The FIFA World Cup highlights a persistent European superiority complex towards African nations, as seen in the lack of respect and biased media coverage during matches involving teams like DR Congo, Ghana, and Morocco, despite their strong performances and rankings. Picture: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP
This FIFA World Cup has been yet another example of the sheer disrespect often shown towards African nations when they compete on football’s biggest stage.
On Wednesday, England were facing elimination in the Round of 32 as DR Congo clung to a 1-0 lead heading into the final 15 minutes in Atlanta.
Cue Harry Kane’s sucker-punch brace in the space of 11 minutes that booked England’s place in the Round of 16.
It was a valiant display from DR Congo, but in the aftermath, recognition for their performance was noticeably absent. While it is true that media outlets often describe any loss by a top-four nation as a shock regardless of the opponent, the language becomes noticeably more dismissive when that opponent is an African nation.
