Round up Africa World Cup

Well, that’s it. The first World Cup on the African continent is over, and in the final it was clear that Spain deserved to win it, becoming the ninth winner of a World Cup, the first side to win the tournament after losing their opening game (1-0 against Swizerland), the first European side to World Cup outside of Europe, the lowest-scoring winner of a World Cup so far (they scored only eight goals in the tournament) and the first winner of a World Cup in Africa. But what of the African teams?

With six African nations competing, the prospects seemed good for at least a couple of them to make an impression in this year’s tournament: but one by one, it became clear that this was not to be their time.

The hosts were unlucky to concede late in their opening game, earning them a draw that proved insufficient to propel them out of the group stage even after their 2-1 victory over France later on.

A promising Côte D’Ivoire got drawn in a “Group of Death” for the second tournament running and were edged out of a second-round place on goal difference after Portugal blasted North Korea 7-0.

Algeria, probably lucky to be in the tournament to start with thanks to their surprise 1-0 victory over African Cup of Nations holders Egypt in Omdurman, showed impressive team spirit at times and held a sub-par England side to a goalless draw but still proved unable to record a debut World Cup victory.

Cameroon fell victim to their own poor preparation and infighting, losing all of their group-stage games in spite of being Africa’s highest-ranked team and boasting the prodigious talent of Samuel Eto’o, among others.

Nigeria had high hopes and high expectations coming into the tournament, but a poor run of form, poor discipline against Greece and some desperately bad luck against South Korea led to a first-round dismissal that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called an embarrassment to the nation.

All of which leaves us with Ghana, who this year equalled the best previous result for an African nation in reaching the quarter-finals, after beating the USA 2-1 in the last eight. The real injustice here is, of course, that they did enough to be the first African nation to reach the semifinals, and would have been there if it were not for a blatant, cynical handball on the Uruguayan goal line from Luis Suarez to deny them a last-minute winner. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting spot-kick, and there was not enough time left in the game for Suarez’s red card to make any difference: In the resulting penalty shootout, the South Americans took the game 4-2.

Regardless of the outcome for the host continent however, the tournament’s organisation has been widely recognised as a success story. South Africa has shown that it can host a major international sporting event without any major problems, giving itself- and the continent of Africa- some excellent positive publicity in the process as well as attracting and successfully managing huge numbers of tourists from all around the world. The next question is- where do they go from here?

The infrastructure improvements and sporting arenas constructed in order to make this World Cup possible have the potential to provide a real benefit to South Africa, but a great many of the jobs created in their construction and operation for the tournament will now, in the short term at least, be lost as the howls of the ubiquitous vuvuzelas fall silent and the stadia lie empty; waiting, perhaps, for the next major sporting event to visit this country.

The World Cup has been a success story so far, but it must be made clear that this is only the beginning. Its legacy in South Africa will be judged, in the long run, by its lasting effect on the nation and not just what happened over five weeks in 2010. The future holds promise, but we are not there yet.

Update

Well, the group stages are almost over but there are still a few teams with everything to play for- and a few teams for whom progression has already faded as a tantalising dream, missed either by a whisker or a country mile. Here’s Computers 4 Africa’s take on the tournament so far:

It’s been a turbulent time for the hosts. South Africa did well in their opener against Mexico, putting in a spirited performance against an excellent Association Football team. Bafana Bafana did less well against the marauding Uruguay side- but then, so did everybody in Group A- but they bounced back to give a spirited, vintage performance against an admittedly fractured French side. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough- they fell short on goal difference at the last- but with a point score equal to that of second-placed rivals Mexico they can leave the tournament with their heads held high. Honestly nobody expected them to do well in this tournament, and recording a win against France- even a France team as fractious and divided as that on display yesterday- is no mean achievement.

Cameroon have had a torrid time of it, the African Cup of Nations quarter-finalists losing both of their opening games against Denmark and Japan. The Danish side is well-regarded, the Japanese a little more unknown- though Cameroon’s widely publicised problems with team coach Pul Le Guen can’t have helped. Their only remaining hope to salvage some face from this tournament comes against the Netherlands on Friday, but given that the Dutch are expected to do very well in this World Cup and will want to keep their momentum up after winning both of their opening games, it will not be easy. Indomitable the Lions may be, but for this tournament they have been beaten back.

Nigeria came achingly close to qualifying for a place in the last 16 yesterday, Argentina’s convincing win over Greece meaning that they just needed to win their game against the South Koreans. With veteran player Kanu back in the team and Yakubu leading the charge, they looked likely to do it at numerous stages throughout the game, too- they led 1-0 during the first half and had numerous chances to put another in even in the closing stages at 2-2, with Yakubu surely feeling disappointed with his miss in the 68^th minute. Nigeria did finally produce the exciting, attacking football they are capable of in this game, but you can’t help but think that if they’d brought their A-game out before, particularly against an inferior Greece side, they would be celebrating today instead of heading home disappointed.

