hopes slowly growing at World Cup

Four years after hosting the World Cup, African players are ready to start having more of an impact on the tournament.

Three of the countries – Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Algeria – are second in their groups heading to the final games and have good chances of qualifying, while Ghana has an outside shot.

After a forgettable first round, Nigeria’s win, Ghana’s fighting 2-2 draw with Germany and Algeria’s all-out attacking show in a 4-2 victory over South Korea has revived the Africans.

”Ghana really threw everything they had at us,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said, praising the West Africans for their rapid counterattacks and underlining how African teams – often big, strong and fast – are capable of upsetting the rhythm of the best lineups in the world.

Nigeria has also had issues over player payments and Ghana’s buildup to its crucial final group game against Portugal is being overshadowed by British media linking the Ghana Football Association to an alleged match-fixing plan.

Algeria coach Vahid Halilhodzic decided to rant at Algerian reporters when his team had just beaten South Korea for its first win at the World Cup since 1982.

Yet the majority of African teams are still alive at the World Cup – unlike Spain and England – and their equations to make the second round aren’t crazily difficult.

But three teams in the last 16 would finally signal some progress 24 years after Roger Milla and Cameroon danced their way to the quarterfinals in Italy, first prompting Pele and the world to take notice of African football.