At the start of 2008 the future looked very bright for Arsenal. They were looking good to claim their first title in four years. Chelsea were in disarray and United seemed to be lacking a top class marksman. On top of this the likes of Hleb, Flamini, Adebayor and Walcott seemed to be coming good whilst new signing Eduardo was looking very much like the “fox in the box” Wenger has had on his wish-list for so long. Fast forward eight trophy-less months and Aresnal fans are more than a little worried about what the future holds. Christiano Ronaldo has proved that he can consistently score enough goals for united not to need an out and out marksman. The problems at Chelsea seem to have settled down and they finished last season with the kind of long unbeaten run that Mourinho would have been proud of.

A greater worry to Arsenal fans though is the departures of Hleb and Flamini. The midfield duo's search for a larger pay packet elsewhere seems to have set a precedent. Whether they like it or not Arsenal are beginning to get a reputation as a selling club. Adebayor's head also seems to have been turned by the promise of more money elsewhere. As the season draws nearer it's now looking as if he will stay put but whether or not his heart is really in it is another matter.

Arsenal's other attacking options aren't ideal for a number of different reasons. Van Persie is undoubtedly one of the premierships finest talents but he has been injury prone for the past couple of years. Eduardo suffered an injury so horrific that no one knows what kind of player he will be when he returns. Although never really prolific, Alan Smith was a regular goal-scorer before a similar injury and he has only scored once in two years since his return. Theo Walcott is still a bit hit and miss and he is more of a provider than a goal-scorer and Nicholas Bendtner is a no more than a squad player.

Elsewhere in the team the back four look solid enough and Fabregas, Nasri and Rosicky provide plenty of craft in midfield.

Who have they signed?

Samir Nasri is the great white hope of French football. He broke in to the Marseille first team at the age of seventeen and soon became their most important player. After Ribery left to join Bayern Munich nasri was given even more responsibility but handled it well. After a slow start Marseille changed their manager and under the new man (E.Gerets) Nasri shone as Marseille climbed from the relegation places to eventually finish in third spot. It will be interesting to see how well he combines with Cesc as they are similar players and both like to be the main playmaker.

Who should they sign and why should they sign them?

Arsenal need three or four top additions to get close to the strength in depth that Manchester united and Chelsea have but two positions in particular need filling. In goal; Almunia shouldn't be considered a number one at the top level and Fabianski is still very inexperienced. Marco Amelia is way too good for recently relegated Livorno and would be well within Arsenal's budget. P.S.G's Micheal Landreau would be another option whilst Celtic's Artur Boruc deserves a chance to play in one of the top leagues.

Arsenal also need a holding midfield player, twelve months ago Arsenal were linked with Zaragoza's Alberto Zapater (nicknamed the bull). With Zaragoza having been relegated Zapater should now be available at a knockdown price. For those that haven't seen him play; Zapater is very strong and physical (hence the nickname) and he would add much needed balance to Arsenal's midfield. With Inter Milan having just signed Muntari it might also be worth inquiring about the availability of Esteban Cambiasso who is a similar kind of player.

28 year old Brazilian striker and attacking midfielder Ronaldinho transferred from Barcelona to AC Milan after 5 great years in Barcelona. Ronaldinho was the pupil of ardent Barcelona fans. AC Milan has paid 25 million euros for the transfer of him to club Barcelona. Next season, he is gonna play for the victory of Milan. I am sure he will do his best and become victoriuous.

Deco is another man leaving Camp Noi. He played for Barcelona FC between 2004 and 2008 years. He scored 13 goals in 4 years but made many assists to his friends. He also played a great role in the success of Portugal National Team in Euro 2008. Chelsea signed a three-year contract on June 30, 2008. Chelsea bord announced that club has paid 7.9 million pounds for this transfer. Chelsea is more powerful with coming of Deco this year. I am sure they will play very well with another midfielder Michael Ballack.

Hleb stared while he was playing for Arsenal. He participated Arsenal in 2005 and played for Arsenal for consecutive three years. He increased the dynamism of the team. On July 16, Hleb was transfered to Barcelona with a fee of 11.8 million pounds. Barcelona board announced that Hleb signed a four-year contract. I am sure he is ready to be the new pupil of the supporters.

