Al Ahly, Espérance de Tunis, and Wydad Casablanca are three of Africa’s most storied clubs at the FIFA World Club Cup, each boasting continental pedigree and domestic dominance, yet they have suffered early elimination at the tournament.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns, who are making a return after a nine-year absence, are now the continent’s surviving team; should they lose tonight, a plane back to Mzansi will be waiting.
Sundowns face Brazilian side Fluminense in a match where both sides are looking to book a place in the round of 16. Before that, let’s attempt to explain the reasons for the North African trio’s collapse.
UNFORGIVING WEATHER
The unforgiving heat has taken its toll on the tournament. Extreme temperatures have been a source of major concern for most clubs that are playing at the tournament.
German side Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac was among the first to raise a red flag over the soaring temperatures, which at their peak have reached around 35 degrees Celsius.
Players who thrive on structured buildup and tactical discipline, hallmarks of North African football, find it difficult to thrive in such conditions. This partly explains their sluggish performances.
TOUGH GROUPS
The quality of opposition has also added a layer of difficulty for these clubs. In the expanded World Cup, 32 teams have been drawn into eight groups of four teams.
Al Ahly were in Group A, which had the likes of Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, Portuguese giants FC Porto, and Brazilian side Palmeiras. It was always going to be tough. From a possible nine points, the Egyptians managed two with a record of two stalemates and one defeat.
Domiciled in Group G, Wydad had two former European champions, Manchester City and Juventus, to contend with. It was over before it started. They lost 4 – 1 in the opening game against the Italians before going down 2 – 0 to the English giants.
Tomorrow, they play their formality game against Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates. This is a match that they will be hoping they can leave the stage with some honour.
Espérance drew Chelsea, Flamengo, and Los Angeles FC. While they managed a win against bottom-placed LA, there was no escaping defeat against the Blues and the Brazilians.
NEW COACHES
Interestingly, none of the three clubs entered the tournament with a head coach who has been there for more than six months, not to mention a year. In May, Espérance had parted ways with coach Laurentiu Reghecampf, replacing him with Maher Kanzari.
In April, Al Ahly parted ways with Swiss coach Marcel Koller and appointed Spanish coach and former Orlando Pirates trainer Jose Riveiro weeks before the tournament.
The same goes for Wydad, who, on May 25, announced the appointment of Mohamed Amine Benhachem as their permanent coach, replacing South African Rhulani Mokwena.
This undoubtedly affected the three teams in that their new coaches had little time to fully imprint their system.
SUNDOWNS, THE ONLY HOPE
The weight for Africa’s success at the tournament now solely falls on Sundowns, who take to the turf today for their final group game.
The Brazilians, who delivered Africa’s first win at the tournament, sit third in their group with three points, one behind Dortmund and Fluminense.
Anything other than a win will dim the light for Africa.
READ MORE: Mamelodi Sundowns Coach Confident Ahead of Must-Win Fluminense Clash
