World Cup-2010 - Bell: Africa will have "no privileges"

CAPE TOWN- The African teams qualified for the World Cup-2010 in South Africa, the first on the continent, have "no privileges" and "their chances are tiny" because of lack of preparation and organization, said Friday the former Cameroon goalkeeper Joseph-Antoine Bell.

•    "Their chances are tiny," said the goalkeeper of the first African team to reach quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1990 in Italy.
  
     "The fact that the World Cup is in Africa gives them no privilege," he said on the sidelines of the draw in Cape Town. "To win it, we must prepare (...), it requires organization."
  
     "Everybody thinks that football is played on the field. But football starts in the minds of leaders," said Cameroon's former goalkeeper of Olympique Marseille.
  
     In Africa, "we have the players, not the head," he added, blaming a lack of planning to achieve excellence. "Africans believe they have professional footballers. Other countries have professional leagues, where Africans are playing."
  
     A view shared by his compatriot Roger Milla, whose dance of joy to each goal of Cameroon had conquered the world in 1990. "In recent years we have understood (in Africa) that football brings money, each has created his training centre."
  
     But "our country needs real technical centres, the cadet section up to junior, to guide and assist potential talent, and allow players to" stay in Africa, with a salary," said Milla. For this, he said, "We need political will."
  
     Cameroon, Algeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria have qualified for the World Cup-2010. South Africa, host country qualifies automatically while the national team, Bafana Bafana, is 86th in ranking of the Federation of International Football Associations (Fifa).
  
      
  Ennaharonline/ M. O.