Guiza is the top scorer of Spanish league in 2007-2008 season. He scored 27 goals in 37 match with no penalty kick. This transfer was completely surprising for both Spanish club and Fenerbahce. Next season, he will play for Fenerbahce in both national league and Champions League if Fenerbahce beats the opponents in qualification matches. I believe he will be a nightmare for the goalkeepers. Fenerbahce has paid 14 million euros for Guiza. He is the most expensive foreign player to be transferred Turkish league.

1. These players are far away from each other so this makes an illusion of the sizes. They are around the same size in real life.
   
   
2. That's a bad fall he could have broken his neck and kicked the guy behind him. He actually got straight up like nothing happened and continued to play football.
   
   
3. This poor player got the ball kicked in his face when the referee gave a corner. He actually got the ball kicked by his own teammate trying to kick it to the corner spot. That has to be painful and embarrassing.
   
   
4. Rooney holding a goalkeepers leg. It looks like he is actually hold him up in the air with his arm.
   
   
5. Now even if you are trying to tackle someone who has the ball in front of you this is the best way to do it, kick him where it hurts and make 50,000 fans laugh. When you get sent off field it's worth it. This is funny and painful to watch at the same time.
   
   

Peter Schmeichael

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Peter was born on 18th November 1963 in Denmark. He is retired now and played as a goalkeeper for Manchester United (Best Team Ever!) He was voted the World's Best Goalkeeper in 1992 and 1993. He scored 11 goals as a goalkeeper!

 

 

Xabi Alonso

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Xabi was born on 25th November 1981 in Spain. He currently plays for Liverpool as a central midfielder. He has played for Spain in the Euro 2004 and 2008 cup and the 2006 World cup

 

 

Gianfranco Zola

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Zola was born on 5th July 1966 in Sardina. He is retired and regarded as one of the best free kick takers of all time and is famous for his football dribbling technique. He was voted Football Writer's Player of the Year Award. He is currently captain of the Italian U21.

 

Eric Cantona

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Cantona was born on May 24th 1966 in France. He is retired regarded as having played a major talismanic role in the revival of Manchester United as a footballing powerhouse and he enjoys iconic status at the club. In 2001 he was voted player of the century.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo

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Ronaldo was born on February 5th 1985 in Portugal. He is well known for his football talent at free kicks, dribbling skill and goals. He plays for Manchester United and has won the English PFA Player of the Year Award and the Young Player of the Year award.

 

A while back just before the start of the quarterfinals I had rated my top 10 of the Euros as follows (in no specific order).

1. Luka Modric - Croatia
2. David Villa - Spain
3. Lukas Podolski - Germany
4. Wesley Schneider - Holland
5. Nihat Kahveci - Turkey
6. Christiano Ronaldo - Portugal
7. Adrian Mutu - Romania
8. Ajjren Robben - Holland
9. Zaltan Ibhramovic - Sweden
10. The Coaches

With it's nearly been a week since the Euros were done and dusted with .So it's time to reassess the stars that shone the brightest in the tournament thiis year. Hence, in no specific order here is the finalized list of my 10 best players.

1. Fernando Torres - Spain

   The "El Nino" storm took some time to gather but when it did no one was left standing. Scoring the only goal in the final of a Euro is good enough to get you into any super 11 team. Torres came into the tournament with a big reputation and was destined to be tied down with some eagle eyed marking. With sheer strength and quickness of mind he switched to the role of a shadow striker and hence provided acres of running space to the talented David Villa. With his confidence at an all time it looks like good times ahead if you support the team from Anfield.
   

2. Cesc Fabregas - Spain

   The Arsenal midfielder won the "Super Sub Of the Tournament" tag hands down. In spite of making it to the starting 11 only once, Fabregas advertised why he is one of the brightest young talents around every time he came onto the pitch. His vision, intelligence and sense of player movement are exquisite. Some of the passes he was able to execute were breath taking. If he continues at this rate he is sure to play a big part in Spain's world Cup challenge.
   

3. Marcos Senna - Spain

   The Brazilian born mid fielder gave an absolutely enthralling performance. Some of his one-twos in the middle of the field were eye candy. At 31, Senna some might say is well past his prime but he was the lynchpin on whom Spain built some of those waves like attacks. He has the ability to switch from defense into attack within seconds. In the near about 450 minutes he clocked he rarely looked tired and out of breath. Not surprisingly as per a lot of pundits he was the "working man"s' player of the tournament.
   

