Many players put on incredible displays during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, leaving many to speculate as to which stars could be departing the continent to ply their trade in Europe, but it should be the other way round, argues Junaid Benjamin.
The action that was witnessed at the latest edition of the tournament indicates the rapid upward trajectory of football on the continent, and what is perhaps more positive is that none of the traditional big-named, European-based players featured in CAF's Team of the Tournament.
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???? X3???? X3???? X2???? X2???? X1Ladies and gentlemen, please give it up to your #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 Team of the Tournament. ?? pic.twitter.com/jfFtjcQzpk
— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 14, 2024
There is a noticeable absence of recognised stars such as Riyad Mahrez, Achraf Hakimi and Mohamed Salah, although he perhaps cannot be included because he missed a considerable part of the tournament through injury. Lesser-known players being able to step up shows not only how the level of competition has grown, but also the level of quality that was on display.
According to Opta Analyst, the latest edition of the showpiece saw seven goals coming from sequences that involved 10 or more passes at the end of the group stage, which, at that point, was more than double that occurred over the course of the whole 2021 edition, showing significant improvement in the level of quality possessed by the players. While being able to hold the ball and string together a few passes may seem like an easy thing to do theoretically, it becomes extremely hard when players are in high-pressure situations against athletes that are able to run around the pitch for more than 90 minutes.
The statistics also showed that this edition was the first AFCON to average more than 600 successful passes per game. While this can be attributed to more African players plying their trade in Europe – a large portion of the Team of the Tournament does play overseas – and possibly an improved quality of coaching on the continent, the focus now should be placed on improving the level and exposure of club competitions on the continent in order to build larger and more dedicated fanbases, as well as getting more African football content on the world wide web, enhancing its expansion.
Khel Now recently compiled a list of the 10 most-watched leagues in the world, and, of course, the Premier League, the Bundesliga, LALIGA, and Serie A were among them. No African leagues were included in the list. Ranked at No. 10, though, was one you would probably not have guessed: the Chinese Super League. While you may be pondering about who watches that league, they are making money off of broadcasters, which contributes greatly to enhancing the quality of the country's top flight.
It seems to be paying dividends when you look at the calibre of players who have joined the league in recent years. They include Brazil internationals and ex-Chelsea players Oscar and Ramires, former Manchester United alumni Marouane Fellaini, Odion Ighalo and Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi, and more.
Instead of South Africa's Teboho Mokoena and Ronwen Williams, as well as Nigeria's Stanley Nwabali, being linked with moves to Europe, one would hope that in a few years' time, European stars will be linked with moves to the mother continent.
Perhaps the next step, after the enthralling AFCON 2023 and the successful launch of the inaugural African Football League campaign, is to work towards expanding the coverage of football that takes place on the continent. If that is done correctly, Africa may be able to hold on to its talent, develop them and help them reach even higher technical levels without the help of Europe, and attract players to the continent, which is what we should be aiming for.
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Fortunately, we seem to be moving in the right direction. According to CAF, the final of AFCON 2023 between Ivory Coast and Nigeria was televised in 173 territories around the globe, making it the most-watched edition in history. Additionally, Yahoo News reported that the president of the federation, Patrice Motsepe, said at a press conference that nearly two billion people tuned in over the course of the competition, showing that African football is well on its way up.
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