, 2010, 2023)
Benin (5th appearance. Best finish Quarter-Finals in 2019)
Botswana (2nd appearance. Best finish Group Stage 2012)
Burkina Faso (14th appearance. Best finish Runners-Up in 2013)
Cameroon (22nd appearance. Best finish Champions in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017)
Comoros (2nd appearance. Best finish Round of 16 in 2021)
DR Congo (21st appearance. Best finish Champions in 1968, 1974)
Egypt (27th appearance. Best finish Champions in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010)
Equatorial Guinea (5th appearance. Best finish Fourth place in 2015)
Gabon (9th appearance. Best finish Quarter Finals in 1996, 2012)
Ivory Coast (26th appearance. Best finish Champions in 1992, 2015, 2023)
Mali (14th appearance. Best finish Runners-Up in 1972)
Mozambique (6th appearance. Best finish Group Stage in 1986, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2023)
Nigeria (21st appearance. Best finish Champions in 1980, 1994, 2013)
Senegal (18th appearance. Best finish Champions in 2021)
South Africa (12th appearance. Best finish Champions in 1996)
Sudan (10th appearance. Best finish Champions in 1970)
Tanzania (4th appearance. Best finish Group Stage 1980, 2019, 2023)
Tunisia (22nd appearance. Best finish Champions in 2004)
Uganda (8th appearance. Best finish Runners-Up in 1978)
Zambia (19th appearance. Best finish Champions in 2012)
Zimbabwe (6th appearance. Best finish Group Stage in 2004, 2006, 2017, 2019, 2021)
 
Having watched African football recently I'm always surprised how well these countries who I've barely heard of perform.
 
kudos zimbos.
Good to see you posting about it for it is big !
Ghana missing out is a shock, they have alot of players in good leagues mind boggles.
Black Star legends would be livid.
African top flight players breaking through decades back is amazing.
Obviously watching so much EU football I've watched many legendary players incl in LFC and other EPL clubs for years.
Strong as !
 
Africa really has the potential to have side that should win the World Cup. Unfortunately, so many players get poached by bigger countries because of the lack of infrastructure and support in African countries. There has often been "concern for developing African football" but it's not been wholeheartedly done.
 
yes I imagine so hard to keep good players in local top flight comps.
Same applies to Brazil and latin countries as well zimbos you could say, sure not like for like.
The power of $ - Africa easy flight to EU.
Like I mentioned so many amazing players - how many changed their passports to date going way way back as well.
Interestingly having checked some WC stats.
13 african nations have qualied for the WC, 3 have made the QF's, Cameroon, Senegal Ghana.
Good read here
www.dw.com

World Cup: Why has no African team ever reached a semifinal? – DW – 11/24/2022

No African team has ever made it to the semifinal of a World Cup. Four former African internationals tell DW why they think that is and explain what needs to be done to make a continent's dream come true.
www.dw.com www.dw.com
 
well I'll put my LFC hat on and we have had a few not bad African players :)
www.anfieldwatch.co.uk

Every African to play for Liverpool - Ranked

Here are 21 African footballers to play for Liverpool and how well they did while wearing the Red. It's certainly a mixed bag.
www.anfieldwatch.co.uk www.anfieldwatch.co.uk

I always shake my head that Egypt is included with African Nations.
The Organization of African Unity was formed in 1963, 18 years after the United Nations in 1945. Four African states - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa, were founding members of the UN. As more African states became independent, they asserted their sovereignty and independence by joining the United Nations.

Whats your take zimbos ?

I luved Mane so watched alot of Senegal games.
Obviously Egypt/MO, Legend !
Goo dol wobbly Bruce - Sth African.
Keita had his moments too injury prone.
 
as you could see they both don't rank high at all.
Diouf could have been looked upon better but he was his own worst enemy, attitude/arrogance is over looked when you deliver he embarrassed himself didn't deliver enough.
 
LFC said:
yes I imagine so hard to keep good players in local top flight comps.
Same applies to Brazil and latin countries as well zimbos you could say, sure not like for like.
The power of $ - Africa easy flight to EU.
Like I mentioned so many amazing players - how many changed their passports to date going way way back as well.
Interestingly having checked some WC stats.
13 african nations have qualied for the WC, 3 have made the QF's, Cameroon, Senegal Ghana.
Good read here
www.dw.com

World Cup: Why has no African team ever reached a semifinal? – DW – 11/24/2022

No African team has ever made it to the semifinal of a World Cup. Four former African internationals tell DW why they think that is and explain what needs to be done to make a continent's dream come true.
www.dw.com www.dw.com
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Yeah. I think Brazil and Argentina are able to produce more players because their league set ups are very strong. So the players tend to develop in their leagues properly. In Africa, the league infrastructure is not quite there and as soon as someone shows promise, they get poached. A lot of European clubs have academies in Africa specifically aimed at poaching or targeting players at a young age.
LFC said:
I always shake my head that Egypt is included with African Nations.
The Organization of African Unity was formed in 1963, 18 years after the United Nations in 1945. Four African states - Egypt, Ethiopia, Liberia and South Africa, were founding members of the UN. As more African states became independent, they asserted their sovereignty and independence by joining the United Nations.

Whats your take zimbos ?
Click to expand...
My take on them being an African nation? They literally are part of the African continent so I'm not sure the debate.
NicCarBel said:
Zimbabwe for me - had a couple school mates that emigrated here so that was always our African team
Click to expand...
Excuse me son...
 
Monoethnic Social Club said:
I have a soft spot for Cameroon but in general admire most African teams for their free flowing, highly entertaining football... In 2022 Morocco was an absolute fairy tail and I loved their progress.

Zimbos, if you dont mind the question, what is your background?
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I was born in Zimbabwe. 3rd Generation. Moved to Australia when I was 15.
 
zimbos05 said:
Yeah. I think Brazil and Argentina are able to produce more players because their league set ups are very strong. So the players tend to develop in their leagues properly. In Africa, the league infrastructure is not quite there and as soon as someone shows promise, they get poached. A lot of European clubs have academies in Africa specifically aimed at poaching or targeting players at a young age.

My take on them being an African nation? They literally are part of the African continent so I'm not sure the debate.

Excuse me son...
Click to expand...
Egypt - I just don't see it relating to Africa but being in the continent.
Nothing to debate its just my way of visionning them compared to Africans, maybe a silly look of it.

Sure latino leagues are stronger and structured - talking with Grazer I think its been that Brazil is lagging behind so much now since their heydays, their leagues seem a mess, academies are costing too much, the free areas to play football once covered by kids now have buildings for eg......

Will some african nation get their league together what you know ?
Who are say the Top 5 leagues their ?
Morrocco sure stepped up last WC.
 
zimbos05 said:
Yeah. I think Brazil and Argentina are able to produce more players because their league set ups are very strong. So the players tend to develop in their leagues properly. In Africa, the league infrastructure is not quite there and as soon as someone shows promise, they get poached. A lot of European clubs have academies in Africa specifically aimed at poaching or targeting players at a young age.

My take on them being an African nation? They literally are part of the African continent so I'm not sure the debate.

Excuse me son...
Click to expand...
❓
 
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