Francis Awaritefe On African Teams
Francis Awaritefe
AfricanOz caught up with TV soccer/football analyst and former Socceroo Francis Awaritefe, to ask him tips on Aust v Ghana, African players, and other World Cup essentials. We also asked him about Australian soccer/football and, of course, Dorothy the Dinosaur.
Francis is a popular TV football commentator and analyst, appearing on SBS TV and Fox Sports. As a professional player in Australia since the 1990s, he has played with the Socceroos, Melbourne Knights, South Melbourne, Marconi and Sydney United. He was ‘capped’ three times for Australia, and the leading scorer in the 1992/93 National Soccer League (NSL) season. Another great achievement was helping to introduce the equal opportunity code to the NSL. Before that he played football in the UK.
As Francis told AfricanOz during a previous interview, he first developed his love of football when he moved from England to live in Nigeria from the age of 4 to 12 (his parents are Nigerian). He recalled: “We would play in the street or any open space we could find. We were fanatics. I remember having to be dragged home after dark because we wanted to keep playing.” Here’s the latest interview with Francis, May 2010: On Africa and the World Cup…
AfricanOz: Having African roots yourself, are you excited about the location of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™?
Francis Awaritefe: Hosting the World Cup in Africa makes sense because of the passion for football in Africa. Africa has been held back in the past by lack of infrastructure and resources. I’m very excited at the prospects of a successful World Cup in South Africa. Africans are very warm and friendly and I’m sure South Africa will showcase some of the best that Africa has to offer.
AfricanOz: What are the Socceroos up against with Ghana?
Francis Awaritefe: The Socceroos are going up against a very good Ghana side. Ghana performed with distinction at the recent Africa Cup of Nations where they lost in the final to an exceptional Egyptian team. Ghana will have all of their big players such as Sulley Muntari, Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah, John Mensah and John Paintsil available for South Africa. Ghana is one African team which plays with tactical discipline and is very cohesive. These are qualities that will be needed if they are to go far in the tournament. [Editor’s Note: The interview was before the exit of Michael Essien]
AfricanOz: Any advice on top African teams to watch?
Francis Awaritefe: Without question the Ivory Coast boasts the strongest team on paper. With former England and Serie A coach Sven Goren-Eriksson in charge, if the Ivory Coast play near their potential, it’s going to be an explosive and exciting tournament for them. With players such as Drogba, Kalou, Dindane and Gervinho in the attack and a defence and midfield led by Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Eboué, Yaya Touré and Didier Zokora, this team has a very formidable look about it.
Nigeria, in my view, will field its weakest team ever sent to a FIFA World Cup. I hope for the locals that South Africa are able to qualify for the knock-out stage.
AfricanOz: Any advice on top African players to watch (even if playing for non-African teams)?
Francis Awaritefe: Didier Drogba has a fantastic season as golden boot winner in the English Premier League – this is the sort of big stage he craves. Gervinho caught the eye during the Cup of Nations with his dribbling ability. Kwadwo Asamoah of Ghana was another player who impressed me during the Cup of Nations. Jerome Boateng of Hamburg is a highly rated defender playing for Hamburg, who could represent Germany. His brother Kevin Prince-Boateng has declared his availability for Ghana as he qualifies for Ghana through his father.
On a local note….
AfricanOz: The popularity of football seems to have exploded in Australia in recent years. Will it keep growing?
Francis Awaritefe: Football has been steadily growing since the formation of the FFA led by Frank Lowy. The game still has many structural issues to tackle, however it has made great progress. The FIFA 2018/2022 World Cup bid will be a game changer as far as the sporting landscape is concerned – were Australia to secure one of those tournaments. Football is the only sport in this country that can engage the full cross section of the community because of its universal appeal. Even the Federal Government has recognised how Football Diplomacy can be harnessed regionally and globally to advance Australia’s interest, something the other codes simply cannot match.
AfricanOz: You’ve been a great inspiration to younger players. What are ways to encourage African Australian players? Any ‘rising’ hopefuls you’d like to comment on?
Francis Awaritefe: I have a particular interest in the exploits of African Australians and keep an eye on the likes of Bruce Djite and Kofi Danning. Both had good starts to their careers, however have had setbacks recently. It’s a question of being mentally tough and having an unshakable faith in your ability.
A ‘Wiggly’ time…
AfricanOz: You’ve become something of a celebrity in both football and non-football circles, even appearing on Dorothy the Dinosaur. How did you enjoy that?
Francis Awaritefe: Now Dorothy the Dinosaur was a complete accident. I was visiting my friend Mike Conway who happens to be the Managing Director of the Wiggles, when the producer (Paul Field) walked into Mike’s office to talk to Mike. Paul, mid-conversation, turns to me and asks if I would like to appear as a guest on one of the Dorothy the Dinosaur episodes. The rest, as they say, is history. It was fantastic fun and I still get lots of ribbing from friends with very young children.
For details on teams see: FIFA’s profiles at www.fifa.com/worldcup/teams/index
