AFRICA VS. EUROPE
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Killa Adjei
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AFRICA VS. EUROPE
September 14, 2006
Imagine that you are a manager and your task is to choose an African XI for a game against a European XI. Not an easy chore considering the amount of African talent displaying itself on a global stage. Graeme Jackson takes up the challenge and names a team of African Stars and believes they would beat their European counterparts.
There’s a term for this kind of daydreaming and it’s called Fantasy Football. Not quite the Fantasy Football that you can play on the internet where you pick your ‘dream team’ and compete with thousands of other techno-cum-football geeks around the globe, but a more fanciful kind of reverie.
The question was, quite simply, how would an African XI fare against a European XI? Not very well, would probably be the quick answer of most football pundits and there may be some value in that opinion.
After all, the four semifinalists in the 2006 FIFA World Cup all hailed from mainland Europe, the UEFA Champions League is unanimously hailed as the world’s finest club competition and the national leagues in Spain, Italy and England are agreed by all (except the lunatic fringe in South America) as the finest on the planet.
So it’s not looking good for the African XI so far, but before we get into the matter of just how this match would pan out, let’s just explain the criteria for selecting the teams.
A standard 4-4-2 formation for both teams was chosen and, because it is so achingly difficult to pick a mere 22 players from the entirety of two continents, we allowed the luxury of picking a starting XI and a bench of reserves who just missed the cut.
The African XI is made up mostly of representatives from West Africa’s Ivory Coast and Ghana, who impressed during the World Cup, although traditional powerhouses Nigeria, Cameroon and Tunisia all have a representative, as do the ever-improving Mali.
AFRICAN XI
Starting Line Up
1 Richard Kingson Ghana GK
2 Emmanuel Eboue Ivory Coast RB
3 Arthur Boka Ivory Coast LB
4 Kolo Toure Ivory Coast CB
5 John Mensah Ghana CB
6 Mahamadou Diarra Mali CM
7 Hatem Trabelsi Tunisia RM
8 Michael Essien Ghana CM
9 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon FW
10 Obafemi Martins Nigeria FW
11 Sulley Muntari Ghana LM
Reserves
12 Jean-Jacques Tizie Ivory Coast GK
13 John Paintsil Ghana CB
14 Joseph Yobo Nigeria CB
15 Stephen Appiah Ghana CM
16 Didier Zokora Ivory Coast CM
17 John Obi Mikel Nigeria CM
18 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast FW
19 Nkwankwo Kanu Nigeria FW
20 Dos Santos Tunisia FW
Richard Kingson gets the nod as the gloved one between the sticks. His acrobatic shot stopping in the final quarter against Brazil when the Black Stars had been reduced to 10 men was simply breathtaking. Ivory Coast’s Jean-Jacque Tizie would be his deputy.
Two Ivory Coast defenders with speed to burn and a hunger to attack get the nod to play in the fullback positions. Emmanuel Eboue and Arthur Boka would provide ample width and attacking flair to back up the wide midfielders.
In the heart of defence, choosing the centre back positions is a no-brainer. Kolo Toure has been magnificent for both Arsenal and the Elephants in recent times and John Mensah’s towering performances in the World Cup earn him the right to join the Ivorian in a partnership that is powerful, athletic and very, very quick.
Honourable mentions to John Paintsil (another who excelled in the World Cup) and Joseph Yobo (a rock for Everton in the past few seasons), who both make the bench.
A lack of genuine world class wingers means Hatem Trabelsi (nominally a right fullback) and Sulley Muntari (more of a midfield dynamo than a wide man) fill the wide midfield positions. On paper they seem strange choices but Muntari has a sledgehammer of a left foot, while Trabelsi possesses silky skills and excellent passing. Both would fill the positions with distinction.
Central midfield is an area of the pitch where African players, with their pace, work-rate and physical power, have become the preferred choice of some of Europe’s most powerful clubs:
Chelsea boast Michael Essien (an automatic choice for the African XI) while Real Madrid’s latest signing, Mahamadou Diarra, also gets the nod to start. What a combination they would form: both are quick, powerful and superbly gifted footballers blessed with an all-round game that would make them dominate any midfield battle.
On the bench, Didier Zokora and Stephen Appiah would make able replacements, while John Obi Mikel could be summoned if the team needs a player with an incisive vision and a penchant for goals.