4. Jans Lehman - Germany

   There are few who would argue that St.Iker of Spain was the goalkeeper of the tournament but spare a thought for the grumpy ex-Arsenal goalkeeper. At 38 some of the saves he made would have made any youngster worth his goalkeeping gloves a bit threatened. I lost count of the number of saves he made in the knock out stages through to the finals. A triumph at the Euros would have been a fitting end to the grit and determination he showed. But that was not to be. Farewell Jens - from an Arsenal fan.
   

5. Lukas Podolski - Germany

   He had a dream start to the tournament scoring 3 goals in the first two matches.Unfortunatley; a problem in his left foot slowed him down during the knockout stages. His incisive runs through the left hand side in combination with Philip Lahm caused major problems for most of the opponents the Germans played. He looked a bit lackluster in the finals but considering he played more than 500 minutes at blistering place through the tournament he can be forgiven.

6. Wesley Schnider - Holland

   The 23 year Old Dutch number 10 looked all set to have a great tournament until the Dutch were outfoxed by a brilliant Russian side. Schneider fitted right into the attractive total football that Van Basten brought in which, had most of the football lovers round the globe excited. His excellent temperament, presence of mind and unselfish play was wonderful to see. This midfield dynamo will definitely be the one to watch in the La liga this season.

7. Andrei Arshavin - Russia

   Russia's challenge looked to be done and dusted in the first match itself when they were absolutely bamboozled by the free flowing Spanish.Arshavin joined the squad two games late in the make or break game against Sweden. As if it was written in the script the new guy scored. He was also responsible for scoring the final nail in the coffin against the Dutch. Arshavin gets a mention purely on how his introduction into a side that was nearly out of the tournament in the group stages itself galvanized itself into a semi finalist.

8. Luka Modric - Croatia

   Tottenham Hotspurs fans the world over will be excited about seeing this player at White Hart Lane this season. Scorer of the fastest goal in the Euros (though it was via a penalty), Modric's "maradonaesqe" play is what made him stand out. He has a low centre of gravity and is slightly built but he has learnt to cleverly use this as an advantage. The way he was weaving past the bulky German and Polish defense was almost as if he always had a few extra seconds on him in comparison to his opponenst.In my opinion, Modric was one of the few players who lived upto their pre-tournament hype.

9. The Coaches

   Bilic, Low, Fatih Terim, Scolari, Aragones, Van Basten and many more. This year was almost like an all-star coach confrontation. Thanks to TV replays, the close ups of their reactions after a missed penalty, scored goal or bad decision added to the flavor of watching the games. Perhaps the only no shows in the coaching department were Domenech (France) and Donadoni (Italy).

10. Deco - Portugal

    Another player whose probably played his last Euros (he'll be 34 next time round).The unsung hero of Portuguese football had just an average tournament some might say but a closer investigation will reveal that this is just a "taken-for-granted" type syndrome. Deco is one of those quiet footballers who are neither glamorous nor scandalous. He plays the game with his head down and feet moving. The number of passes and untiring runs he has made in all parts of the field were credible. A hardworking, efficient and wonderful passer of the ball Deco is sure to be a hit in Scolari's version of the Chelsea brigade this season.

11. Carlos Puyol - Spain

    For some reason, I felt that a majority of the matches this year were won by smart midfielders. The defenders in my opinion had precious little to do in comparison to the midfielders. In terms of defenders Puyol's selection is purely a reflection of the number of goals that the Spanish defense let through to the tournament. Since Puyol was the driving force and additionally the captain of a team that went on to lift the trophy, he gets a mention.Pepe and Lahm were the other defenders who caught my eye.

All and all a wonderful tournament and it proved to be a great advertisement for the most beautiful game in the world. While we slowly return to the normalcy of every day life, here a few tips to keep you going before the football season begins.

Cheers

Why would Cristiano Ronaldo, our star player, want to leave officially the best team in Europe? Surrounded by players like Rooney, Tevez, Giggs, his fellow countryman Nani, and the up and coming Brazilian he shares a close bond with in Anderson it is hard to understand why he would ever want to make his move to what appears to be a lesser league in Spain.

Five years ago La Liga was the best league in the world when Real Madrid were a star studded team. In the present day Los Galacticos have been on the decline. The Figo's and Zidane's of the Spanish capital have gone and Real do not look like challenging for European supremacy any time soon. So why is it that Ronaldo is so desperate to leave?

