10 Big-Name Africans in Danger of Missing the World Cup
We are now less than 70 days away from the World Cup, and the question of participation is growing ever sharper as national coaches begin to finalise their selections and rule players out or in.
The process of finalising the squads of Africaโs five participants is littered with intricate subplots and intriguing narratives. Some of the characters whose places in Brazil are currently in the balance will end up making the trip to the World Cup; others, however, will not be so lucky.
This article profiles 10 big-name African players who are in danger of missing out on the centrepiece occasion altogether.
Peter Odemwingie
1 of 10
Ahead of the 2013 Cup of Nations, there was very little clamour for Peter Odemwingie to return to the Nigeria squad. Back then, the forward was at odds with West Bromwich Albion and responded to his omission from the tournament squad by lashing out at coach Stephen Keshi on Twitter.
A combination of his return to form at Stoke City and the deficiencies of Nigeriaโs other attacking options have suddenly made Odemwingie the flavour of the month.
Bringing back such a potentially divisive figure risks destabilising Keshiโs close-knit Super Eagles squad, but the noises coming from both menโas reported by Kick Off Nigeriaโare that things have been patched up.
Odemwingie will likely have the chance to impress ahead of the World Cup, but if the former Cardiff City forward doesnโt pass this final audition and toe the line, he can forget about a fairytale return to the national side.
Sebastien Bassong
2 of 10
As the matches go by and the World Cup draws closer, Sebastien Bassongโs chances of returning to the Indomitable Lionsโ squad in time for Brazil seem to get slimmer and slimmer.
In truth, Cameroon have such a plethora of options for the central defensive roles that the Norwich captainโs absence wouldnโt tangibly affect their chances at the World Cup.
Nonetheless, to see such an established performer shunned so comprehensively makes for strange viewing.
He hasnโt been involved in the last seven matchday squads, and itโs been much longer since he last played for the Indomitable Lions. That doesnโt look like it will change anytime soon.
Lacina Traore
3 of 10
Towering forward Lacina Traore seems to be locked in a three-way battle with Wilfried Bony and Seydou Doumbia. Only one of the three men will be able to spearhead the Cote dโIvoire in their 4-3-3 formation once Didier Drogba retires.
The 2014 World Cup could be viewed as the ideal โpassing of the torch," Drogbaโs final hour with the Elephants and the chance for one of the young calves to make a lasting impression on the grandest stage of all.
However, as Bony impresses at Swanseaโwho now plan to โbuild a team around him,โ per BBC SportโTraore has endured a torrid time at Everton.
Ever since his debut goal (incidentally, against the Swans), he has been injured and, despite Robertoย Martinezโs insistence that the hitman will play before the seasonโs end, it doesnโt look good.
With Bony and Doumbia eager to audition for the role of Drogbaโs successor and Sabri Lamouchi also keen on Basel frontman Giovanni Sio, Traore is in danger of ending up as the odd man out.
Ishak Belfodil
4 of 10
Algeria had a coup when former France youth star and Internazionale starlet Ishak Belfodil opted to represent the land of his birth at the senior international level.
Since then, thereโs not been too much to celebrate, as his troubled switch in allegiance has yet to bear fruit.
He appeared out of his depth and maladroit during his opening six months at Inter and did little to suggest that he deserved either the transfer fee or the clubโs prestigious No. 7 shirt.
As his discontentment grew in Lombardy, he was loaned out to Livorno to rediscover some form.
Ten games and zero goals later, weโre still waiting.
Vahid Halilhodzic ignored Belfodil for the Desert Foxesโ recent friendly against Sloveniaโhas he, too, lost faith in Belfodil?
Ikechukwu Uche
5 of 10
Villarreal forward Ikechukwuย Uche finds himself in a similar position to Odemwingie.
Based on on-field talent and recent form alone, he would travel to Brazil with the Nigeria national side. Indeed, Uche, even more so than Odemwingie, could easily and directly be considered as a solution to the ineffective forward line that threatens to derail the Super Eaglesโ summer.
But Keshi doesnโt agree.
The manager hasnโt forgiven Uche for his actions and contributions during the 2013 Cup of Nations, when he was usurped as the teamโs leading frontman by Emmanuel Emenike.
