（7月9日）
“非洲已經做好準備，非洲的時代來了，非洲在呼喚！”這代表了非洲足球渴望在2010年奪冠的心聲。但是，儘管他們已經做好了準備，但是他們的時代也許還沒有到來。
在世界盃歷史上，非洲球隊只在四分之一決賽上亮相過兩次，分別是1990年的喀麥隆和2002年的塞內加爾隊。而本屆杯賽，只有加納隊加入16強，算是為非洲挽回一些顏面。而加納主帥稱，他們會在未來表現得更家出色。
而安格蘭和科特迪瓦，儘管在本屆杯賽沒進入16強，但他們的表現贏得了尊重，他們“可以昂首回國了”。
多哥在世界盃內出現的危機，反映出了非洲足球目前的混亂和體制不成熟。
突尼斯隊中有很多有經驗的球員，再加上經濟上的巨大投入，以及法國老帥的輔佐，他們還是有希望改寫球隊沒進入過16強的歷史。
儘管問題多多，但是非洲足球目前正在呈上升水平，非洲足球正在取得巨大的進步。
2010年，將會是非洲足球證明自己的最好時機。
鏈結：http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=afp-fblwc2006afr&prov=afp&type=lgns
原文：Little to glow about at World Cup for Africa
by Pirate Irwin
July 9, 2006
BERLIN (AFP) - "Africa is ready, Africa's time has come, Africa is calling." Those emotive words from South African president Thabo Mbeki about South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup could just as well sum up Africa's hopes of actually winning the trophy.
They may be ready but their time has still not come and they are definitely still calling - only its becoming a very long phone call and two quarter-final appearances in the history of the competition is a poor return.
The quintet of nations for this edition never really threatened to gatecrash the party in the manner of Cameroon in 1990 and Senegal in 2002 - both of whom failed to qualify for the finals - though Ghana saved a bit of face for the 'Lost Continent' by reaching the last 16.
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The 'Black Stars' shone by beating the Czech Republic and the United States in the group stages and giving defending champions Brazil some nervy moments before they went down.
"In the future, I believe the Black Stars from Ghana will show you more in this competition," Ghana's Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic said.
"Any team who will face the Black Stars will have to suffer. You have seen the determination in the performance of the Black Stars," added Dujkovic, who has also coached among others Burma.
Sadly the word suffer could be addressed to the remainder of the African sides and their supporters as one by one they toppled.
However both Angola and Ivory Coast could leave the World Cup stage with their heads held high.
Indeed Angola's coach Luis Olivieira Goncalves echoed those feelings after his 'Black Antelopes' had exited but with a proud record of two draws with Mexico and Iran and a 1-0 defeat by European giants and former colonial power Portugal.
"We have every reason to be proud. We will leave with our heads held high," said the 49-year-old, who was the only Africa-born coach of an African side at the tournament.
Frenchman Henri Michel admitted he had had enough of African football after being mercilessly mauled by the Ivory Coast press.
And it was hard not to feel sorry for the battle-hardened coach as he ended his tenure having guided them to the African Nations Cup final - a penalty shootout defeat by hosts Egypt - and their first World Cup finals.
With a bit of the rub of the green and better refereeing The Elephants might even have made it through to the second round but 2-1 defeats to two-time champions Argentina and two-time finalists Netherlands ended the adventure.
However Michel and his gallant team got the thumbs up from the head of FIFA, Sepp Blatter.
"The best performance was from Ivory Coast," said the Swiss.
"This was a strong team and in the game with the Netherlands I would say that in the decisive phase they were not always understood by the referees."
That was the relatively good side to the African campaign but the challenge of Tunisia and Togo was risible.
Tunisia should do better with all their experience and money poured into the sport but even having hired former France coach Roger Lemerre they couldn't break their record of never reaching the second round,
Togo rubberstamped the overall impression of African football of chaos and financial promises being broken leading to open warfare among the squad.
FIFA have vowed to take action against the federation but when the coach, Otto Pfister is reduced to sueing the secretary-general of the body that appointed him in the first place for claiming he was an alcoholic it does little for the image of Africa.
Goncalves, though, believes that while there is work to do, African football is on the upward curve.
"African football is progressing.
"We know that we can do more than we are doing now and each time we take part in a tournament it shows that we have to improve our infrastructure, our organisation and our training of young players.
"But one day the world will realise Africa has a name to defend and it will defend its reputation," he said.
2010 would not be a bad time to do that.
Updated on Saturday, Jul 8, 2006 8:30 pm EDT
作者-岳東興-北京第二外國語學院-英語系
責編：佟杉杉