From Back Page Football

With Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o – for so long the icons of African football – now meandering through the twilight phases of their respective careers, there are growing concerns regarding a lack viable candidates to take over the responsibility as Continental flag bearers.

YaYa Toure is undoubtedly now Africa’s gold standard – as three consecutive African footballer of the year titles vindicate – and arguably his specific achievements earn him a pedestal beside Drogba and Eto’o, however now the wrong side of 30 the Manchester City man is not getting any younger – which only heightens anxiety relating to who will take up the mantle.

At this point it is also worth mentioning another fading star in the form of Michael Essein – whilst he may lack the x-factor qualities of Drogba and Eto’o, at his peak the Ghanaian was undeniably amongst the pinnacle of midfield players. Essein’s demise over recent years only adds a further pair of sizeable African shoes that have vacated world football’s top table.

There is a school of thought that the continent has been spoilt in possessing the luxury of four genuinely world class players in a relatively short timeframe, given that in the preceding years African presence at the highest apexes of the game was relatively scarce.

A scan through the winners of the African footballer of the year crown prior to the emergence of the golden quintet – who since 2003 have only twice not made up two of the top three – laments that viewpoint with the likes of El Hadji Diouf, Patrick Mboma and Mustapha Hadji having lifted the trophy in the preceding years – all individuals of significant stature but some distance short of being inside the world class bracket.

Before those individuals there was of course George Weah – one Africa’s all-time greats – but the handful of worldwide superstars the continent has been able to vaunt through the last decade represents an unrivalled talent glut.

A shrinking of that superstar talent pool at least in the short term appears inevitability, however analysis of the Champions League qualifiers from Europe’s perceived top five leagues – England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy –makes depressing reading in relation to African representation.

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