African Champions...2014?

Day 19. What happened today in Brazil. The Ochoa curse struck again.

Today was the day for the Africans to a make a statement against 2 big European teams. Nigeria came into their match against France as one of those teams who had qualified, but you wondered how much they deserved it. After a painful 0-0 draw against Iran, they beat Bosnia 1-0, partly due to Bosnia being denied a legitimate goal, and then lost to Argentina. It was a case of them being better than the really bad teams. Today they really seemed up for it and with a bit of better finishing might have scared the French a bit more. They also had Victor Moses, who plays for Liverpool and looked like he was on the team solely on reputation, which is further still probably only based on the fact that he is a rarely used sub for Liverpool. Surely there was somebody on that Nigerian bench more effective than him. France, on the other hand seemed a little confused. They went back to their experiment of star striker Benzema playing on the left wing, and Giroud up front. It worked in their friendly against Jamaica and for one match against Switzerland, but today Benzema looked pissed off that he had to share the spotlight. Once Giroud went off, Benzema came to life, and France looked like they would score a few. It took a while but they did get a goal, and it was a repeat of the Ochoa phenomenon, as happened yesterday.

The Nigerian goalkeeper, Enyeama, had been having another amazing match. Then, as happened with Ochoa, he got caught up in his own greatness, and eccentricity. He flapped at a cross and left Pogba with an easy header into an empty net. After that, Nigeria looked terribly disheartened. It is a normal tactic that when a team is in the lead with a few minutes left they try to hold onto the ball in the opposing team's half. Nigeria had so lost interest that they did if for France. Even when Nigeria got the ball they couldn't get it out of their half, and eventually gifted France a corner, which led to the gift of an own goal. 2-0 France and on they go. And all this without one of their biggest names, Ribery. Really, have they missed him?

On Saturday, the day of the 2 all South American matches, all 4 teams and their supporters belted out the national anthems like their lives depended on how well they sang them. When Brazil sang their's what was equally impressive were the ball boys and girls trying to sing louder than the players. But one ball girl today might have gone one better. I'm sure she was singing along to the French anthem. Maybe she was just mouthing what she thought were the words, maybe she was French or maybe she took it upon herself to learn the words. Whatever, it seems this national anthem thing is catching. Roy Hodgson would be proud.

Second match was the much talked about, by me, revenge match. Algeria went at Germany like their fathers had given the team talk before the match, not the coach. They wanted it. The Germans were getting attacked from all angles and were all over the place. Unfortunately, Algeria lacked the one important quality needed to win, the ability to turn all their opportunities into goals. Germany were defending so desperately that their goalkeeper, Neuer, came out of his area, more often than any goalkeeper I've ever seen do.

In the second half, Germany, looked like they had overcome the shock and had enough chances to make the scoreline look like it should when one of the best teams in Europe, in the world, plays an average to good African team. But time and time again, Mbohli, in the Algerian goal pulled of some stunning saves. So out-of-this-world good that the Ochoa curse seemed to be about to happen any minute.

This was quite the match for the neutral, the underdogs having a go at the ever so consistent, always make it to at least the quarter finals Germans. But I can imagine what it was like if you are German, an absolute bloody nightmare. This was supposed to be an easy path to the next round. When have Algeria ever beaten anyone. Ok, there was that one time, but, really, it's Algeria and we have Mueller and Schweinstiger and baby faced Goetze. We're so good we don't even care that Mertesecker is in defence, because when he screws up again and again, Neuer will run out and clean up the mess. But again, for the neutral it was fantastic. Germany attacked but were denied over and over again, and Algeria ran at the Germans head on with no fear. There were oh's and oooh's and aaaah's aplenty.

Off to extra time we went and barely 90 seconds into it, Schurrle tried a training ground flick and in it went. Mbohli was beaten, and at that moment who really thought that Algeria could get back into it. They had given it their all, but now they had to summon all their very low energy reserves and come from behind to beat the Germans. As it turned out, they did score in the second minute of injury time. But, sadly, by then Germany had already scored their second goal. Another great effort, just like the Mexicans, had just fallen short. But at least the closeness to upset had entertained us.

Tomorrow, Messi takes on the Swiss and the Americans tackle the cool, look how good we are, guys from Belgium. Enjoy it, because then we have 2 days of no football. How could they.