Qatar 2022: Amuneke backs African teams to progress beyond group stage

Former Nigeria international Emmanuel Amuneke has backed Africa's representative at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar to progress beyond the group phase.

No African team managed to qualify from their group during the last edition of the tournament hosted by Russia in 2018.

The global showpiece which kicks off in less than a month on November 20 will see African champions Senegal, Cameroon, Ghana, Morocco, and Tunisia as the continent's representatives.

Senegal have been pitted with host Qatar, Ecuador, and the Netherlands in Group A.

Tunisia will also come up against World champions France, Australia, and Denmark in Group D.

Morocco will take on Canada, Belgium, and Croatia in Group F.

Cameroon have also been drawn into Group G alongside Switzerland, Brazil, and Serbia.

Ghana will battle it out with former European champions, Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H

According to the ex-Super Eagles forward, the first task for the African teams is to qualify from their respective group to avoid a repeat of the 2018 spectacle, before mapping up a new strategy for the knockout stages.

“The five teams have been tested enough in recent friendlies, and they know they must first come out of the group before thinking of a semi-final ticket, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year told Aljazeera.

“One step at a time will do. The tournament in Qatar is a great opportunity for African teams to fix what happened in Russia when no team progressed into the second round.”

Amuneke was part of the Super Eagles team that played in Nigeria's first-ever World Cup appearance in the United States of America in 1994.

WDN