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A Nigerian football administrator and founder of the Tripple 44 Academy, Samuel Olatunji-Okuku, has promised the performance of the four representatives of Africa in the FIFA Club World Cup this year in the United States of America.
The quartet of Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperonce and Mamelodi Sundowns are flying the Africa flag in the renewed club tournament.
While Wydad Casablanca has crashed from the competition, Sundowns, Al Ahly and Esperance can still progress to the 16th round.
After losing one and drawing one, Ahly can still move forward if they defeat the Portuguese giants FC Porto in their last group game.
Espeance surprised Los Angeles FC 1-0 after starting his campaign with a 2-0 defeat against Flamengo and having his hands full in his latest tie group with Chelsea.
For the sun posts, they registered the first victory of the Africa Tournament with a 1-0 victory against Ulsan before lowering 4-3 at Borussia Dortmund in an exciting encounter.
The sunsets now must overcome Fluminense to have the opportunity to choose a round knockout ticket.
“The performance of African clubs has been impressive so far, although many expect them to be completely surpassed with differences from overwhelming objectives,” said Olatunji-Okuku Flashscore.com In an interview.
Samuel Olatunji-Okuku
“A unique aspect of this FIFA Club World Cup is the element of spontaneity, since many clubs have little idea what to expect from their opponents.
“For example, it is difficult to imagine that Manchester City widely studies the last seven games played by Wydad Casablanca de Morocco.
“Many of the clubs that face have little or no idea what to expect from their opponents, which has made the tournament especially exciting. He has the game between Real Madrid and Al-Hilal, no one saw that result came.”
When the African clubs can arrive in the tournament, Olatyunji-Okuku maintained a realistic objective.
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“I am not establishing high expectations for African teams in this tournament, since the challenges will only become more difficult.
“With each game played, they will have more opportunities to analyze and adapt to the tactics of the other.
“I will support them to hit them above their weights, since many people will not expect them to compete, what could be for their advantage in this case. Ultimately, I hope they progress as far as they can.
“Football is an unpredictable game, so it is difficult to say if an African club will make a deep race in the tournament. However, everyone has a real opportunity, since they have already exceeded expectations in their games.”
Olatunji-Okuku said that when it comes to improving the quality, visibility and investment of the National League, responsibility falls to us.
He said that while the Club World Cup can help show that our leagues are stronger than many believe, attracting important investments will require much more.
“We need to focus on strengthening the integrity of our leagues and implementing structural reforms. It is equally important to establish a system that creates a support environment for investors to confirm their resources.”
“The exhibition has never been the main problem for African football, perhaps only a part of this. Many leaders in African football sit in FIFA executive committees, travel around the world, observe innumerable games and understand how best football works.
“The biggest challenge ahead is to close the financial gap between our leagues and those of South America and Europe.
“When it comes to talent, Africa remains strong. This was evident in the last World Cup and recent matches such as Senegal versus England. The true priority is now investing in infrastructure and guaranteeing the integrity of our leagues.”
