Nine out of the 10 African teams at the World Cup advanced to the second round in a major breakthrough for the continent’s football that could lead to bigger representation at future tournaments.
South Africa’s Bafana Bafana however lost 1-0 in stoppage-time in their Round of 32 clash with co-host Canada in Los Angeles last night
The 90% success rate comes on the back of Morocco reaching the semi-finals in Qatar four years ago and offers hope for the future of the game on a continent that is soccer-mad but whose progress is often held back by administrative and logistical factors.
“It’s a source of great pride that there are so many African teams qualified for the Round of 32,” said Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabre after his side came from behind to earn a thrilling 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan and secure their progress.
“For many years the African continent has been working hard and making progress,” said the Frenchman with some 15 years’ experience of working with both clubs and national teams in Africa.
