Whilst African presence at the FIFA World Cup has been marked by increasing success over the years, on paper it looks unlikely the 2018 World Cup will see African sides improve on past performances. However, the capacity for African sides, including this tournament’s participants, to defy the odds should never be underestimated. Africa’s participation in the FIFA World Cup began with Egypt’s participation in the 1934 World Cup but no African side took part in any further tournaments until 1970.…