The Power of a Dream

Of the nine African national teams that started the 2026 World Cup, eight secured qualification for the knockout stage. I don't believe that's a coincidence.

For several years, I had the privilege of working in Nigeria, one of Africa's biggest national teams, and experiencing an African Cup of Nations from the inside. That experience allowed me to understand a dimension of football that isn't always valued when we analyze a player's performance. I'm often asked about the main difference between European and African players. There are cultural differences, and there are differences in their development pathways.

There are even biological differences between individuals, as there are in any population. But the biggest difference I found wasn't any of those. It was the magnitude of the dream. I'm not saying the African dream is better than the European one. I'm simply stating what I witnessed. For many of the players I worked with, football wasn't just a profession.

It was an opportunity to change the lives of an entire family. As a coach of people who play football, I believe everything starts with a goal. The clearer that goal is, the greater the commitment tends to be to achieve it. Then our beliefs come into play. They are shaped by our parents, education, culture, and social context. Some limit us. Others empower us. But there's still a third factor: necessity.

Charles Darwin argued that it's not the strongest or the most intelligent who survive, but those who adapt best. When the dream is linked to survival, to educating siblings, to the health of parents, or to building a home, the capacity for adaptation grows extraordinarily. That's what I found in Africa. Not in all players, but in a very significant percentage of them. The greater the need, the greater the dedication. The clearer the purpose, the greater the ability to endure daily sacrifice.

Perhaps that is one of the explanations for the growth of African football.

Because behind many of those players, there's something no statistic can measure. There's a dream. And I continue to believe that few forces are as powerful as a human being fighting to transform the lives of those they love.