Hayatou to host Maigari in Cairo

Last updated: 2014/02/20 at 5:46 PM

starconnect Published 20 February 2014

President, Confederation of African Football, Mr. Issa Hayaotu

President of Nigeria Football Federation, Alhaji Aminu Maigari, will be a special guest of President, Confederation of African Football, Alhaji Issa Hayatou in Cairo, Egypt on Friday.

Hayaotu invited Maigari and presidents of four other federations whose teams would be representing Africa at this summer’s World Cup finals to a special meeting in the Egyptian capital.

It is expected that the former 400m champion of Cameroon would seek to sound out Maigari and the FA Presidents of Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire on their teams’ preparations for the biggest showpiece in football, happening in Brazil between 12th June – 13th July. Africa’s football supremo is also likely to impress it on the FA chiefs on the need to adequately prepare their teams to make the continent proud in South America.

No African team has made it to the semi finals of the FIFA World Cup in the past 19 editions, with only eight countries having lifted the trophy – Brazil, Italy, Germany, Uruguay, Argentina, England, France and Spain. Only Cameroon, in Italy in 1990, Senegal, in Korea/Japan in 2002, and Ghana, in South Africa in 2010, have flown Africa’s flag into the last eight of the FIFA World Cup, with Cameroon narrowly beaten by England in 1990 and Senegal eliminated by Turkey in Japan 12 years later.

Ghana lost to Uruguay four years ago. Nigeria, champions of Africa, play two-time winners Argentina, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Iran in Group F, with Algeria up against Belgium, Russia and Korea Republic in Group H and Ghana to face Germany, Portugal and USA in Group G.

Cameroon tackle Brazil, Croatia and Mexico in Group A and Cote d’Ivoire are up against Colombia, Greece and Japan in Group C.