Emmanuel Amuneke Sends Urgent Message to Africa’s Representatives at 2022 FIFA World Cup

• Emmanuel Amuneke wants African teams to do well at the forthcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup
• The former Nigerian winger was part of the Eagles squad that reached the quarter-final of the tournament in 1994
• Amuneke stated that Africa’s representatives should take the group matches one step at a time

A former Nigerian international, Emmanuel Amuneke, has advised African teams playing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to take the matches one step at a time.

The ex-Super Eagles winger, who was part of the Nigerian squad that reached the second round of the World Cup in 1994, says Africa must improve at the tournament in Qatar.

Nigeria failed to qualify for this year’s global showpiece, but the continent will be represented by AFCON champions Senegal and then Cameroon, Morocco, Ghana, and Tunisia.

No African side progressed past the group stage of the last edition of the World Cup in Russia, and Amuneke has stated that it must be different this time around.

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He said told Al Jazeera:

“The five teams have been tested enough in recent friendlies, and they know they must first come out of the group before thinking of a semi-final ticket.

“One step at a time will do. The tournament in Qatar is a great opportunity for African teams to fix what happened in Russia when no team progressed into the second round.”

Africa’s best at the World Cup is reaching the quarter-final, as Cameroon, Senegal and Ghana are the three teams that have reached the feat.

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Meanwhile, the captain of the Senegalese national football team, Sadio Mane, has disclosed that his side are not the favourites for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Mane and his teammates are drawn in Group A and have a date with the Netherlands in their opener on November 21, before taking on Qatar and Ecuador in the other group games.

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The Lions of Teranga had their best World Cup outing in 2002 in Korea/Japan, where they got as far as the quarter-finals.

President Mahama sends a message to Black Stars

Sports Brief earlier reported that Ghana's former President, John Dramani Mahama, has sent a message to the Black Stars team, urging them to avenge the defeat to Uruguay when they meet the South Americans at the World Cup in Qatar.

The four-time African champions were prevented from reaching a historic World Cup semi-final after Luis Suarez impeded a stoppage-time goal-bound strike from Dominic Adiyiah.

The Uruguayans went on to win the quarter-final game against Ghana on penalties at the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.