Arts, Culture and Sport

Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup: Five nations carry Africa’s hopes and dreams

The 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia will be the 21st FIFA World Cup, and Nigeria, Senegal, Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia will carry Africa’s hopes and dreams. The Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup is set for December 1 to determine group pairings for next summer’s football showpiece.

Published

7 years ago

November 14, 2017

Kylie Kiunguyu

The 2018 FIFA World Cup Finals are set to commence in less than a year, and all five of the Africa’s representatives in Russia have been decided. Over the past year, we were treated to mouth watering football action between Africa’s top team. Nigeria, Senegal and Egypt secured their spots in Russia with a game to spare, and Morocco and Tunisia booking their spots in their final fixtures, to secure the last of the continent’s berths at Russia 2018.

While the qualification stage is done and dusted for the continent, there are still many question marks around which countries will play in which group in Russia.

FIFA World Cup Trophy. Photo: warrenski/Flickr

The Final Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup set for December 1 will take place at the State Kremlin Palace in the heart of the country’s capital. The tagline of the event is “Where the stars align”, which refers not only to the glow of the best footballing nations in the world but also perfectly alludes to the idea of destiny as the road to the coveted FIFA World Cup Trophy is unveiled.

Read: Nine slots for Africa in the expanded 2026 World Cup

“The Final Draw slogan perfectly reflects the meaning of this historic moment,” the Chairman of the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko was quoted saying on Fifa.com. “The Final Draw is an essential, key moment in the preparations for a FIFA World Cup. Fans from all over the world cannot wait for the event that will dictate their trip to Russia, while for teams it will lay out the path to the FIFA World Cup final at the Luzhniki Stadium.”

Liverpool’s Senegalese midfielder Sadio Mane celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the pre-season International Champions Cup football match between Spanish champions, Barcelona and Liverpool at Wembley stadium in London on August 6, 2016. Photo: ANP/ AFP Glyn Kirk

Luzhniki Stadium is located at the centre of Moscow’s 145-hectare Olympic complex, one of the largest sports complexes in the world. Luzhniki Stadium will be the main venue and the heart of the 2018 FIFA World Cup tournament, used for the Opening Match, a semi-final and the Final. The Luzhniki sports complex stretches along the Moscow River and lies opposite the beautiful Vorob’evy Hills Natural Park.

Read: Nigeria clash with Algeria: Road to Russia

Germany, Belgium, England, Spain and Brazil are among the teams who have already qualified for the finals, while Chile and the United States faced heartbreak and failed to secure a spot in Russia.

A full list of qualifiers for the 21st FIFA World Cup can be found below:

UEFA (Europe)