Whether or not there is widespread interest in women’s soccer isn’t very important. It’s simply healthier if half the planet’s population is given organized outlets for sports competitions. And soccer is a pretty good game for women to play.
Add to this the money clubs, private individuals and governments are spending on African football. All in all you have more than the FIFA headline figure. Minus of course all those wonderfull kickbacks at FIFA and club level. I have said it presviously, you really don’t need much money to develop the game of football. Some of the poorest nations on earth have developed the greatest talent on earth, and in great numbers. Whatever is happening in African football, by either FIFA, clubs, or private and governmental interests is not really working so far.
The goalposts are over there, son. points
Fair enough, WC results should not be the only way of judging progress. However, it is a decent way of judging progress. I realise quite some time is needed for grass roots development and investment to show results. I really do think people are grassping at straws here though. All im seeing is money washing around being spent on developments that dont quite work, and have very little way of judging whether they work or not. Just as I may be over reacting at African under-performance in WC’s I think others are desperately reaching for any instance of Africa doing well in any sphere of football in the past twenty years. And in doing so often giving unwarranted credit to FIFA.
Errr, in the 2010 World Cup, one of the “African representatives” were S Africa; you know the hosts who qualify automatically. The 2014 WC was hosted in Brazil, which as you know, is not an African country. Unless, you mean woeful performance was not hosting every cup.
So, the fact that number of representatives have increased is an example of regression? The fact that African sides have either pushed or defeated major sides in international competition, often sides who went far in said tournament is “failure”?
Fact is that you seem to think Africa can boast of success only when a side from there wins the whole thing. But, only a handful of sides win the title, the final four are typically played by a bunch of usual suspects.
Since the 1958, WC we have had four new winners, 1966: England, a fluke if there ever was one, 1978, Argentina, who have won again in 1986, and reached several finals, 1998, France, a perennial high finisher and 2010 Spain.
Of the 14 WC Finals that have been played since 1958; 3 (1966, 1998, 2010) have included a side which was playing its first final. All except the 2010 final included 1 of either Germany, Argentina and Brazil, and we have seen Germany-Argentina 3 times in the last 30 years.
Its going to take a while for anyother team to break into the top slot, not just African ones.
The reason some people believe Africa has disappointed is because the hype was that Africa would equal Europe and South America. Part of the reason is official corruption in Africa football. Seems every WC is an uprising in the Nigerian camp over money. And where is the development in African domestic leagues? Seems like the players have to go to Europe to develop.
Spain were perpetual disappointments until very recently and actually show how the world is catching up to the Brazils and Germanys. That Belgium are one of the favorites to win Euro 2016 and WC 2018 is further evidence. (The Belgians are loaded with poached African talent though. :o)
The fact that there isnt a single African nation being touted as a WC winner surely is evidence of how disappointing African football has progressed?
Well, a fair number do develop in Africa, to be snapped up by European teams when they are 20ish, such as the aforementioned Yaya Toure and Michael Essian and Wilfred Bony. Some are developed by Europe, no doubt (Eto’o for one), but definitely not all.
Do any domestic African leagues pop instantly to mind like The Premiership or The Bundesliga? This is part of the problem IMO. Nations need healthy domestic leagues to allow players to develop…especially late bloomers.
This is a heartbreaking documentary on young men doing anything to immigrate to make a career in football:
Of course not. You need tons of cash to even come close to that level. Even the flush with cash United States has a domestic league that can’t come close to match the level of the Prem or Bundesliga.
I didnt mean in terms of wealth; but the fact that we arent aware of them is the issue. Why would Drogba go play in China where football isnt even popular instead of back home to finish his career? ashy arent there investments in stadia and infrastructure? You dont even need tons of cash. Brazil produced tons of players on the cheap.
You make a valid point about the 6 counties being reduced to 5 due to SA holding the tournament. There had been talk of African numbers being reduced at WC’s due to their poor performances. This was obvbiously not the case in 2014. I was wrong, you are correct.
When have I said anything about African teams winning the World Cup? Look back at my posts, I have said not a thing about them failing to win the entire tournament and using that as a criticism of their performance. You are using a silly strawman argument against me. A progression is what I am looking for. Regularly winning group stages, regularly getting out of group stages; regularly getting to the quarter finals(which isn’t that hard really considering the amount of 2nd rate teams in the tournament these days).
Drogba goes to China because of the $$ obviously. The Ivorian Coast Ligue 1 can’t pay Drogba what he’s worth now. Brazil did produce a ton of players (and I’d argue their stadia and infrastructure are far better than Nigeria’s or Ivory Coast’s - of course their football program started much earlier than those African countries’ did), but it seems like the ones who are world class play in Europe.
It’s already been pointed out, but it bears repeating that the Drogba-quality players leave Brazil. Kaka just made a similar twilight-o’-career move to my hometown team, Orlando City. Not just an MLS team, but an expansion team. A team in the US, where footsoccer is even less popular than it is in China.
Brazil has a dynamic and productive footballing infrastructure where they develop first. I have serious doubts that football is bigger in China than the USA. Not to say there arent sports fans in China but they dont have the history of being sports fans until quite recently. China is seen as a goldmine for professional sports leagues. It will take time to develop it. Here in Los Angeles the big teams draw 80000 plus in summer friendlies. We have hosted one of the most successful World Cups ever and the MLS is growing rapidly.
The Atlantic seems to think that basketball is the biggest sport in China. From my experience with Asians in Southern California I would agree with them. Its hard to find a footie fan amongst them but if they like sports they love the NBA.
Yes, basketball is bigger than soccer in China. There are four sports that are bigger than soccer in the US. World Cup ratings are a separate issue; neither Kaka or Drogba is going to tertiary markets to play in World Cups.
I think the popularity of soccer in China can be undervalued a bit too much:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/alibabas-jack-ma-latest-to-invest-in-chinese-soccer-1402584800
The China market for European soccer merchandise is pretty substantial as well.
Interestingly, just today, a male coworker was telling me how he’d gotten interested in the present tournament. He had never really watched soccer of any gender before.
And another FIFA official quits (but not under indictment): Fifa communications chief forced to quit after joke backfires.
Where quality players end up playing isn’t the point. I don’t believe even FIFA are trying to ensure quality players stay in their home countries playing in their respective national leagues.