Real Madrid always appear to have been a thorn in the side of Manchester. No matter how great the Old Trafford outfit become players always seem to see Madrid as that one last step to greatness. Time and time again United's top players have set sail for Madrid. We have seen it with Van Nistlerooy, Beckham and even members of the coaching staff in recent years. What appears to be a cert is that young European players look at Santiago Bernabeau as the goal to which they dream, and when it is in the mindset of a player from such a young age this is always going to be hard to change.

One argument is that Manchester United only have themselves to blame. With a golden generation just passed the Red Devils should most certainly have more European Cups in the cabinet then they can currently lay claim to. For all their domestic dominance since the beginning of the Premiership, United were perennial under-achievers in Europe and therefore rising European talent has always looked towards Spain and Italy as the bar to which to dream. This is something Sir Alex Ferguson appears determined to change with his current crop before calling it a day. However, to do this he needs to keep his talented group together.

So should United just accept the huge sums of money Madrid are rumoured to be offering and make the most of it?

After all one man doesn't make a team and it has been argued that Ronaldo only produces his best form in the Premier League against lower club opposition. What is for sure is that when Van Nistlerooy left people questioned where we would get goals from, and when Beckham left people wondered how we would replace his creativity; but Ferguson has always been intelligent enough to make the right decisions and this time will be no different.

Should United let Ronaldo go and how much do you think he is worth?

If Sir Alex does decide to sell who will he replace him with?

Why do you think United always appear to be under the shadow cast from Los Galacticos in Madrid?

The English Premier League is going to kick off only in mid August and we’ll all need something to fill the void that the football off season will cause. I have compiled a list of five things that football maniacs could try out to make use of the time as well as keep them going till kick-off.

1. Spend time with your family:

   Use this time to plan a vacation or a short trip with your near and dear ones. Surprise your wife by booking movie or play tickets on a weekend (since weekends during the season usually are spent in front of the tube watching the games). Take the kids to the zoo or a picnic. Watch some of the programs that the missus loves watching.

2. Get into shape

   Use the extra time you get over the weekends to get into shape (in case you aren’t).Try your hand at a new sport and spend the time you get playing a sport rather than watching it for a while. Cut down on the booze and fast food for a while.

3. Read a book on the beautiful game

   Pele,Maradona, Sir Alex, Wenger.There is a plethora of autobiographies and biographies available on footy legends. Get a copy of these and read them in your spare time. This will increase your knowledge on the rich tradition that the beautiful game carries.

4. Teach your children about the beautiful game

   Probably the most useful thing you could do. Use this time to talk with your kids about football. If they go for practice then spend time on the ground watching them play. Try to indulge in a kick about with them. If you support a club, then talk to them about its history and the greats.Spend time with them on concepts like fair play and opposing racism.

5. Plan your finances

   When you are working in a 5 day job and spend the weekends on footy your finances might tend to get neglected. So make sure that you use the time to see how you stand in terms of your finances, taxes and investments. Spending time on these activities will have long term benefits and advantages.

Things not to do

1. Don’t watch reruns of old matches. It’s just a waste of time.
2. Don’t play Pro Evo Soccer or the FIFA games on your console. You’ll end up spending more time than you would when the season is on.
3. Don’t talk about football with the missus for the entire month. Try not to mention it and show her that you can survive without the game (however painful that might be!!)
4. Don’t follow the transfer market rumors on a day to day basis. In my opinion most of the rumors that are floated are just to increase hits to websites and end up being bogeys.
5. Don’t spend too much time with your mates cribbing about a bad referee decision that your team faced in the previous season. Keep the conversations constructive and progressive.

Hopefully, you'll find some the things here useful.

One of the best examples of superstitious beliefs has to be one from Argentina. It is said that in 1986 when Diego Maradona was busy inspiring Argentina to win their second World Cup, their coach Carlos Bilardo was weighing in with his own superstitious practice. It said that on the eve of their first match against Italy, Bilardo did not have tooth paste so he went to a player's room to borrow. Given that the results on the pitch did not disappoint him, he made it a habit to borrow toothpaste from the same room, same player and same time throughout the tournament. Ultimately they won the tournament, and therefore one can logically conclude that the superstitious practice worked in favor of Argentina.

