Deep in the jungles of the vast landscapes of Africa, the roar of the lion is unmistakable. The ferocious lion is rightly regarded as the king of the jungle. The brute power and strength makes the predator stand out in an unforgiving environment where the fittest survive.

Life in the jungle has had an overwhelming influence on people’s lives, and it cascades down to other social activities like football. It is no different on the pitch where it is always a dogeat-dog affair.

Most national team’s nicknames are derived from wildlife, with Botswana’s Zebras, no exception.

With the World Cup in full swing in Qatar, Africa’s eyes have been on the teams from the underachieving continent. All but one of the five representatives derive their name from the wild.

The five African nations that made the flight to Qatar are Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the Atlas Lions of Morocco, the Teranga Lions of Senegal, while the Black Stars of Ghana were the only representatives with a moniker without influence from wildlife. The continent’s fivenation delegation arrived in Qatar attempting to re-engineer a positive trajectory on the world’s biggest stage after two flat appearances in 2014 and 2018. Africa’s best finish at the 92-year-old tournament has been reaching the quarter final stage.Ironically, a team nicknamed after the lion, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, were the first to achieve the feat way back in 1990.

It was a powerful team dripping with oncein-a-generation talent of Roger Milla, Francois Omam Biyik, Jean Claude Pagal, Thomas Nkono, Joseph Antonio Bell, Stephen Tataw, Jean Claude Pagal and Cyril Makanaky.

Cameroon were six minutes away from a penalty shoot-out before they were knocked out 3-2 by England in extra time.

The Indomitable Lions had kicked off the tournament with a shock 1-0 win over defending champions, Argentina, a team driven by a

The Indomitable Lions paved the way in 1990 and then in 2002 the Lions of Teranga’s roar shook the football world. On Tuesday, it was the turn of the Atlas Lions to add to an impressive run by the lions of Africa at the world’s biggest football stage, reports

Mmegi Staffer,

football icon regarded as the best in the business, Diego Armando Maradona.

The subsequent two editions did not yield any joy for Africa, before another pride of lions, the Teranga Lions of Senegal sprung into the limelight in 2002. Like Cameroon, Senegal began their campaign in South Korea by claiming the scalp of defending champions, France. Senegal went all the way until the quarter final, where they lost by the narrowest of margins to Turkey in a 1-0 reversal. In Germany, four years later, African teams just made the numbers without any notable performances.

However, the script changed for the better when in 2010 the continent, through South Africa, hosted the World Cup for the first time.

With the Indomitable Lions and the Teranga

Lions ensuring the ‘lions’ early dominance in terms of history making, 2010 saw the entry of a different object. Of Africa’s lot at the 2010 World Cup, the Black Stars of Ghana shone the brightest. The West African nation was only one accurate penalty kick away from becoming the first team from the continent to reach the semi finals of the World Cup.

Amid the euphoria of winning a penalty after Luis Suarez’s infamous goal-line deliberate handling, a hurried Asamoah Gyan effort crashed against the crossbar. Head in hands, fans inside and outside the stadium, watched as the ball flew cruelly away into the Africa night sky. With the Gyan missed effort, Africa’s hopes of reaching the first ever semi final in a World Cup evaporated in the most heart-wrenching fashion.

The match went into extra time before Uruguay defied the sympathetic script of poetic justice and prevailed.

There was nothing to write home about Africa’s performance in Brazil four years late and in Russia in 2018.

This year, African champions, Senegal were tipped to be the torchbearers and last the longest distance at the world’s biggest football gathering.

But a sobering 3-0 defeat at the hands of another lion, the Three Lions of England in the round of 16 match shattered the hopes of a continent.

This appeared to signal the end of Africa’s interest in the competition as other representatives, Ghana, Tunisia and Cameroon had already crushed out in the group stages.

But there was always a lion lurking somewhere ready to pounce. In the middle of a raging debate ov er Morocco’s ‘Africanacity’ the North Africans have assumed the mettle as the conductors of the orchestra. The Atlas Lions were starring down the barrel after they were paired against Spain in their round of 16 clash and it was only normal that they entered the contest as overwhelming underdogs.

But Morocco’s defiant display, in which they let the fading Spaniards have the larger chunk of the ball, before dragging the Europeans to the penalty shoot-out, meant Africa had a fourth team in the quarter finals.

Morocco prevailed 3-0 via the penalty shootout. It is now three African lions that have reached the quarter finals of the World Cup, underlying the ‘animal’s dominance, both on and off the pitch.

Morocco now have the opportunity to become the first African side to reach the semifinals when they engage a ruthless Portugal side that is among favourites for the title.

The Indomitable Lions, although they bowed in the group stages, also let an un-ignorable roar, when they clawed back from 3-1 down to draw with Serbia, before felling Brazil 1-0 in their final match.