By Oyero Abiodun Yakub
History is being written all over the world at various stages. The football world cannot be ignored because many individuals and countries have etched their names in history by accomplishing various feats.
Recent examples include Cristiano Ronaldo and his close rival, Lionel Messi. Young people are not forgotten, with many of them making a name for themselves on the big stage. Gavi of Spain became the third-youngest player in World Cup history to score. Pele and Maradona were famous in the 1990s for their incredible feats on the international stage.
Furthermore, some countries have impressive historical records, such as Brazil, which has won five World Cup trophies; similarly, Argentina and Uruguay are the most successful Copa America teams.
All of these, African countries have several entries in the annals of history. They are not missing and have demonstrated that Africans can achieve great things in football. Some of these accomplishments are listed below:
1. Nigeria U17 World Cup Record: Nigeria won the first-ever U17 World Cup in 1985, which was hosted by China. The Baby Eagles – later renamed the Golden Eaglets – defeated West Germany in the finals by a score of 2 to nil at the Beijing Stadium. It was a watershed moment in Nigerian and African history.
2. The Golden Eaglets won their second U17 World Cup title in 1993. Japan hosted the event this time.
By 1995, Nigeria and Ghana had won four of the six U17 World Cup events that had been held, with both countries winning twice.
3. Cameroon In 1990 World Cup: In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Cameroon stunned the world by finishing first in Group B, defeating both Argentina and Romania. They also defeated Columbia in the Round of 16 and advanced to the Quarterfinals before falling to England.
4. Olympic Games, 1996: At the 1996 Olympic Games, Nigeria became the first African team to win an Olympic Gold medal. The Super Eagles stunned the world by defeating Argentina 3 goals to 2 in the Olympic football competition in Atlanta, Georgia.
5. Olympic Games, 2000: Cameroon made history by winning the Gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games, which were hosted by Australia. Cameroon’s Indomitables defeated Spain 5 goals to 3 in a penalty shootout following a 2-2 tie after 120 minutes of play, becoming the second African nation to win a Gold medal in the competition.
6. Senegal In The World Cup, 2002: Senegal made history in the 2002 World Cup tournament when they defeated defending champions France in their Group A match. They defeated Sweden in the Round of 16 to advance further in the competition. Unfortunately, the journey was cut short when they were defeated by Turkey in the quarter-finals by a score of 2 to 1. However, history was made by becoming the first African country to accomplish such a feat.
7. Morocco 2022 World Cup Dream: Finally, Morocco’s astounding performance in the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament. The Atlas Lions of Morocco has made the African continent proud by reaching the World Cup semi-finals, a feat no African country has ever accomplished. They defeated Belgium and Canada in their group stage matches and surprised the world by defeating European giant Spain in the Round of 16 knockout stages. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal couldn’t stop the African nation’s onslaught to the semi-finals.
The Moroccan team has received overwhelming support from the majority of African nations, with African football fans tipping them to bring the prestigious title to the continent.