The forward line would boast Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, undoubtedly the finest striker at the moment, and partnering him would be Obafemi Martins. Many would argue for the inclusion of Didier Drogba (he’s on the bench) but Martins is a far more natural goal scorer than the Ivorian and his blistering pace makes him the perfect man to force defenders to play deep and allow Eto’o to link with the midfield as he does so well at Barcelona.
Joining Drogba on the bench is Tunisia’s Dos Santos and Nigeria’s ageing but devilishly skillful Nkwankwo Kanu whose versatility (he can also fill a midfield position) and experience sees him edge out the similarly talented but moody Emmanuel Adebayor.
Europe’s team sees most representatives coming from France and Italy who contested the World Cup final. Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Lillian Thuram and Phillip Lahm would form an imposing defence.
Patrick Vieria would roam in front of them, allowing Deco, the dynamic Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo to support ace strikers Thierry Henry and Andriy Shevchenko. And there’s plenty of strength in depth for the Euros, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo sitting on the bench.
Now that the selections have been made and the thinking behind them explained, who would win? It’s a superfluous question, simply because comparing the various players in head-to-head battles is useless.
The group of players that forms a better team, with an understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses would triumph. Assuming that both squads gained a measure of coherency in their ranks, then perhaps the Africans would shade it. Why?
Because although sheer talent is an undeniable demand of a modern player, so too is pace and physicality. The Europeans may possess the more adept technicians in the likes of Deco, Ronaldo and Henry, but the Africans, with Essien, Diarra and Muntari would outmuscle and easily outpace their opponents in all departments.
European football may possess all the money and prestige, but almost every player featured in the African squad plays in one of Europe’s biggest leagues. It seems then, that the Africans would have a slight edge in this fantasy match-up. Bring on the South Americans…
EUROPEAN XI
Starting Line Up
1 Gianluigi Buffon Italy GK
2 Gianluca Zambrotta Italy RB
3 Phillip Lahm Germany LB
4 Lillian Thuram France CB
5 Fabio Cannavaro Italy CB
6 Patrick Vieira France CM
7 Steven Gerrard England RM
8 Deco Portugal CM
9 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine FW
10 Thierry Henry France FW
11 Christiano Ronaldo Portugal LM
Reserves
12 Petr Cech Czech Rep GK
13 Alessandro Nesta Italy CB
14 Carles Puyol Spain CB
15 Andrea Pirlo Italy CM
16 Claude Makelele France CM
17 Cesc Fabregas Spain CM
18 Wayne Rooney England FW
19 Fernando Torres Spain FW
20 Ruud van Nistelrooy Netherlands FW
http://www.mtnfootball.com/live/content ... em_ID=5964
Imagine that you are a manager and your task is to choose an African XI for a game against a European XI. Not an easy chore considering the amount of African talent displaying itself on a global stage. Graeme Jackson takes up the challenge and names a team of African Stars and believes they would beat their European counterparts.
There’s a term for this kind of daydreaming and it’s called Fantasy Football. Not quite the Fantasy Football that you can play on the internet where you pick your ‘dream team’ and compete with thousands of other techno-cum-football geeks around the globe, but a more fanciful kind of reverie.
The question was, quite simply, how would an African XI fare against a European XI? Not very well, would probably be the quick answer of most football pundits and there may be some value in that opinion.
After all, the four semifinalists in the 2006 FIFA World Cup all hailed from mainland Europe, the UEFA Champions League is unanimously hailed as the world’s finest club competition and the national leagues in Spain, Italy and England are agreed by all (except the lunatic fringe in South America) as the finest on the planet.
So it’s not looking good for the African XI so far, but before we get into the matter of just how this match would pan out, let’s just explain the criteria for selecting the teams.
A standard 4-4-2 formation for both teams was chosen and, because it is so achingly difficult to pick a mere 22 players from the entirety of two continents, we allowed the luxury of picking a starting XI and a bench of reserves who just missed the cut.
The African XI is made up mostly of representatives from West Africa’s Ivory Coast and Ghana, who impressed during the World Cup, although traditional powerhouses Nigeria, Cameroon and Tunisia all have a representative, as do the ever-improving Mali.
