If 2010 was the ‘Year of Africa’ in football circles, it will be remembered for a spirited celebration of the FIFA World Cup that left little room for much of the pre-event doubts.

The successful hosting of the tournament was a timely boost for the continent’s image in the eyes of the global community, and never before have Africans spoken so fondly of their region, which can now proudly point to their capacity and ability in staging the event.

For South Africa, it offered a chance to change perceptions and greet the world like few others have before.

In football terms, Africa remains at a crossroads, threatening to push on and become more of a world force but at the same time under threat of being turned back. With six representatives at the FIFA World Cup for the first time, 2010 offered an opportunity to make a stronger bid for success, but results on the pitch were mixed. Join FIFA.com for a look back at the year in African football.

Dramatic wins

Champions, Egypt still top of Africa

Egypt failed to reach South Africa 2010 after a bitter play-off defeat by Algeria in 2009, but in 2010 they kept up a remarkable continental run that has now seen them win an unprecedented three CAF Africa Cup of Nations tournaments on the trot. The Pharaohs were rarely even threatened and brushed aside all comers with six wins out of six in Angola.

The vanquished team in the ultimate match at the Cup of Nations was an injury-hit Ghana, coached by Milovan Rajevac. But the emergence of a young Ghanaian generation built around 2009’s FIFA U-20 World Cup success and the consistent goalscoring of Asamoah Gyan were a harbinger of things to come.

The most successful African team at the ‘African World Cup,’ the Black Stars stunned Serbia in their first match after a late Gyan penalty and rode Gyan’s extra-time goal past the USA in the second round. Those wins allowed Ghana to match the feat ofCameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002) in reaching the last eight at the World Cup.

Although South Africa became the first host nation not to make it past the first round of the World Cup, Bafana Bafana gave their supporters a farewell gift in the form of a 2-1 victory over former champions France in boisterous Bloemfontein. Elimination on goal difference could not take away the pride of the nation or the memories of the vuvuzela.

Nigeria were runners-up at the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany this year, which is further than any African women have ever gone at a FIFA tournament. Their most important victory was a penalty shootout win over defending champions United States in the quarter-final, a round that the Falconets had fallen at in the previous three tournaments.

At club level, the FIFA Club World Cup offers the only forum for Africa to match itself up against the rest of the world, and after years of disappointing results, TP Mazembe Englebert became the first side from outside of Europe or South America to reach the final of the event after besting Brazilian opposition Internacional 2-0 in the semi-final.

Mazembe players in celebration

Cameroon captain Samuel Eto’o had a disappointing World Cup along with the rest of his national team, who finished bottom of their group without a point. Nonetheless, his exploits with all-conquering European club side Inter Milan were enough for him to win a record fourth CAF Africa Player of the Year Award.

Breakout stars
Egyptian striker Mohamed ‘Gedo’ Nagui was the revelation of the Cup of Nations in Angola. Having scored just once previously for the Pharaohs, Gedo managed five goals in five appearances as a substitute, including the late winner in the final.

Still only 25, Asamoah Gyan will surely see 2010 as the most significant year in his short career. After scoring three goals at the Cup of Nations, including two match-winners, Gyan still came to the World Cup with some questioning his ability to lead the line. But in the absence of talismanic Michael Essien, Gyan was Ghana’s inspiration, scoring three goals and embodying the team’s lively confidence.

Asamoah Gyan and Kwadwo Asamoah

Gyan was joined on the Ghana  team by a fantastic collection of promising talents, notably midfielders Andre ‘Dede’ Ayew and Kwadwo Asamoah, 21 and 22 years old respectively. Ayew, the son of Abedi Pele, was named a finalist for the Hyundai Best Young Player Award at the World Cup, while Asamoah picked up CAF’s Most Promising Talent Award at the end of the year.

Unforgettable moments
Tshabalala lifts the roof
Siphiwe Tshabalala’s fantastic goal opened not only the World Cup but South Africa’s campaign as hosts in style. It seemed like it might carry them through a difficult group, but although they fell at the first hurdle, this moment alone left a taste of triumph in the mouth.

Gyan converts a penalty
Three weeks after Tshabalala’s goal, Soccer City witnessed another moment for the ages. Just minutes after he had blazed over from the spot in the last minute of extra time against Uruguay – a miss that would have made Ghana the first African team to reach the semi-final of a World Cup – Gyan converted Ghana’s first attempt in the post-match shootout.

Although the Black Stars were eliminated moments later, it was a spectacularly brave display by the gutted striker and a worthy memory for the watching continent.

Eucharia Uche

Super Falcons coach Uche Eucharia has described the 2010 Caf women’s national team of the year awarded as an indication of good things to come for the six-time African champions at next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup in Germany.

Caf on Monday in Cairo, Egypt chose the Super Falcons as the women national team of the year ahead of the Nigeria’s Under-20 team, the Falconets and the Equatorial Guinea national team.

Insisting that Falcons’ award is a re-affirmation of their supremacy in Africa’s women football, Eucharia told SuperSport.com over telephone on Monday that the award meant a lot to her and a sure sign that all will be well with the team at the mundial.

“Right from South Africa Super Falcons have been adjudged the best team, I think they deserved it.

“The players comported themselves well on and off the pitch during the AWC, Caf was dead right in their decision.

“Falcons award is a good start for me as the head coach of Super Falcons as we head to the World Cup.

