As a young Mass Server (or altar boy as they are called these days) at St. Christopher’s Catholic School on Ikot-Ekpene Street, near the famous Mile 1 market in the Diobu area of Port Harcourt, one song I loved so much in my Hymn Book back then was ‘When the roll is called up yonder’. 

As a little boy of 14 years back then, I saw myself in those red and white garments of the altar boys standing with that great man of God, Fr. Christopher Obieh, as one of the chosen ones who was definitely going to be among those to make the roll call on the last day. That feeling makes me excited every day in school as Sunday approached because I will be in those red and white garments again with Fr. Obieh on the altar. 

I didn’t take it for granted that it was a given that I must be chosen to serve every Sunday. I made sure I was part of the preparation for the Sunday service with our Cathechist, Mr. Ekpeyong, who can’t remember his first name now, supervising us. Apart from getting the service materials Fr. Obieh would use every Sunday ready, I made sure I partook in the rehearsal. Yes, that song, when the roll is called up yonder went like this: When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound, and time shall be no more, and the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair; When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,and the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. Why have I remembered this great song today? 

It is not because I am losing faith that I will no longer be on the list on the last day up yonder. No. The reason is that in four days time, the roll call by FIFA for 48 countries to begin football hostilities of the World Cup in three countries, Canada, Mexico and USA for the first time, shall start sounding and my country, the most populous Black nation on earth, will not be there. Painfully for a consecutive time. Why? Either because unlike me who partook in altar rehearsals before every Sunday Mass back in the day to ensure that when I was chosen to serve, I won’t fumble and embarrass Fr. Obieh, our players didn’t do their own homework well. Yes, the buck stops with them because whatever their coach may have taught them in training, they were the only ones who would fight to ensure they got their arts right to overcome any obstacle their opponents placed on their path.

That was why in a group with South Africa, Benin Republic, Lesotho and Zimbabwe, Nigeria’s Super Eagles could not qualify to be at the 2026 World Cup like they did when the roll call for the 2022 edition in Qatar was also called. And it happened in a year when Africa’ s representation was increased to 10. Meanwhile at the time of the qualifying matches, Super Eagles were the highest ranking team in their group of the qualifiers. So the African roll call which FIFA will start calling on Thursday includes, in alphabetical order, Algeria, Cape Verde, Democratic Re- public of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa and Tunisia. 

Among these countries, Cape Verde is the only country making their debut. Nigeria missed their group ticket to South Africa but got a lifeline through the playoffs in which they needed to play just three matches, two in Africa and one in an intercontinental arrangement. In the African playoff, they beat Gabon on penalties after drawing 1-1 in the semi finals and lost to DR Congo via penalties also after drawing 1-1 in the final. So DR Congo picked the African playoffs ticket and also defeated Jamaica to pick the remaining one slot to make up the 48th country in the 2026 World Cup. 

So Nigerians, including the Super Eagles players who didn’t raise their game when it mattered most, would sit back at home to watch Africa’s 10 representatives rubbing shoulders with the best from other continents for the coveted trophy which the final match comes up on July 19. And because the Atlas Lions of Morocco raised the African bar by being the continent’s first semi-finalist in 2022, arguments have started on whether an African team could go beyond the semi finals to the final this year and possibly win it. 

Africa’s number one football administrator, the CAF president, Dr. Patrice Motsepe is already dreaming big. In a recent interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), he ex- pressed confidence in African teams doing well by matching the best in the world and possibly going ahead to win the trophy for the first time. He said: “We are confident that the 10 African teams at the 2026 World Cup will make us proud and that an African nation will be champions. 

“What we lacked in the past was self belief. Morocco changed that in Qatar four years ago. We can match the best in the world. I will work relentlessly until I see the captain of an African nation lifting the greatest football prize.” After Motsepe, two of Africa’s greatest players, Austin Jay-Jay Okocha and El Hadji Diouf also spoke on the chances of African teams this time around. Diouf believes that African teams were going to the World Cup to win it, particularly his home team, the Teranger Lions of Senegal. 

”Take my own country, we have amazing players like Sadio (Mane), Idrissa (Gueye) and Edouard (Mendy). They can match stars from any country. The 2026 World Cup — Africa is going there to win the tournament.” Okocha was cautiously optimistic in his thoughts on the issue, believing that the Asian and North American teams could spring surprises.

“We talk a lot about the title contenders from Europe and South America, but what about the North Americans and Asians? They are improving rapidly.” He concluded by saying, “I will be very happy to be proven wrong. African footballers have shocked the world before. Let us hope it happens again.” As the World Cup kicks off Thursday, will African countries confirm Motsepe’s confidence in them to prove Okocha wrong?