Côte D’Ivoire must surely be rueing their abysmal luck in the draw. For the second World Cup running they were put in a “Group of Death,” and while they’ve done well against some stern opposition and they’re not technically out of the tournament yet there was always going to be a mountain for them to climb and it’s going to take something of a miracle for them to progress at this stage. A draw against Portugal gave them a respectable start, and there is no shame in losing to Brazil- but it is the result achieved by Portugal against North Korea, a game the Elephants had no control over, which has made their final task all but impossible. It is well within their ability to beat the North Korean side, make no mistake- but with a goal difference of nine to make up, they must surely be hoping that the Brazilians put in some serious demolition work of their own if they are to have any real hope of qualifying.

Algeria have managed to punch a little above their weight in this tournament. Aided by an abysmal showing from England, they are technically still able to qualify- although it would take a win over an in-form United States team and a victory for England for them to do it, which seems unlikely at this stage given that the States will absolutely be looking to win the game in order to seal their place in the last sixteen and England- as you almost certainly know- have been playing extremely badly so far this tournament. Nonetheless, expect the Desert Foxes to play their hearts out this afternoon- a last-16 place would be a fantastic achievement for them.

All of which leaves us with Ghana. The Black Stars need at least a draw with the Germans to make sure of their progression into the last 16, giving them the best chance of any African side. They will still stand a good chance at progressing as long as they don’t lose by more than one goal this afternoon, though that would put them at the mercy of the Serbian team- if the Serbs beat Australia, then Ghana must win or draw.

The issue here is, of course, that they are playing against Germany. You can never expect the Germans to be anything less than fully committed, especially at a World Cup, and they will be a dangerous side to face regardless of their poor form against Serbia last Friday. Expect a tough match.

Ghana

The Ghanaian team dominated their Group D match against Serbia on Sunday, as the Black Stars got off to the ideal World Cup start with a 1-0 victory against their head coach Milovan Rajevac’s hotly tipped compatriots. With a weak Australia still to play, they are moving tantalisingly close to the last 16, with the best result of any African team so far. The only blip on their horizon- and it’s a big blip, let’s be honest- is the ever-threatening German team that thrashed Australia 4-0 over the weekend in an aggressive, clinical display.

Australia qualified easily from their World Cup group this time around, but their form does not look like it has carried over into the finals tournament: Ghana will be looking forward to their match on Saturday (19^th June) and definitely hoping for a win.

The Serbian side that Ghana beat has also looked promising in the qualifiers, and was not entirely without teeth on Sunday either- they are still looking to qualify for the second round and will definitely consider it achievable in spite of the certainty of a tough game against Germany on Friday (18^th June). If they can score points this week, they should not be counted out!

The Germans are not the terrifying proposition that they once were, but they’re always going to threaten big things at a World Cup finals tournament. They’ve reached more semifinals than any other team in the world, and won the tournament more times than anybody apart from Brazil. Their team has recently undergone significant change, and the inexperience of some of the newer players may yet show this year: However, their demolition of Australia set down an imposing marker for the other teams in their group. Germany will expect to qualify for the last 16 at the top of their group, and will be disappointed with anything less than a semifinal place this year.

Ghana themselves have one of the most successful footballing histories of any African nation- the Black Stars have won the African Cup of Nations a full four times, were runners-up this year and are certainly on form coming into this World Cup. Their game against Serbia showed some very convincing attacking play and some solid defending- the only real worry on the footballing side was the lack of a clear finisher at the front: It eventually took a penalty earned for a handball in the Serbian box for striker Asamoah Gyan to put the ball in contact with the Serbian net. However, their disciplined play and attacking ethos mean that they’re well-placed to go through to the second round!

Ghana’s success on the football pitch mirrors its success at home- it is rated as one of the most stable and best- governed nations in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, and its abundant natural resources have helped to reduce the percentage of its population below fifty per cent and give it quite a good GDP by African standards. On the other hand almost thirty per cent still live in poverty, just under half of the population cannot read or write and the country is still dependant on foreign aid and the national debt. There is still, then, plenty of room for improvement in Ghana, not least in the education system- and plenty of space for Computers 4 Africa, with your support, to get involved!

Cameroon

Cameroon promised much before this World Cup kicked off, being one of the first African nations to qualify. With Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o and Arsenal midfielder Alex Song in the side, they looked set to produce some exciting attacking football, but unfortunately that failed to materialise in their opening 1-0 loss to Japan. Things changed against Denmark and the Indomitable Lions made a roaring start against the aging Scandinavian side, but unfortunately their weak defensive play and a certain nervousness in finishing proved to be their downfall. As a result, Cameroon have the unfortunate distinction of being the first African side to be eliminated from the World Cup after eventually losing 2-1.

