The FIFA World Cup highlights a persistent European superiority complex towards African nations, as seen in the lack of respect and biased media coverage during matches involving teams like DR Congo, Ghana, and Morocco, despite their strong performances and rankings. Picture: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP
Image: Odd ANDERSEN / AFP
This FIFA World Cup has been yet another example of the sheer disrespect often shown towards African nations when they compete on football’s biggest stage.
On Wednesday, England were facing elimination in the Round of 32 as DR Congo clung to a 1-0 lead heading into the final 15 minutes in Atlanta.
Cue Harry Kane’s sucker-punch brace in the space of 11 minutes that booked England’s place in the Round of 16.
It was a valiant display from DR Congo, but in the aftermath, recognition for their performance was noticeably absent. While it is true that media outlets often describe any loss by a top-four nation as a shock regardless of the opponent, the language becomes noticeably more dismissive when that opponent is an African nation.
In a BBC report on the match, the opening paragraph read: “England were 15 minutes from one of the most abject humiliations in their World Cup history until Harry Kane’s late heroics helped them overcome DR Congo to face Mexico in the last 16.”
As one dual national, GregS, replied to the story: “BBC showing your true imperial/post-colonial bias: DR Congo were world-class in the first half, led by their outstanding keeper. Please show some respect. African teams don’t roll over for the self-inflated egos of Europe… Come on all African teams! From a dual British South African. BTW… get ready to be smashed at Ellis Park on Saturday.”
Another reader, Shaun, responded: “Why humiliation? That seems so disrespectful to Congo.”
The BBC report also suggested that an England defeat would have been a “national embarrassment”.
But why? England are ranked fourth in the world, while DR Congo are an emerging African side that more than earned their place at this tournament. Losing would certainly have been disappointing for England, but framing it as a humiliation inevitably diminishes the quality of the opposition.
England also played out a goalless draw with Ghana during the group stage last month.
Not only was it a welcome result for an African nation that helped secure its passage to the Round of 32, but seeing fourth-ranked England fail to beat a disciplined Ghana side was deeply satisfying.
Even a Sky Sports report described Ghana in its opening sentence as “the second-lowest-ranked team at World Cup 2026”.
Yes, Ghana have slipped to 65th in the FIFA rankings, but it was another example of the lack of respect often afforded to African nations by sections of the European football establishment and media.
Even Morocco’s victory over the Netherlands on Tuesday was widely portrayed as a major shock.
Of course, the Netherlands remain one of world football’s traditional powers, but Morocco are Africa’s top-ranked nation and are actually above the Dutch in the FIFA rankings. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Yet their victory in Guadeloupe was still widely regarded as one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
As things stand, Morocco are the only African side through to the Round of 16. Cape Verde, Egypt and Ghana will all be in action on Friday and Saturday (SA time). Minnows Cape Verde face defending champions Argentina, where a victory really would qualify as a genuine shock.
Egypt, meanwhile, take on Australia, while Ghana face Colombia, giving Africa a realistic chance of adding at least two more teams to the knockout stage. Ghana are former World Cup quarter-finalists with a proud pedigree on the global stage.
Let’s not forget that at the 2010 World Cup, it took Luis Suarez’s infamous handball — arguably the real “Hand of God” moment — to deny Ghana a place in the semi-finals. More recently, the Black Stars pushed Germany close in a narrow 2-1 defeat earlier this year.
No one is suggesting that African teams should be favourites every time they face European opposition. But perhaps it is time to move beyond the outdated assumption that any defeat to an African nation automatically constitutes a humiliation or an embarrassment.
Whatever happens during the rest of this World Cup, I hope the European football establishment begins attaching a little more respect to the names of the African nations they come up against on the game’s biggest stage.
I know it’s a lot to expect, but a South African can hope.
* The views expressed are not necessarily the views of IOL or Independent Media.
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