Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com, first African-owned U.S-based newspaper published on the internet.
By Eberechukwu Godgive Orji, Contributor to USAfrica.
Argentina, the South American champion, faced France, the defending champion, in the 2022 FIFA World Cup finals at the Lusail Stadium in Al Daayen, Qatar.
Both teams vied for football’s top prize and a chance to make history.
Argentina and France both have two World Cup victories to their names. France triumphed in 1998 and 2018, while Argentina won in 1978 and 1986.
The 2022 World Cup was the 11th World Cup final to feature a South American and an European nation.
The last time both sides played, France defeated Argentina 4-3 in the FIFA World Cup knockout rounds.
But this time, Argentina won the World Cup final on penalties after sharing it with France, proving Lionel Messi’s assertions that he is the best football player in history.
Although Africa didn’t take home the Cup, different African countries have never before won a game at the same World Cup.
Morocco, an African team, advanced to the semifinals, which is a significant advancement toward the World Cup.
Judging from their historical World Cup performance, Africa was able to live up to expectations during a single World Cup and produce fantastic victories in the competition.
Hopefully, with continued performance improvement, Africa will see greater success in the future.
This competition has impressively raised the bar for the African continent.
By Peter Pinedo, correspondent for CNA.
