Brazil World Cup. Germany triumphs, FIFA Keeps money while Africa is still biggest losers

After 64 matches spread over 32 days, Europe again proves it has a right to have 13 representatives at the world cup when Germany won South American representatives Argentina 1-0 in a lacklustre finals in Rio de Janeiro to lift the Brazil world cup yesterday July 13 2014. Germany will now take home a replica world Cup to show fans back home (while FIFA keeps the showpiece 18 carat cup) $35 million in prize money and one percent of the almost $4 billion FIFA will make in advertisement revenues, TV rights and hospitality, making it the most lucrative world cup in sporting history.

Germany triumphs sending fans dancing, singing and drinking all night long

Runners up match maker Lionel Messi 27 of Argentina against all odds, won the golden boats trophy which in most cases is given to a player of the winning team, a consolatory prize to one of the greatest footballers of all time.  Messi missed a couple of chances to win the cup for his country and leave a mark in world cup history. With 4 FIFA world player of the world trophies and now considered one of the best football players ever, Messi missed a golden opportunity to deliver on the biggest stage of a sports he is considered one of its biggest stars. James Rodriguez from Germany emerged highest goal scorer with 6 goals.

We are getting reports Brazilian coach Luiz Felicipe Scolari has been fired after eventual winners Germany stunned the host 7-1 in their semi finals match and the dismal Brazilians still managed to lose 0-3 in the third place match against Holland. If this is confirmed, he will join the Nigerian, Algerian and Ivory Coast coaches who also lost their jobs after the world cup. Ironically, only Nigeria and Algeria qualified for the knockout stages of the world Cup though both were knocked out in the second round. Keshi denied earlier newspaper reports that he resigned from the team claiming the Nigerian football Association did not renew his contract. He twitted; “friends, it has been a good run and I have enjoyed every moment.  It’s been an honor coaching the Super Eagles. It is however time to bow out”.

Germany. We are the Champions my friend

Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika failed to convince Bosnian born coach Valid Halilhodzic to remain as coach of the North African team that deservedly received a hero’s welcome back home after Germany beat them 2-1 in extra time denying them a quarter finals ticket. Despite being bottom team at the world Cup after losing all it’s three matches, Cameroons’ German coach Volke Finke will keep his job. Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah signed a 2 year pre world cup contract and so keeps his job despite the fact the black stars did not qualify for the knock out stages of the competitions for the first time in three participations.

Will Africa ever Win world Cup?

Confederation of African Football CAF president Cameroonian born Issa Hayatou conceded the continent did not expect an increase in its 2018 world cup representation because it’s representatives again failed to live up to the hype created before the competitions. “We need to have the results to back our case”, Hayatou is quoted to have said after it’s 5 representatives were booted out of the competitions with cases of indiscipline, match bonuses and the curious case of a chartered plane carrying $3m in cash to pay Ghanaian players on the eve of their last qualifying match, making headlines. The Ghanaian players had threatened not to play if their bonuses were not paid before the match.

Since getting three more places after Cameroon became the first African team to qualify for the world Cup in 1990 in Italy, only Senegal and Ghana has equalled Cameroons’ performance. Pele’s prediction that an African team will win the world cup before the end of the last century never materialized and there are no indications that will happen anytime soon.

FIFA last week suspended African champions Nigeria from all football competitions accusing the government of interfering with the football governing body. Lack of infrastructure, mismanagement, corruption and age long problems with bonuses are some of the problems African teams need to overcome if they want to advance in the world cup and like Germany, make their compatriots sing and dance all week long.

World cup host Brazil will now have to pick the broken pieces of a competition that never went their way. The country spent some $14 billion to host the competitions and its female president Dilma Rousseff might pay the ultimate prize in October when the country’s presidential elections take place. Her poll ratings have been plummeting like that of the Brazilian national team