The FIFA World Cup is the biggest football event in the world, and it is the ultimate dream of every football player to fly the flags of their country at this event. While no African country has won the tournament, several African footballers have made graced the competition with their brilliant displays.
However, some of the continent’s biggest names never had the opportunity to participate in the competition, as their country failed to qualify during their playing days.
Here are five African football legends who never featured at the World Cup.
Mohamed Aboutrika (Egypt)
Egyptian great Mohamed Aboutrika was a dominant force in African football, but could not transcend the dominance onto the world stage after failing to lead Egypt to the FIFA World Cup.
He was part of the Pharaoh’s squad that won two consecutive African Cup of Nations titles in 2006 and 2008, but ultimately failed to reach any World Cup edition.
The closest he came was in 2010, when his side were defeated by Algeria in a one-legged playoffs after nothing had separated both sides in their group.
Segun Odegbami (Nigeria)
Despite his exploits for Nigeria, including helping the country win the African Cup of Nations for the first time in 1980, Segun Odegbami never featured at the FIFA World Cup.
He retired in 1981 after a successful spell with Nigeria, but the Super Eagles never qualified for any edition until 1994.
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George Weah (Liberia)
It’s a pity that George Weah, who is the only African to have won the prestigious ballon d’Or award, never had the opportunity to showcase his talents at the World Cup.
His country lacked the depth to go against the continent’s powerhouses and never made it past the first round of qualifiers despite his influence.
Abedi Pele (Ghana)
Ghana legend Abedi Pele also features on this list, as he never played at the FIFA World Cup.
He won the African Cup of Nations in 1982 and claimed a silver medal in the 1992 edition, but missed out on the World Cup as Ghana never qualified until 2006.
The three-time African footballer of the year award winner never had the chance to perform on the world’s biggest stage despite his talents.
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Frederic Kanoute (Mali)
Former Sevilla midfielder Federic Kanoute made history in 2007, becoming the first player born outside Africa to win the prestigious African footballer of the year award.
He ultimately fell short of reaching the World Cup, as Mali could not match the quality of the bigger nations on the continent.