The Japan game will be considered an opportunity missed by many followers of Cameroon’s disappointing campaign, as the Samurai Blue did not have a particularly stellar match- but some decidedly risky experimentation from coach Paul Le Guen, along with some understandable early World Cup nerves left the Lions seeming lost and uncertain. The Japanese were arguably still worse off, but they managed a goal against the run of play in the first half and Cameroon could not find a reply.

Against Denmark, Cameroon fared better: With Eto’o back in his customary central attacking position and Alex Song back on the pitch, the Indomitable Lions scored in the first half for an early lead: However, several missed chances and a couple of defensive blunders saw the Danes regain an even footing later in the first half, and a cooler nerve on the firing line saw them draw ahead in the second. The game itself was fantastic, exciting football, and Cameroon were continuing to create good chances well into the second half- but unfortunately they failed to capitalise again, and will now be unable to progress beyond the group stage.

If the Cameroonian team is to leave this tournament with any battle honours, its last chance is against the Netherlands on Thursday evening. The Netherlands have already qualified for the knockout stages however, winning both of their opening matches against Denmark and Japan 2-0 and 1-0 respectively: They are unlikely to be easy opponents, as if either Japan or Denmark win their game earlier in the day the Netherlands will be playing to head up the group, potentially giving them an easier first knockout round.

Cameroon itself has a stable Government and a strong economy. Its GDP, at $2300, is one of the highest in sub-Saharan Africa, and it is the dominant partner in the Bank of Central African States. Strong investment in the colonial era and a relatively stable Government since independence have ensured that Cameroon’s infrastructure is quite robust, and diverse natural resources and fertile ground have kept the economy strong.

Unfortunately however, Cameroon’s strong economy is at the expense of significant inequality and widespread corruption, particularly in government. Almost half the population still lives in poverty, and just under a third are still unable to read or write: The universities are over-subscribed and it is hard to find qualified teachers, particularly in the north of the country. Education is our primary focus at Computers 4 Africa, and we believe that this is exactly the sort of situation where our help is needed the most: Cameroon is a country with huge potential, where there is ample opportunity for individuals with the right skills to bring themselves and their families out of poverty because there is a shortage of skilled workers. The people are hungry for education and advancement, and with your help we can give them what they need!

Computers 4 Africa has partnered with an NGO call HINT check out our website to see how they are doing!

Friday Madness- African dramas

Today we have been educated in African soap operas. Faith and I entertained the office with a song of such amazing quality it wasn't so much shocking as appalling. This was then completely blown out of the water by Faith and Ida doing a sketch, with overacting and Nigerian accents. We need a video camera to capture the fun.

We are trying to think of Ghetto names for everyone in the office.
Jessica ->Jessca
Lowri->La (Is that even slightly ghetto?)
I'm stuck on Lydia Jessca calls her Lyds, but once again its not very Ghetto. To be honest the idea of any of us being ghetto is mildly ridiculous, we will have to have a dress up day (why do only kids and drunk people get to do it?).

Perhaps we should have a Scottish day, with Haggis and kilts. We are launching 5 new sites in Scotland (you can see all of our sites on www.computers4africa.org.uk). We got working on informing the local media etc about our arrival. The Scottish are fantastic, have such great phone accents, and Scotland is a gorgeous country.

Sunglasses day

We have been inspired today to take up the cause of Sunglasses wearers everywhere. After a serious mornings work the caffeine has clearly hit us and we introduced to the world "Sunglasses day". Jess and Lydia are already sporting an exciting look with sunglasses planted firmly onto their noses.

This mornings highlight has been hearing that the Deputy Lord Mayor of Exeter is going to be supporting our campaign in Exeter. This is awesome although due to the timing we will have to road trip it to and from Exeter in 1 day. In each community we look for leaders and celebrity's willing to spend some time with us supporting the work we do and encouraging locals and businesses to donate.

We are also trying out a variety of tunes for our theme tune, the list so far;

• Last night a PC saved my life. (to the tune oflast night a DJ saved my life)



• Like a PC (Like a virgin)



• PC user (Womanizer)

• We will Connect you (We will rock you)



• Yesterday (Yesterday all my computers here to stay, Now they have gone to Africa today, I believe in C4A)

OK we spent 5 minutes developing some of these. Hopefully soon you will be able to see our collective amazingness on video. These are pretty special.

We have also been contacting schools in Tanzania, which is very exciting. I really hope we hear back from some of the young people who get to use the computers which we send out. I am old enough to remember using the single computer in the corner (bring out the violins) so I can appreciate what it is like to live without computers to some degree. We had one really cute letter from a head girl. The bit about being able to touch the computers was really super heart squeezingly cute.

As I am doing this in work time I do feel I need to point out that you personally should look around you and check you have no spare working IT equipment and if you do you should be looking to do something good with it- like give it to us.

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