A Nigerian football administrator and Tripple 44 Academy founder, Samuel Olatunji-Okuku, has hailed the performance of Africa’s four representatives at this year’s FIFA Club World Cup in the United States of America.
The quartet of Al Ahly, Wydad Casablanca, Esperance and Mamelodi Sundowns are flying the flag of Africa at the revamped club tournament.
While Wydad Casablanca have crashed out of the competition, Sundowns, Al Ahly and Esperance can still progress into the round of 16.
Having lost one and drawn one, Al Ahly can still advance if they defeat Portuguese giants FC Porto in their final group game.
Esperance stunned Los Angeles FC 1-0 after kicking off their campaign with a 2-0 defeat to Flamengo and have their hands full in their last group tie with Chelsea.
For Sundowns, they recorded Africa’s first win of the tournament with a 1-0 victory against Ulsan before going down 4-3 to Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling encounter.
Sundowns must now overcome Fluminense to stand a chance of picking a knockout round ticket.
“The performance of the African clubs has been impressive so far, despite many expecting them to be completely outplayed with overwhelming goal differences,” Olatunji-Okuku told Flashscore.com in an interview.
Samuel Olatunji-Okuku
“One unique aspect of this FIFA Club World Cup is the element of spontaneity, as many clubs have little idea what to expect from their opponents.
“For example, it’s hard to imagine Manchester City extensively studying the last seven matches played by Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.
“Many of the clubs facing each other have little or no insight into what to expect from their opponents, which has made the tournament especially thrilling. Take the match between Real Madrid and Al-Hilal, no one saw that outcome coming.”
On how far African clubs can go in the tournament, Olatyunji-Okuku maintained a realistic target.
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“I’m not setting high expectations for the African teams in this tournament, as the challenges will only grow tougher.
“With each match played, they will have more opportunities to analyse and adapt to each other’s tactics.
“I’ll root for them to punch above their weights as many people will not expect them to compete which could be to their advantage in this case. Ultimately, I hope they progress as far as they can.
“Football is an unpredictable game, so it’s difficult to say if any one African club will make a deep run in the tournament. However, all of them have a real chance, having already exceeded expectations in their matches.”
Olatunji-Okuku noted that When it comes to improving domestic league quality, visibility, and investment, the responsibility lies with us.
He stated that while the Club World Cup can help showcase that our leagues are stronger than many believe, attracting major investments will require much more.
“We need to focus on strengthening the integrity of our leagues and implementing structural reforms. Equally important is establishing a system that creates a supportive environment for investors to confidently commit their resources.”
“Exposure has never been the main issue for African football, perhaps only a part of it. Many leaders in African football sit on FIFA executive committees, travelling the world, watching countless matches, and understanding how top football operates.
“The biggest challenge ahead is bridging the financial gap between our leagues and those in South America and Europe.
“When it comes to talent, Africa stands strong. This was evident in the last World Cup and recent matches like Senegal versus England. The real priority now is investing in infrastructure and ensuring the integrity of our leagues.”