1950 World Cup Final Ball Tussle

Another example where the beliefs did not work well for Argentina was the Word Cup final against Uruguay in 1950. Each team insisted on using a ball from their respective countries. As a compromise, each country produced a ball for each half. Argentina's was used in the first half and quickly went up two to nil. In the second half, a ball from Uruguay was introduced and they went on to score four and thereby win their second world cup trophy to date. Thus superstitious practices have been part of the evolution of soccer up to the highest level of the game.

Other noticeable practices include, touching the ground with your hand before stepping on the pitch. This is a widespread practice. How effective that one is is open to conjecture.

My Experience

When I was playing the game, one of the greatest and enduring beliefs was that a man should not share a bed with a woman before a game. This must have parallel with the biblical story of Samson being outwitted by the woman, Delilah, and thereby letting the enemies know the secrets of his strength. According to the book of Judges Chapter 16: 17 (King James`Version).

“That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man”

Thus a competitive match is something close to a war. Hence a woman knowing the secrets of a team can easily betray the team leave alone distracting a player's focus and mental preparation.

Other practices that I have noticed over the years among soccer players include;

1. Running on to the pitch and immediately going over to touch the goal posts
2. When praying, making sure the legs are not crossed. It is believed crossing legs undermines your prayer. It is tantamount to self tripping.
3. On possessing the ball after kick off, ensure you force the ball over the opponent's goal line. It gives the team confidence that they will dominate the proceedings. In like manner, when the ball crosses your defensive goal line first, then things are going to be tough for the team. A ball over the sideline immediately after kick off is an indicator of a 50 - 50 chance of winning or losing.
4. On the way to a game, a cat and especially a black one crossing in-front of the vehicle carrying the players portends negative results. So be on the look out!
5. If you are married and with children, it is believed when things are going to turn out right, the first person you meet on coming out of the house should be the same gender with your first born child. This is tied to spiritual blessings from God. A first born child is a huge blessing and highly regarded biblically and across many cultures.

There many other beliefs and practices that players resort to when faced with competitive matches. I wonder whether you have noticed any superstitious practices in your culture and sport.

Based on the matches so far, i have compiled a list of the top 10 performers at the Euros. i have tried to put in the reasons for their selection too. The following are in no specific order.

1. Luka Modric - Croatia

   An untiring work horse whose low centre of gravity allows him to keep close control of the ball while he makes darting runs from the midfield. Serves as the proverbial ‘provider’. Scored the first goal for Croatia in the tournament and was very instrumental in the win against Germany. He will have a big role to play from the Quarter finals.

2. David Villa - Spain

   Has played wonderfully so far as a ‘shadow striker’. While the opposing defenders are attracted to the main Spanish striker David Villa like bees to honey, Villa has quietly notched up 4 goals. His last gasp strike against Sweden was pure class and will undoubtedly add to his challenge as player of the tournament.

3. Lukas Podolski - Germany

   Played in the crucial tie against Austria yesterday with a blister on his foot. Podolski breathtaking left field runs have been one of the features of the tournaments. Scorer of 3 goals so far, Podolski is a match winner and will be a player to watch in the QF tie against Portugal.

4. Wesley Schneider - Holland

   The Dutch midfielder was instrumental in the drubbing of both Italy and France. His goals in both matches were sublime. This player has truly arrived on the world stage with his deft touches and unselfish style of play. He fits nicely into the Dutch total football machine that coach Marco Van Basten has expertly created.

5. Nihat Kahveci - Turkey

   The Turkish challenge in the Euros was almost over when two deathly strikes from the Villarreal striker revived a lost cause against the Czech Republic. Though partly caused due to the lapse of concentration from Petr ‘The Wall’ Cech , the Czech goalie credit needs to be given Kahveci’s poaching skills. It takes something to be the right place at the right time and Nihat was there twice to take Turkey into the Quarter Finals.

6. Christiano Ronaldo - Portugal

   With the aura that this boy carries, it was no surprise that everytime he got the ball there were nearly three defenders on him. In spite of the close marking Ronnie scored once and even set up a couple of goals. The traditional step-overs and back passes were still exhibited. You can only sense that he is going to bring it on in the Quarter final against Germany.

