The game between Brazil and Ivory Coast at the Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg was billed as a true test of Brazil's strength after the Korean game, but in the end it was a casual stroll in the park for the Selecao, as a Fabiano brace propelled Dunga's team to a comfortable 3 - 1 win. With Cameroon already eliminated, Nigeria and South Africa precariously poised for ouster, only Ghana has gotten results worth celebrating across the continent. This in itself is disappointing because the Black stars have struggled to a large extent to create goals.

Ghana has played more than 90 minutes of football with a player advantage in South Africa against Serbia and Australia, two teams with less than an average pedigree at this level and their two goals have been spot kick. Nothing else from open play! A lose against the Germans, a plausible possibility, creates a back door opportunity for Serbia or Australia to leap frog them into the next round. It is really that bad for African teams with the possibility of all teams being knocked out after the first round. Nigeria had no shot on goal against Argentina after 60 minutes of football.

African players are often light weighted in technical abilities, but the missing link for African teams in 2010 FIFA world cup appear to be the absence of competence from the bench. The performance of the hurriedly hired coaches have been abysmal. The tendency to mould African teams after European style is failing grandly. An important reason is the short window to groom the players, but equally is the fact that you can't teach a senile dog new tricks. African players lack tactical discipline and are mentally unprepared to play complex formations, but they make up for this by their vibrancy, which is hardly in display nowadays. At the world cup, playing to your strength in a native system is the best tactics for African teams. Play simple, robust and fast paced football.