AFRICAN XI
Starting Line Up
1 Richard Kingson Ghana GK
2 Emmanuel Eboue Ivory Coast RB
3 Arthur Boka Ivory Coast LB
4 Kolo Toure Ivory Coast CB
5 John Mensah Ghana CB
6 Mahamadou Diarra Mali CM
7 Hatem Trabelsi Tunisia RM
8 Michael Essien Ghana CM
9 Samuel Eto'o Cameroon FW
10 Obafemi Martins Nigeria FW
11 Sulley Muntari Ghana LM
Reserves
12 Jean-Jacques Tizie Ivory Coast GK
13 John Paintsil Ghana CB
14 Joseph Yobo Nigeria CB
15 Stephen Appiah Ghana CM
16 Didier Zokora Ivory Coast CM
17 John Obi Mikel Nigeria CM
18 Didier Drogba Ivory Coast FW
19 Nkwankwo Kanu Nigeria FW
20 Dos Santos Tunisia FW
Richard Kingson gets the nod as the gloved one between the sticks. His acrobatic shot stopping in the final quarter against Brazil when the Black Stars had been reduced to 10 men was simply breathtaking. Ivory Coast’s Jean-Jacque Tizie would be his deputy.
Two Ivory Coast defenders with speed to burn and a hunger to attack get the nod to play in the fullback positions. Emmanuel Eboue and Arthur Boka would provide ample width and attacking flair to back up the wide midfielders.
In the heart of defence, choosing the centre back positions is a no-brainer. Kolo Toure has been magnificent for both Arsenal and the Elephants in recent times and John Mensah’s towering performances in the World Cup earn him the right to join the Ivorian in a partnership that is powerful, athletic and very, very quick.
Honourable mentions to John Paintsil (another who excelled in the World Cup) and Joseph Yobo (a rock for Everton in the past few seasons), who both make the bench.
A lack of genuine world class wingers means Hatem Trabelsi (nominally a right fullback) and Sulley Muntari (more of a midfield dynamo than a wide man) fill the wide midfield positions. On paper they seem strange choices but Muntari has a sledgehammer of a left foot, while Trabelsi possesses silky skills and excellent passing. Both would fill the positions with distinction.
Central midfield is an area of the pitch where African players, with their pace, work-rate and physical power, have become the preferred choice of some of Europe’s most powerful clubs:
Chelsea boast Michael Essien (an automatic choice for the African XI) while Real Madrid’s latest signing, Mahamadou Diarra, also gets the nod to start. What a combination they would form: both are quick, powerful and superbly gifted footballers blessed with an all-round game that would make them dominate any midfield battle.
On the bench, Didier Zokora and Stephen Appiah would make able replacements, while John Obi Mikel could be summoned if the team needs a player with an incisive vision and a penchant for goals.
The forward line would boast Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, undoubtedly the finest striker at the moment, and partnering him would be Obafemi Martins. Many would argue for the inclusion of Didier Drogba (he’s on the bench) but Martins is a far more natural goal scorer than the Ivorian and his blistering pace makes him the perfect man to force defenders to play deep and allow Eto’o to link with the midfield as he does so well at Barcelona.
Joining Drogba on the bench is Tunisia’s Dos Santos and Nigeria’s ageing but devilishly skillful Nkwankwo Kanu whose versatility (he can also fill a midfield position) and experience sees him edge out the similarly talented but moody Emmanuel Adebayor.
Europe’s team sees most representatives coming from France and Italy who contested the World Cup final. Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Lillian Thuram and Phillip Lahm would form an imposing defence.
Patrick Vieria would roam in front of them, allowing Deco, the dynamic Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo to support ace strikers Thierry Henry and Andriy Shevchenko. And there’s plenty of strength in depth for the Euros, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Alessandro Nesta and Andrea Pirlo sitting on the bench.
Now that the selections have been made and the thinking behind them explained, who would win? It’s a superfluous question, simply because comparing the various players in head-to-head battles is useless.
The group of players that forms a better team, with an understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses would triumph. Assuming that both squads gained a measure of coherency in their ranks, then perhaps the Africans would shade it. Why?
Because although sheer talent is an undeniable demand of a modern player, so too is pace and physicality. The Europeans may possess the more adept technicians in the likes of Deco, Ronaldo and Henry, but the Africans, with Essien, Diarra and Muntari would outmuscle and easily outpace their opponents in all departments.
