Football Wars: Africa Versus Europe

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.

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…