“We will improve on our past performances, I know we never gone past the quarter finals, we will strive to better Nigeria’s all time best at the World Cup, it is a good omen.”

Still relishing the good tidings that befell the team and players, the former Nigerian international hailed the continental football body for the choice of top scorer at the 7th Caf Women Championship in South Africa Perpetua Nkwocha as the 2010 women footballer of the year, the third times the Sunnana SK of Sweden lethal finisher will be honoured with the award.

She scored 11 goals, four less of her personal target of 15 in five matches including two hat-trick at the AWC in November.

“I feel great and happy for her, it is well deserved. She shone like million stars at the AWC, Caf judged very well and it will be a motivation for her at the world cup,” she said.

Nkwocha vied the best player award with compatriots, the AWC most valuable player Stella Mbachu and Ebere Orji.

Source: SuperSport.

Samuel Eto'o is again King of African soccer

Samuel Eto’o was named the 2010 African player of the Year for a record fourth time in a ceremony held in Cairo, Egypt on Monday

The Cameroon international saw off stiff competition from Ghana’s rising star Asamoah Gyan (2nd) and Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba (3rd) to cap a memorable season where he won everything there is in club football with Inter Milan.

By Akyereko Emmanuel

SA striker Parker trialing out at Leicester

Striker Bernard Parker is currently on trials with English championship  side Leicester City hoping to land a deal in January.

The South Africa international wants to put his FC Twente woes behind him and seal himself a deal at the Walker Stadium.

Leicester Boss Eriksson watched the attacking midfielder at the 2010 World Cup finals when he was in charge of Ivory Coast and believes the he can boast his quest to secure qualification to the English elite division.

The Swedish gaffer is also accessing 21-year-old Nigerian international Danny Uchechi who was acquired by West Ham United after the 2009 World Youth Champion in Egypt.

Uchechi has been limited to Hammers reserves but his searching for more playing time has triggered his trials with Leicester.

John Obuh

Nigeria U-20 coach John Obuh has declared he not afraid of his potential opponents at the 2011 Africa Youth Championships to be staged in Libya.

The draw for the tournament is scheduled for January 4 in Tripoli but Obuh says he is battle ready to face any team in the tournament, insisting that he has nothing to be afraid of in the draw.

“I am not afraid of any team, we are ready to play against any side we find ourselves.

“The important thing is for us to prepare very well and I am sure that it will be well taken care of. We will just try to improve on what we did during the qualifiers,” says the former national U-17 team coach.

Eight teams including hosts, Libya, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Gambia, Lesotho and Mali have already qualified for the Championship billed to hold between March 18 and April 1, 2011.

The four semi finalists will represent the continent at the FIFA U-20 World Cup slated for Colombia later next year.

Nigeria's Oparonzie battles for the ball in an arial challenge

Nigeria qualified to the semi finals of the Africa Women Championships with a thrilling 2-1 win over hosts South Africa at the Sinaba Stadium on Thursday.

The Super Falcons place in the last four was confirmed when Mali secured a 3-2 victory over Tanzania in the other Group A game played later in the day.

South Africa however started the game the much brighter side as Precious Dede was forced to tip a header by South African skipper Noko Matlou over the bar.

But Nigeria took the lead on 22 minutes with a swift breakaway as Perpetua Nkwocha got in behind the defence to coolly finish and give the west Africans the lead.

Nkwocha scored her second of the match, and her fifth in just two matches in the 2010 tournament, just before halftime as she headed home a Jerome Ulunma corner-kick.

At this stage it looked as though the Nigerians might romp home, but South Africa’s Janine van Wyk brought her side back into the match with a thunderous 35-yard free-kick on the stroke of halftime to make it 2-1.

Following an early chance for Francisca Ordega in the second period, South Africa dominated possession and created a number of opportunities to score, but could not break down the stubborn Nigerian defence.

With Nigeria through, South Africa need just a draw in their final match against Mali on Sunday to join the Super Falcons in the semifinals.

Indeed, Mali kept themselves in the hunt as they beat Tanzania 3-2 in the second match of the day to send the East Africans packing for this year.

Mali looked to be cruising as they raced into a 2-0 lead, but Tanzania hit back swiftly to bring the scores level at 2-2.

However, a second-half strike was enough to seal the points for Mali, and leave them needing to beat South Africa on Sunday to seal their semis berth.

Siasia urges Flying Eagles ahead of AYC in Libya

Samson Siasia has urged the national U-20 team, the Flying Eagles to work harder to in order to excel at the forthcoming Africa Youth Championships next year in Libya.

Nigeria earned qualification to the tournament by beating Mauritius 4-1 on aggregate but Siasia was unimpressed and says the team needs to improve if they have any intentions of dethroning defending champions and bitterest rivals Ghana.

“The team needs to improve for it to excel in Libya next year. We (the coaches) have to get behind coach John Obuh to fine-tune the team,” he said.

“From our experience in the competition since the 80’s it is getting tougher because every country is developing her football.”

Continuing, the Olympic silver medal-winning coach warned, “Nigeria is going to be the target of all teams in Libya considering our pedigree in the championship.

“Against Mauritius, the team did well in the first half, and deservedly got two goals, but the second half performance was not inspiring. Their passes were too short and the players were a little bit too relaxed.

“This really gave their opponents much confidence to come back and get a goal. But then, it is possible they thought it was all over, based on the first leg match,” he  observed.