European football may possess all the money and prestige, but almost every player featured in the African squad plays in one of Europe’s biggest leagues. It seems then, that the Africans would have a slight edge in this fantasy match-up. Bring on the South Americans…
EUROPEAN XI
Starting Line Up
1 Gianluigi Buffon Italy GK
2 Gianluca Zambrotta Italy RB
3 Phillip Lahm Germany LB
4 Lillian Thuram France CB
5 Fabio Cannavaro Italy CB
6 Patrick Vieira France CM
7 Steven Gerrard England RM
8 Deco Portugal CM
9 Andriy Shevchenko Ukraine FW
10 Thierry Henry France FW
11 Christiano Ronaldo Portugal LM
Reserves
12 Petr Cech Czech Rep GK
13 Alessandro Nesta Italy CB
14 Carles Puyol Spain CB
15 Andrea Pirlo Italy CM
16 Claude Makelele France CM
17 Cesc Fabregas Spain CM
18 Wayne Rooney England FW
19 Fernando Torres Spain FW
20 Ruud van Nistelrooy Netherlands FW
http://www.mtnfootball.com/live/content ... em_ID=5964
We are the centre of the pitch, we are precise, we are our effort, we are attackers who defend, we are defenders who attack, we are respected by our rivals, we are recognised by our rivals, we are every goal that we score, we are those who always look for our opponent's goal, WE ARE ONE.
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
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Buck Marley
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Killa Adjei
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Buck Marley wrote:eiii! Killa Agyei U steal this from GW come CE? agoro nkoaa!!!
We are the centre of the pitch, we are precise, we are our effort, we are attackers who defend, we are defenders who attack, we are respected by our rivals, we are recognised by our rivals, we are every goal that we score, we are those who always look for our opponent's goal, WE ARE ONE.
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
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Killa Adjei
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asabe wrote:Killa, With this kind of recycled posts, it the only way you can get to 1800 plus posts in one month.Eventually you might even make a point by accident in one of your posts....
We are the centre of the pitch, we are precise, we are our effort, we are attackers who defend, we are defenders who attack, we are respected by our rivals, we are recognised by our rivals, we are every goal that we score, we are those who always look for our opponent's goal, WE ARE ONE.
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
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Killa Adjei
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I think FIFA should organize this game, it would be a delight to see who comes on top.
We are the centre of the pitch, we are precise, we are our effort, we are attackers who defend, we are defenders who attack, we are respected by our rivals, we are recognised by our rivals, we are every goal that we score, we are those who always look for our opponent's goal, WE ARE ONE.
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
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Buck Marley
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vancity eagle
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why the hell would you have Tizie ?
Drogba gets the nod over Martins any day, especially playing alongside Etoo.
Many people seem to overlook Kader Keita, but I would possibly start him on the right wing. This boy can dribble, is very fast, and defends as well. I would choose him over Trabelsi, or I would have Diouf.
Drogba gets the nod over Martins any day, especially playing alongside Etoo.
Many people seem to overlook Kader Keita, but I would possibly start him on the right wing. This boy can dribble, is very fast, and defends as well. I would choose him over Trabelsi, or I would have Diouf.
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Rogermilla
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I see people continue to leave out Makoun. He at least deserves a spot on the bench, he is the most underrated midfielder in Africa, but he keeps doing his thing in Lique 1. Kameni IMO should start at goalie. Tizie IMO has no business in that team, plus I will partner Eto'o with Drogba, they will complement very well, just like the Eto'o/Mboma combo. Drogba reminds me of Mboma from the way he plays.
"History shows that this club has had very few strikers like him. I do not know if there has ever been anyone like him before. What I do know is that Barcelona should erect a statue for him. Samuel was a fundamental player here in recent years and was key to all of the titles that the team won."
Andres Iniesta, August 2009
Andres Iniesta, August 2009
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vancity eagle
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Killa Adjei
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Who da hell cares?Sir V wrote:Killa Adjei wrote:I think FIFA should organize this game, it would be a delight to see who comes on top.
Please tell us who will be the coach for Africa.?
We are the centre of the pitch, we are precise, we are our effort, we are attackers who defend, we are defenders who attack, we are respected by our rivals, we are recognised by our rivals, we are every goal that we score, we are those who always look for our opponent's goal, WE ARE ONE.
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
Pep Guardiola To Barca Before CL Final
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Cristao II
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wana go drop line up way man fit box person for central defence Song Bahanang deserve even bench he alone make attacker panic and lost control ask any attack and i no wan here Obi kikel for that team makuon is far better then him,less try this since no Brazilian de chelsea,what of chelsea play brazil