African Debate: Which Is The Best North African Team?

Around this time last year, I wrote an article ranking North Africa’s top teams (Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Morocco) and now, with 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifiers set to kickoff across the continent this weekend, it’s time to take a fresh look at how each of the sides are doing a year on. Below are my selections from weakest to strongest.

Morocco

How can a team with so much individual talent be ranked last? The answer is less complex than some will have you believe. Contributing factors include a weak Botola league that is poorly run and far from professional, bad decisions taken by the consistently disorganized FRMF, and a glaring lack of camaraderie within the squad. After their impressive run to the final during the 2004 AFCON, this has, unfortunately, been the story of the Moroccan national team.

With that said, FRMF officials have at least picked the correct profile of coach to restore some dignity to the Atlas Lions that, to the great dismay of their passionate fans, didn’t even manage to qualify for Angola 2010, not to mention South Africa 2010. The man in question, Eric Gerets, may not have any experience coaching a national team but he has the advantage of being able to effectively communicate with all members of the Moroccan squad which is no easy task when they speak everything from Arabic, to French, Flemish, and Dutch. Unlike his predecessors, he is fluent in all but one of these (I’ll let you guess which).

For a team that desperately needs to get everyone in their setup on the same page in order to avoid the internal conflicts that have dogged them recently, Gerets was a sound decision. Ironically, even though he’s already put pen to paper and agreed to manage the squad, he still hasn’t even been able to spend time with them in training due to his outstanding contractual commitments to Al-Hilal.

Instead, Dominique Cuperly is acting as caretaker until the new boss arrives (there’s still no word on when he will actually take over). The Frenchman guided his side to a 2-1 comeback win over Equatorial Guinea recently but the true test is this weekend when the North Africans face off against the Central African Republic in Rabat. After the failings of the short lived Roger Lemerre era, more underachieving will not be tolerated by the Maghreb faithful who watched in horror as their side was beaten at home by Gabon in the first game of their last qualifying campaign (things didn’t get much better after that either).

Ranking Rationale: Everyone else in this list qualified for the most recent African Cup and Morocco didn’t. That alone is reason enough. However, they’re also the team with the most work ahead of them to rebuild their squad. On a brighter note, they’re arguably the team with the most raw talent so their future could be bright should the Gerets choice prove fruitful.

Tunisia

Until recently, the Tunisian national team was a model of consistency in qualifying and one that many across the continent were seeking to emulate. They made it to three successive World Cups and could have made it four if not for spiritless display in Maputo against Mozambique during their last qualifier which they lost 1-0, sending Nigeria to South Africa instead. The backlash against the squad was unparalleled and the fans have all but abandoned players whom they consider are, for the most part, spoiled and money hungry. With an apathetic fan base that is ultimately much more interested in Tunisian club football than the Carthage Eagles, the team hasn’t been the same since their 2004 AFCON triumph on home soil.

This summer a new FTF President, Ali Hafsi, and a new federal bureau were elected to stop the bleeding. Measures are underway to reform the approach the country takes to all aspects of the national sport (youth development especially) but few of the proposed changes have been implemented as of yet and, to make matters worse, the Tunisian national team sunk to new lows on the first day of 2012 AFCON qualifying by losing at Rades stadium to Botswana on July 1^st. As if that wasn’t enough, a photo of coach Bertrand Marchand at a night club with scantily clad women surfaced right after the game and the rumor was that this occurred on the same night as the humiliating defeat.

The situation is such that Tunisian fans are not yet ready to forgive the team for breaking their hearts time and time again. The recent 3-1 away win to Chad didn’t mend anything and Marchand’s men are going to have to produce some outstanding results and, more importantly, are going to have to produce a more appealing style of football to regain the trust and respect of their supporters.

Ranking Rationale: Due to CAF’s mishandling of the outrageous ban on Togo that has since been reversed, Tunisia are in the only team on this list in qualifying group that has four other sides in it (Malawi, Togo, Chad, Botswana, and them). Thus, their qualifiers started much earlier and we have more to judge them on than the other North African teams. It’s safe to say that losing to Botswana at home will reflect badly on a team of this stature. Although they possess the tools to be successful, they still must make that translate onto the pitch. They only edge out Morocco because they qualified for Angola 2010 and look to be on the verge of turning their qualification situation around. A win against Malawi this weekend will do wonders for their confidence.

Does Algeria Have What It Takes?

Algeria

It’s somewhat odd to put the Fennecs this high after seeing them lose to Gabon on home soil in a recent friendly. The squad was booed off the field and Rabah Saadane was on the receiving end of some venomous chants from some sections of the irate Algiers crowd.

The effect on the team was so profound that some observers say that the main reason the national team is returning to Blida for their upcoming qualifier against Tanzania is because they want to avoid a repeat of the hostilities. I’d venture to say that it is also because they consider the Mustapha Tchaker stadium a good luck charm (they won all their matches there during WC qualifying).

The only positive that came out of the loss is that Algeria finally broke their goal drought which lasted for what seemed like a century (seven matches with just one goal to show for it). Ironically, the person who scored it, Rafik Djebbour, was the striker who was the most jeered in South Africa at all three Greens games that I attended.

Ranking Rationale: So with all this negative energy why is Algeria in second place? Honestly, for lack of a better option. Tunisia and Morocco can’t say they’re better than them right now even though they have potential to overtake them if they keep the same group together during their respective rebuilding processes. Nevertheless, we must not forget that the Algerians qualified for the World Cup ahead of an Egyptian side which has won the last three African Cups of Nations. They finished in fourth place in Angola after beating one of the so called favorites, Cote D’Ivoire in the most dramatic fashion. Even though they’re going through a rough patch, the Fennecs achievements over the last year warrant second place.

Egypt

Given their level when they’re hitting on all cylinders, they are undoubtedly the most regrettable absence from the 2010 World Cup. Even Brazil can attest to this (remember the 2009 Confederation Cup?). Ghana certainly did Africa proud this summer but one can only imagine what a team that bested them in the 2010 AFCON final in Angola could have achieved. The Pharoahs are not only six time continental champions but they won the last three in a row. Some will say that their 2006 win on home soil was tainted by some scandalous refereeing but the truth is that in Africa, home teams routinely get the benefit of the doubt.

Their most recent 4-0 win over Algeria can’t really be considered a reference considering Coffi Codjia’s effect on how the game unfolded. Nevertheless, even in a match that was more fairly officiated like the playoff in Sudan, they were not very far from beating the Fennecs (if Aboutrika’s point blank shot goes in and Chaouchi doesn’t have the game of his life, thing could have ended up very different indeed).

Ranking Rationale: It’d be ridiculous to put the current champions of Africa in any place but first when we’re looking at regional rivalries. Tunisians like myself will tell you that Egyptians don’t like facing their neighbors because we know better than anyone how to beat them (Shehata was even on record saying he didn’t want to face us in both of the previous AFCONS because Arab derbies have a “special atmosphere”) but I also marvel at how the Pharaohs have been so consistent over the last six years. They’ve done it by picking a local coach with strong character and continuity. Perhaps we should take a page out of their book in this respect… The only slight against the Pharaohs is their miserable World Cup qualifying record but even that isn’t enough to put anyone on this list ahead of them right now.

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