The medal presentation ceremony at the end of the Mundial were particularly eventful with the presence of Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron of France and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of Croatia.

The Russia 2018 World Cup came to a fitting end, after a month-long feast of football with France emerging champions for the second time. They beat Croatia 4-2 in an enthralling match watched by a capacity 81,000 crowd at the colourful Luzhnaki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Belgium finished third by beating England two 2-0 on July 14.

For the 31 days the football fiesta lasted, Russia held the world spellbound, and contrary to many fears, delivered a superlative festival of football. We commend the government and people of Russia for delivering one of the best World Cup events ever.

Before the kick-off on June 14, there were fears and palpable apprehensions about the possibility of the host country delivering a successful and hitch-free World Cup. However, until the end of the Mundial, not one untoward inci- dent was recorded. The citizens were adequately mobilised and they provided millions of tourists and football enthusiasts that attended the event the best of Russian hospitality and culture.

The medal presentation ceremony at the end of the Mundial were particularly eventful with the presence of Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron of France and Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic of Croatia.

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It was, no doubt, the World Cup of upsets. For the first time in about 36 years, no African team qualified for the round of 16, as they crashed out at the Group stage. For the first time in recent memory, no South American side reached the semi-finals. In the annals of football, that is unprecedented.

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Host country, Russia, which was the least ranked of the 32 teams at the World Cup, surprised everyone by reaching the last 8.

Tradition was upheld, however, with Germany, the defending Champions, crashing out at the Group stage. The hope that a new World Champion would emerge from Croatia was not met as they fell to France at the last hurdle. The 88-year-old history since the World Cup started, of no team ever winning the Cup with a foreign coach, was not broken. Belgium with their Spanish import, Roberto Martinez, was the team soccer pundits projected would break the jinx, but it was not to be. They lost to eventual winners, France, 1-0 in the semi-finals, only to pick up the bronze medal as a consolation.

Apart from the long-held tradition of the World Cup rewarding great team spirit, it is also the stage to showcase individual talents and artistry. In this wise, the exploits of the 19-year-old wonder-kid, Kylian Mbappe of France, who scored the final goal of the tournament, would remain evergreen in the memory of many football fans. Many would remember the irrepressible Peresic of Croatia and Ahmed Musa of Nigeria, too. The latter’s second goal in Nigeria’s 2-0 win against Iceland is one of the 18 goals presently being reviewed for “Goal of the Tournament.” Our 19-year-old goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho, got good mention as the best in the U-23 category of players at the World Cup.

The Russia 2018 World Cup was the competition of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), as the technological innovation was introduced for the first time. Despite the doubts about its role in football and taking out some of the surprises and drama long associated with the sport, it largely proved to be a worthy addition with its 93 per cent recorded accuracy tally. The few controversies around the VAR are perhaps understandable, given the human element and high stakes involved in every match.

Africa’s performance at this World Cup was uninspiring. This is why we hope that adequate preparations for a good outing at Qatar 2022 can start now. We must learn lessons from this one and improve in the areas of our deficiencies. For example, it has been noted that African teams lack the ability to concentrate on matches for the 90 minutes duration and concede easily from set pieces. These are two areas that can be worked upon with the right technical input and mentality. Nigeria must resolve the crisis in its football federation in line with FIFA guidelines, if we hope to remain a member of the global football family.