Claude Makelele says African football is ‘trending in the right direction’ after World Cup progress

French football great Claude Makelele believes African football is moving forward after South Africa and several other nations made a strong impression at the FIFA World Cup.

Makelele, a former France and Chelsea midfielder, highlighted the performances of South Africa, Egypt, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Congo as evidence that the continent is developing and becoming increasingly competitive on the world stage.

“Egypt did something exceptional even in defeat, Ivory Coast and Senegal fell just short, and Congo went out to England. South Africa too. It’s progress, and we’ll see the fruits of it at the next World Cup. It’s good for world football,” Makelele told IOL via ComeOn.

South Africa reached the knockout stages for the first time in their history, marking a significant achievement for Bafana Bafana. Their campaign ended with defeat by co-hosts Canada in the Round of 32, but the team’s overall performance was widely regarded as a success.

Bafana Bafana would also have advanced from the group stage under the previous 32-team World Cup format, having finished second in their section.

Egypt also came close to producing one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. They held a 2-0 lead over Argentina until the 67th minute and appeared to be on course for a place in the quarter-finals.

However, Argentina staged a dramatic late recovery to win 3-2. The result ended Egypt’s campaign in heartbreaking fashion after they had briefly looked capable of eliminating the defending champions in a result that would have been remembered for years.

Makelele said the progress shown in the tournament should not be judged by the achievements of one country alone.

“The performance of African nations at this World Cup goes beyond any single team,” Makelele added.

He also pointed to the growing influence of players who were developed in Europe before choosing to represent the countries of their parents.

“For example, Congo and many other African nations have shown they are now working in the right conditions. They’re also winning back their dual-national playersplayers who learned the game at the top level in Europe. That matters enormously because they bring real quality to African teams and push them even further.

“That’s what is driving this improvement, and in a way, we were at the start of it: those who don’t play for France or Belgium return to represent the country of their parents.”

Makelele’s comments come after a World Cup in which African nations delivered notable results and reached the knockout phase, underlining the increasing depth and quality across the continent.

He said the impact of that progress could become even clearer at the next World Cup, with the experience gained by the players and teams expected to strengthen African football further.

The former France international was speaking to IOL in association with ComeOn.

Image credit: GEOFF CADDICK / AFP