Arsene Wenger Reveals Why African Country Can Win FIFA World Cup

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes an African country can win the FIFA World Cup, citing the continent’s improved performances and growing competitiveness at international level.

Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, made the remarks at the CAF Strategy Conference in Santa Maria, Sal Island, Cape Verde, where he discussed the progress of African teams at the expanded World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Naija News gathered that nine of Africa’s 10 representatives advanced beyond the group stage to the Round of 32.

“Africa has made a fantastic step forward. There is still another step to make. We want to see an African team win the World Cup, and the numbers show that it is feasible,” Wenger said.

The Frenchman pointed to Morocco’s historic run at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as evidence of Africa’s potential. Under Walid Regragui, the Atlas Lions became the first African and Arab nation to reach the semi-finals of the tournament.

Morocco topped Group F with seven points before eliminating Spain and Portugal in the knockout stages. The North Africans also kept clean sheets against Belgium, Spain and Portugal before losing 2-0 to France in the semi-finals.

Wenger attributed the improvement in African football partly to better tactical discipline and team organisation, which have helped teams address weaknesses that previously affected their performances at major tournaments.

“In the past, African teams sometimes lost because of a lack of compactness, too much distance between the lines, and inconsistent concentration,” he noted.

However, the former Arsenal manager stressed that tactical improvements and encouraging statistics alone would not guarantee a World Cup triumph. He said mentality, unity and shared values would also play important roles in helping an African team reach the summit of international football.

“The numbers don’t lie, but football is not only numbers. It is also attitude, mental qualities, unity, and your value system. Those are things you have to continue working on,” he said.