Marcel Desailly on African Teams’ Potential and Challenges Ahead of World Cup
Just hours before the kickoff of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, former French defender Marcel Desailly shared his thoughts on the prospects of France, African nations, and host country Brazil in an interview with football.fr.
Desailly expressed strong belief in the potential of African teams, highlighting Ghana’s near-miss at the 2010 semi-finals and the wealth of talent in Ivory Coast’s squad. However, he also voiced concerns about the reintegration of several former Black Stars players into the Ghanaian national team.
“There’s been a break since the last World Cup. During the last African Cup of Nations, many former players left the national team or lacked the expected commitment. Now they’re all back — the president himself intervened to bring back Ayew, Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng. I’m not sure this will be an advantage; I fear it could create tension. Could it cause problems with players who never gave up, like Asamoah Gyan and Kwadwo Asamoah? It’s all a question of egos, and I’m curious to see how this group behaves, especially in a tough group alongside Portugal, the United States, and Germany,” Desailly said.
Turning to Ivory Coast, he added: “Yes, I believe in Ghana, but I think at the African level, Ivory Coast has greater potential. Many Ivorian players are first-choice starters at major European clubs. For me, Ivory Coast has the potential to reach the semi-finals.”