Keshiย is displeasedย with Ucheโs off-field petulance and lack of professionalism. There is also the sense that the Big Boss doesnโt consider the Villarreal forwardโdespite his terrific goalscoring form this seasonโas a natural fit to the tactical approach that Keshi has cultivated.
Emmanuel Eboue
6 of 10
My colleague Sam Tighe recently suggested that Serge Aurierโs emergence for the Cote dโIvoire has brought โan end to Emmanuel Eboueโs reign of terrorโ for the national side.
Tighe is half-right.
Itโs totally accurate to point out that Aurier has replaced Eboue in the national team pecking order, but the subsequent comment doesnโt do justice to the former Arsenal manโs international career.
Admittedly, he and with the rest of the Golden Generation have too often choked on the grand occasion, but the right-back has amassed almost 80 caps, has played his part in some big victories and has been a fine servant for the Elephants.
Aurier is clearly an upgrade, though, and Eboue will likely be confirmed as the first of the Golden Generation to fall this summer.
Joseph Yobo
7 of 10
Despite being replaced during the 2013 Cup of Nations in Nigeriaโs starting XI by youngster Kenneth Omeruo and being entirely overlooked in the subsequent 12 months, Joseph Yobo has never been replaced as the captain of the Super Eagles.
There was always a lingering sentiment that as the World Cup drew nearer, Keshi would once again be tempted to turn to the nationโs record apps holder.
That feeling was confirmed ahead of the Mexico friendly when Yobo was recalled to the squad. The Norwich defender, it seems, had been afforded one final chance to convince the Big Boss of his merit.
Unfortunately, an injury suffered ahead of that match ruled him out of the travelling party. Could Yoboโs chances of a return to the international scene have dissipated along with that injury and the missed opportunity in Mexico?
Dominic Adiyiah
8 of 10
Adiyiah was one of the stars of the 2009 Under-20 World Cup. Ghana won the tournament, and he earned both the Best Player and the Top Scorer awardsโhe even scored in the penalty shootout to beat Brazil in the final.
From there, he, along with many of his peers, made a successful transition to the Black Starsโ senior side.
Adiyiah was present for both Ghanaโs silver-medal showing at the 2010 Cup of Nations and the World Cup some months later.
It was his shot that Luis Suarez palmed off the line in the last minute of that fateful quarter-finalโwho knows how different Adiyiahโs career could have been if that ball had crossed the line?
Instead of stardom, he has drifted into obscurity.
In the blink of an eye, the majesty of Milan became the anonymity of Arsenal Kyiv.
He is currently without a club and may be losing the faith of Ghana boss James Kwesi Appiah. Despite starting a match as recently as August, the forward was overlooked for the recent friendly against Montenegro.
Ryad Boudebouz
9 of 10
Those of us who keep an eye on African and/or French football were once very excited about Ryad Boudebouz. He was a young winger with the speed and agility to thrive out wide who possessed the intelligence and technique to suggest that one day he could be a playmaker in the mould of some of North Africaโs greatest players of yesteryear.
As with so many of the current Desert Foxesโ squad, he began his international career with the France youth teams before switching to the land of his parents for senior level.
The French were sad to see him go but probably arenโt so bothered anymore.
Boudebouz stagnated at Sochaux, and his fortunes havenโt improved too much on Corsica with Bastia. There are the odd glorious occasions, such as man-of-the-match performances against Lorient, Ajaccio and Guingamp, but they havenโt been enough to convince Halilhodzic to recall him to the national side.
Boudebouz was one of the great casualties of the dismal 2013 Cup of Nations campaignโit is a failure that may prove fatal for his international career.
Isaac Vorsah
10 of 10
Itโs been a case of โout of Sight, out of Mindโ for Ghana centre-back Isaac Vorsah.
The defender tore his anterior cruciate ligament in May, and despite returning to training ahead of doctorsโ original forecasts, he has yet to return to the international fold.
The defender has the experience of playing at the 2010 edition of the tournament and started all but one of the Black Starsโ matches at the 2013 Cup of Nations.
Since that tournament, however, the likes of Jonathan Mensah, Jerry Akaminko and John Boye have profited from Vorsahโs spell on the sidelines. All are currently ahead of the Red Bull Salzburg man in the national team pecking order.
Perhaps the best Vorsah can realistically hope for is to displace Rashid Sumaila to sneak into the squad as the fourth centre-back.
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