An African country has never won the World Cup, but along the way countries from the continent have produced special moments such as Senegal’s victory over France in the 2002 World Cup that sent shockwaves around the competition.
Along with Senegal, Cameroon and Ghana have also reached the quarter-finals of the tournament. Players have made names for themselves on the grand stage of the World Cup and earned moves to the Premier League and other leading sides across Europe. Here are two players that excelled in the tournament.
Asamoah Gyan (2010 World Cup)
Gyan was the star of the World Cup for Ghana in their run to the quarter-finals of the competition. He certainly made a name for the Black Stars, and his nation could be a wildcard in the World Cup bets, with a talented squad that has long odds 300/1 to win the tournament.
The 2022 iteration of the Black Stars has a lot to live up to in Qatar and will be hopeful of a performance like the one Gyan put forward in South Africa. Gyan scored three goals over the course of the competition, including a decisive late strike against the United States to secure the Black Stars’ place in the last eight.
However, he is probably more renowned for his penalty miss after Luis Suarez’s handball on the line against Uruguay in stoppage time in extra time that ultimately prevented Ghana from becoming the first African team to reach the semi-finals.
It was still one of the great performances by a player from Africa, but one with a tinge of regret. Gyan earned a transfer to Premier League outfit Sunderland after the World Cup but played only one season before moving to the UAE and Al Ain.
El-Hadji Diouf (2002 World Cup)
Before Gyan, and the days of Didier Drogba, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in the Premier League, Diouf was a groundbreaking player for forwards from Africa. Few people will have heard him of before the start of the 2002 World Cup.
He was a talented player for Lens in Ligue 1, but hardly a prospect that was in demand across the world. Diouf would soon put the world on notice with a brilliant performance against France in the group stage of the World Cup, earning man-of-the-match recognition in his side’s shocking win. Diouf had silky smooth skills on the ball and an incredible work rate.
Although he did not score for Senegal in their run to the last eight which also ended in heart-breaking fashion in a stoppage-time defeat to Turkey, Diouf certainly was the beating heart of the team and was named in the All-Star team for the tournament. Liverpool moved quickly to sign the forward for £8m after the World Cup, but he failed to transfer his form to the Premier League for the Reds.
Diouf’s behavior overshadowed his career in England, although he did enjoy a long period in the game with Bolton, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers among others. His 2002 World Cup performance remains one of the greatest seen by Senegal, and the current players for the Lions of Teranga will do well to match his display in Qatar 2022.
