As far as the trip to Russia is concerned, Africa is ready and gearing up for the landmark World Cup that Europe will be gracing in the coming summer. Traditionally, Africa produces five representatives, except in the 2010 World Cup, where the continent was granted an additional slot given that South Africa was hosting the event.
All the five representatives of the continents are in top seven in the FIFA ranking in the African chapter. In fact, only Cameroun and Congo DR are the only nations within the top seven bracket in the continent that failed to qualify for World Cup.
The World Cup that Russia will be staging next year will see the African teams that had previously taken part in the past events.
Surprisingly, the traditional continental giants like Cameroun, Algeria, South Africa, Ivory Coast and Ghana missed out in the qualification berth. The African nations that sealed their ticket to Russia are Egypt, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco, and Senegal.
Tunisia
It's the most ranked African nation which is listing at position twenty-seven in the global ranking. The initial four World Cup events found when Tunisia was still part of France so they couldn't take part. The Carthage Eagles missed out on the past two World Cup actions so Nabil Maaluol's men must be happy to be at the event once again.
The 2004 African champions have made it to World Cup on four occasions.
More than a half of Tunisia players are plying their trades within the continent with a higher percentage of the players playing in the local leagues. However, the squad lacks prominent players in the European elite leagues as only Wahbi Khazri playing in England for a Championship side, Sunderland.
Tunisia will be trying to make it past the group stages in the fast-approaching World Cup as the previous four participations haven't gone beyond the group stages.
Egypt
Egypt is the most decorated African side after emerging as the continent's champions five times. The Pharaohs will be making it the competition for the third time in history after taking an 18-year absence from the event.
The Egyptians hired a manager who has coaching experience from nearly all the corners of the globe. Hector Cuper who's an Argentine international boast of having managed twelve clubs in the past and Egypt becomes the second national side he's managing.
The Pharaohs have some notables players who ply their trades in top European teams. For instance, Mohamed Salah who was the Egypt's top scorer in qualifiers currently plays for Liverpool in Premier League. Another decorated player in the team is Mohamed Elneny who's a defensive midfielder at Arsenal.
Senegal
After stunning the world in the 2002 World Cup that Japan and Korea hosted, Senegal has made a comeback to the global competition. It's the second time the Lions of Teranga are taking part in World Cup in their history.
In 2002, Senegal shocked the world when they defeated the then reigning world and European champions, France in the World Cup's opening fixture. In that tournament, Senegal beat Sweden with a golden goal in extra-time to set a date with Turkey in the quarter-finals, but the West African giants fell to the Turks on the same fate they had inflicted on Sweden.
The team might be lacking the golden squad that made history 15 years ago by progressing to the competition's last eight stage in their maiden appearance, but Lions of Teranga still has decorated players on the current squad. Sadio Mane is one of the stars who play in European elite leagues with the winger representing Liverpool in Premier League.
Other high profile players are; Babacar Khouma (Fiorentina), Papa Kouly Diop (Espanyol), Mame Biram Diouf (Stoke City), Diafra Sakho (West Ham United), Cheikhou Kouyate (West Ham United), and Idrissa Gana Gueye (Everton).
Nigeria
After making it to the knock-out stages in the previous World Cup that Brazil hosted in 2014, Nigeria will be seeking to move a stage or more stages further in the 2018 World Cup that Brazil hosted. The Super Eagles have taken part in five World Cups where the immediate former African champions have progressed past group stages on three occasions. Nigerian will be playing in three World Cup events in a row for the first time. Interestingly, the Nigerians, who are the former African champions, have failed to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 African Cup of Nation.
Nigeria goes to Russia with a side that is composed mostly of players playing in top European leagues. Jon Obi Mikel who won Premier League titles with Chelsea is the captain of the national team he currently plays for Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League. Other Chelsea players serving loan terms in other clubs are Kenneth Omerou and Ola Aina. The squad also has Onyinye Ndindi, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Ahmed Musa who all play at Leicester City.
Morroco
The Atlas Lions are the fifth African representatives who are coming to the World Cup competition after missing out on the last four events. Morroco will be making their fifth entry into World Cup competition after missing out on the previous four events where the Atlas Lions have only managed to reach the last sixteen once.
Morroco is boosted by the fact that they have a foreign manager who knows Africa more than even the native African coaches. Herve Renard has coached Zambia in two periods and also managed other African national teams including Ivory Coast and Angola. Also, they have players in the European leagues who will most likely help the 1976 African champions to impress in Russia. In fact, Moroccan national captain plays for the Italian Serie A champions, Juventus.