7. Adrian Mutu - Romania

   Putting aside the controversial Chelsea fine and the loss of his grandmother Mutu played the game of his life against Italy. After scoring a poacher’s goal he went through the entire gamut of emotions when he missed a penalty in the dying moments of the game.Mutu will be aching to take his team to the Quarter finals when Romania clash against the high flying Dutch today.

8. Ajjren Robben - Holland

   The Real Madrid star missed the first game against Italy but made up with his performance against the French. One of the speediest wingers of our time Robben scored a wonderful goal and also showed he can pass by setting up a couple of goals.Robben’s pace is one of the biggest asset in Van Basten’s arsenal. And to think he comes in as a substitute, this team is an embarrassment of riches.

9. Zaltan Ibhramovic - Sweden

   Whenever I saw this guy in Seria A the only word that came to my mind was ‘lazy’. But Ibhramovic has shown a lot in the Euros with his ball control. His style of play is a lot like Berbatov from Spurs or Anelka from France i.e. he looks disinterested most of the times in the game so much so that it’s easy for the defenders to let down their guard but as soon as the ball reaches his feet his mastery and skill is very evident.
   

10. Coaches

    As per me, the Euros this year has been a tournament of the coaches. From Scolari’s touchline growls to Low’s impeccable dressing sense to Van Basten’s revolutionary management skills the managers have outshone the players after a long time. Bilic from Croatia looks to be the new Mourinhio and the cameras seem to love him capturing all his reactions in detail. Domenich’s haunted expressions in the France - Holland game was a classic piece of TV. I am sure that the coaches will make the rest of the tournaments even more interesting.
    

History

Association football was introduced into Africa more than 100 years ago by the Western Imperialist states of Britain, Belgium, France, and Portugal. Given the fact that Football was already flourishing in these countries, it was not difficult for the spirit and passion of Football to catch up with the already athletic and physical activity oriented Africans especially men. Note that before the coming of the Europeans, the basic leisure activity for the people was dance. So it was not surprising that African men took up soccer with enthusiasm. Soccer is a very exciting game and has the advantage of being very accessible and reasonably cheap. The basic requirements for a soccer game to thrive are space, poles or sticks to serve as goal posts, and a ball which on many occasions is improvised. For young children, the ball is homemade out of polythene paper, rags and a string around it. Football is accessible because it can be played almost anywhere in Africa, and by almost any healthy young person. It is widely played in schools, villages, higher institutions of learning, corporate organizations and clubs.

In the period leading to independence in the late 50's and 60's, football underwent dramatic organizational change as most countries formed national football associations and affiliated themselves to FIFA upon gaining independence. The formation of national associations set the pace for the quick formation of clubs. Most clubs were initially formed in many African cities and sponsored by large companies or businesses, community welfare associations along ethnic lines and in some cases by government departments. So, for example, it was not unusual in larger cities for the police force, army, and railroads, to sponsor football clubs that would compete against each other and against clubs sponsored by large businesses. It was from these clubs that the best players were selected to become members of a national team.

Competitions

Club football expanded with the coming of independence in many African countries in the 1960s and the inauguration of club competitions at continental level under the auspices of Confederation of African Football (CAF). Some African countries even went further and formed national league and cup competitions leading to the declaration of a national club champion or national cup winners. The champion and cup winners were entered into the African Club Champions and African Cup Winners Cup competitions respectively at the continental level. The Club competition for champion clubs was later renamed the African Club Champions League Cup.

At institutional level, sports are very important in most countries. Inter-school competitions are often fiercely contested at national level and in some regions such as East Africa, the competitions extend to an inter-school championships bringing together national school champions in the different disciplines with soccer being the prime focus. Association Football, is not just played at competition level but also at recreational level. If you visit schools in rural or urban areas in almost any African country you will almost certainly find students playing football during recess periods and after school in virtually all available space and you will also witness a whole array of skills on display.

Progress

In the past thirty years, African football teams and players have gained a solid international reputation. Today, more than 300 footballers from all over Africa play on first division professional soccer teams in Europe, Asia, South America and in the United States. Beginning in 1970 the continent of Africa was given one guaranteed place in the World Cup championships. Based on the great improvement in African football, by 1982 Africa was awarded two places, three in 1994, and five places starting from 2002 at the World Cup tournament hosted by South Korea and Japan. The climax for African Football will be in 2010 when South Africa and Africa play host to the World Cup for the first time in history. The challenge is for Africa not only to host a successful world cup but to also produce a world champion.