2022 World Cup: What if each African contender could have one legend back?

Cameroon Cameroon are still a little short in the heart of the defence, where Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui will likely partner with Jean-Charles Castelletto. Any limitations at the back, however, would be quickly solved by Rigobert Song in his prime. The former Liverpool man and current Cameroon head coach didn’t enjoy a truly glorious career at club level, but he captained the Indomitable Lions to back-to-back Afcon titles in 2000 and 2002. He still holds the African record for appearances in World Cup finals squads. Morocco With Youssef En-Nesyri struggling with injury in recent years, Morocco are short up top. The Sevilla man scored 18 league goals during the 20-21 campaign, but has netted only five since then and is currently injured as Qatar looms. That’s why Ahmed Faras would make such a big difference to this squad. He’s the North Africans’ top scorer of all time, twice the highest scorer in the Botola, and, crucially, has experience of winning the Afcon—he was a champion with the North Africans in 1976. The interplay with Hakim Ziyech would be something beautiful. Ghana Ghana’s team is nicely balanced heading into the World Cup, with the likes of Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey and Mohammed Salisu all coming into the squad to bolster several key areas ahead of Qatar. In midfield, Thomas Partey and Iddrisu Baba forge a strong partnership, although the potential of an injury to the Arsenal star could leave the Black Stars in the lurch. Michael Essien didn’t have an enviable fitness record himself, but imagine if you could add The Bison—in his prime—into this Ghana midfield. He’d be an immediate upgrade on Baba, and would help the Black Stars get over any injury concerns for Partey…but only if Essien can remain fit as well! Senegal The Teranga Lions have strength across the park: a fine goalkeeper, a strong centre-back pairing, excellent midfield, and in Sadio Mane, a world-class option up top. What they perhaps lack, assuming Mane plays in a more advanced role, is a touch of creative genius a little deeper in the park, as the midfield of Nampalys Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye can be fairly one-dimensional. Perhaps Khalilou Fadiga, a veteran of the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists, could add a spark of magic to the Senegalese midfield, and help pull the strings as he did during their magical run 20 years ago. Tunisia Tunisia are going to need to rely extensively on their defence during the World Cup, with the Carthage Eagles up against it after being pitted alongside reigning champions France and dark horses Denmark. They have impressed defensively so far this year, not conceding a single goal in seven matches between the Nations Cup and the devastating defeat by Brazil. There are still concerns, however, about the goalkeeping position, where both Aymen Dahmen and Bechir Ben Said are competing for the starting berth. Eagles legend Chokri El Ouaer would be a major upgrade on the home-based duo, and would immediately step into this team, probably taking the armband in the process. He amassed nearly a century of caps between 1990 and 2002, representing Tunisia at the 1998 World Cup having made the Nations Cup Team of the Tournament two years previously.

Cameroon Cameroon are still a little short in the heart of the defence, where Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui will likely partner with Jean-Charles Castelletto. Any limitations at the back, however, would be quickly solved by Rigobert Song in his prime. The former Liverpool man and current Cameroon head coach didn’t enjoy a truly glorious career at club level, but he captained the Indomitable Lions to back-to-back Afcon titles in 2000 and 2002. He still holds the African record for appearances in World Cup finals squads. Morocco With Youssef En-Nesyri struggling with injury in recent years, Morocco are short up top. The Sevilla man scored 18 league goals during the 20-21 campaign, but has netted only five since then and is currently injured as Qatar looms. That’s why Ahmed Faras would make such a big difference to this squad. He’s the North Africans’ top scorer of all time, twice the highest scorer in the Botola, and, crucially, has experience of winning the Afcon—he was a champion with the North Africans in 1976. The interplay with Hakim Ziyech would be something beautiful. Ghana Ghana’s team is nicely balanced heading into the World Cup, with the likes of Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey and Mohammed Salisu all coming into the squad to bolster several key areas ahead of Qatar. In midfield, Thomas Partey and Iddrisu Baba forge a strong partnership, although the potential of an injury to the Arsenal star could leave the Black Stars in the lurch. Michael Essien didn’t have an enviable fitness record himself, but imagine if you could add The Bison—in his prime—into this Ghana midfield. He’d be an immediate upgrade on Baba, and would help the Black Stars get over any injury concerns for Partey…but only if Essien can remain fit as well! Senegal The Teranga Lions have strength across the park: a fine goalkeeper, a strong centre-back pairing, excellent midfield, and in Sadio Mane, a world-class option up top. What they perhaps lack, assuming Mane plays in a more advanced role, is a touch of creative genius a little deeper in the park, as the midfield of Nampalys Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyate and Idrissa Gueye can be fairly one-dimensional. Perhaps Khalilou Fadiga, a veteran of the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists, could add a spark of magic to the Senegalese midfield, and help pull the strings as he did during their magical run 20 years ago. Tunisia Tunisia are going to need to rely extensively on their defence during the World Cup, with the Carthage Eagles up against it after being pitted alongside reigning champions France and dark horses Denmark. They have impressed defensively so far this year, not conceding a single goal in seven matches between the Nations Cup and the devastating defeat by Brazil. There are still concerns, however, about the goalkeeping position, where both Aymen Dahmen and Bechir Ben Said are competing for the starting berth. Eagles legend Chokri El Ouaer would be a major upgrade on the home-based duo, and would immediately step into this team, probably taking the armband in the process. He amassed nearly a century of caps between 1990 and 2002, representing Tunisia at the 1998 World Cup having made the Nations Cup Team of the Tournament two years previously.