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World Cup Group F - Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria

Which two teams will progress to the next round?

  • Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Votes: 12 80.0%
  • Argentina and Iran

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Argentina and Nigeria

    Votes: 3 20.0%
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iran

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nigeria

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Iran and Nigeria

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    15
  • Poll closed .
Also good that at least one African team is through...hoping Ghana and Algeria can follow so at least those complaining about how "African teams haven't progressed" can STFU...for a while at least...
 
Congrats to Nigeria and their fans! Played well against an Argentina side that's seemingly coming to life as the tournament progresses.

Keshi seems like a good guy and a good manager, hope he gets to keep that job for a long time.

Also good that at least one African team is through...hoping Ghana and Algeria can follow so at least those complaining about how "African teams haven't progressed" can STFU...for a while at least...

If you do wish to continue this conversation...

Do you really think 2-3 teams getting out of the groups is evidence that African teams have in fact progressed to the point that people should be happy about them fulfilling their potential? I mean, if you wish I'll congratulate you and African football on the achievement if all 3 African teams get out of their groups. To me (as an outsider) it seems like a very low bar though for a continent with a lot of potential in football (too).

Ghana are now the second African team, out of five, to threaten with a strike in the near buildup to or during the tournament because of financial issues with their national association. I think this illustrates just some of the problems with African football, surely this isn't ideal for this Ghana team...
 
what Messi's free kick goal? That was an easy save to make, the goalie just watched it go in. It wasn't in the top corner.

tumblr_n7qo3vjQwR1rtequ6o1_500.gif


Not quite top corner, but not an easy save either imo. A bit less than a yard from the post perhaps?

He had just saved a free kick that was from a bit further out that was in the top corner, not sure if that influenced him at all. The goalkeeper positioned himself quite far to his right side, but this is Messi and he can put it in either side so it's not like it's obvious what's coming.
 
Congrats to Nigeria and their fans! Played well against an Argentina side that's seemingly coming to life as the tournament progresses.

Keshi seems like a good guy and a good manager, hope he gets to keep that job for a long time.



If you do wish to continue this conversation...

Do you really think 2-3 teams getting out of the groups is evidence that African teams have in fact progressed to the point that people should be happy about them fulfilling their potential? I mean, if you wish I'll congratulate you and African football on the achievement if all 3 African teams get out of their groups. To me (as an outsider) it seems like a very low bar though for a continent with a lot of potential in football (too).

In comparison to Europe having 6 teams in the last 16 of the last World Cup and having no more than 5 or 6 teams this time round I think it is progress. You forget that in 1966 when England was winning the World Cup Africa and Asia had just one place between them.
 
Ghana are now the second African team, out of five, to threaten with a strike in the near buildup to or during the tournament because of financial issues with their national association. I think this illustrates just some of the problems with African football, surely this isn't ideal for this Ghana team...

With this I totally agree
 
In comparison to Europe having 6 teams in the last 16 of the last World Cup and having no more than 5 or 6 teams this time round I think it is progress. You forget that in 1966 when England was winning the World Cup Africa and Asia had just one place between them.

Progress compared to when though?

Compared to 1966, absolutely. Compared to 1990 (first World Cup I remember), I'm not so sure...

With this I totally agree

Yeah. And it's just two stories in a long line of stories...


Shame for him and Argentina. On the other hand Aguero, Higuain and Messi hadn't really clicked into place as a trio. Perhaps Lavezzi or an additional midfielder will prove to be better for them than an off form Aguero.
 
If you do wish to continue this conversation...

Do you really think 2-3 teams getting out of the groups is evidence that African teams have in fact progressed to the point that people should be happy about them fulfilling their potential? I mean, if you wish I'll congratulate you and African football on the achievement if all 3 African teams get out of their groups. To me (as an outsider) it seems like a very low bar though for a continent with a lot of potential in football (too).

Ghana are now the second African team, out of five, to threaten with a strike in the near buildup to or during the tournament because of financial issues with their national association. I think this illustrates just some of the problems with African football, surely this isn't ideal for this Ghana team...

Seeing as you've mentioned to me and to NaijaSpurs about African sides not progressing, at least not since 1990, before continuing can I ask you what YOU would define as progression?
Can you also give details as to how Africa has a lot of 'potential', and especially in comparison to other continents.
 
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Seeing as you've mentioned to me and to NaijaSpurs about African sides not progressing, at least not since 1990, before continuing can I ask you what YOU would define as progression?
Can you also give details as to how Africa has a lot of 'potential', and especially in comparison to other continents.

For me at least an African team being amongst the realistic favourites (say top 5-6) to win a World Cup would be very clear progression. As it is the occasional African team goes on a run, like Ghana four years ago, but there's no consistency, there's no "Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Italy, France" etc of Africa. Teams fade in and fade out like mediocre European teams. So many great teams have been heralded and done relatively little.

The first World Cup I remember was in 1990, Cameroon were a great attraction and a lot of people talked through the nineties about how African teams would build on that. I don't think any of the African teams at the World Cup now are much further along than that Cameroon side was.

If I could go back in time to 1990 and describe a future that 20-24 years later no African team would have gotten past the quarter finals, that no African team has even been considered as anything other than at best a long shot outsider for winning a World Cup and that no African team seems to be emerging as a real powerhouse in international football I think people would be surprised. I think most people expected more.

There's been a lot of good players coming out of Africa in the last couple of decades. The socioeconomic situation is obviously vastly different in different countries, but not all together dissimilar to what it is in Brazil and Argentina for example and by all reports I've seen at least there's a high interest in football in many countries in Africa. There's also quite a few African countries with very solid populations. That to me means that to me it seems that there should be the potential there for some great footballing nations to emerge, close to or on par with Europe and South America.

To me this potential seems very much unfulfilled still.
 
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