Many people found the qualifying tournament for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to be difficult. Several football titans have secured their spots for the quadrennial tournament.
Brazil kept their record of appearing in every World Cup and sport betting. Meanwhile, Canada received recognition for the Olympics for the first time since 1986. Let’s take a look at the top footballers who would have been missing from the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
* Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)
Patson Daka, who is only 23, has been on his third overseas letter of intent. From Kafue Celtic, where he began his career, he moved to the Austrian second league club Liefering, then to the very first league to play for Red Bull Salzburg, definitely the dominant team in the Austrian Bundesliga.
As one might expect, he was quickly managed to spot by a Premier League club, and he is now a forward for Leicester City. Regrettably, Zambia did not qualify for the Champions League this year, so Daka, the former Zambian Sportsman of the Year, will not be taking part in Qatar.
* Naby Keïta (Guinea)
Guinea was eliminated in the group stage of the FIFA 2022 qualifiers, leaving the country with no chance of competing in the World Cup this year. This appears to mean Keta’s viewers will have to settle for him playing throughout Liverpool’s final Premier League games. Keita began playing football at the age of nine in his hometown of Conakry.
Soon after turning 18, he left Guinea for France, where he began his European career. He continued to play two seasons at Red Bull Salzburg before moving on to Red Bull Leipzig inside this Bundesliga. Finally, he decided to join the Reds, becoming a member of the squad that recently won the Premier League, the FIFA Club World Cup, as well as the UEFA Champions League.
Related: Africa Cup Of Nations Predictions For Nigeria Super Eagles
* Patson Daka (Zambia)
The Super Eagles narrowly missed out from the FIFA World Cup this year, as Ghana qualified on away goal rule after an aggregate 1-1 draw in the third round. Regrettably, this means that Osimhen fans will not be able to see him play in Qatar. Victor Osimhen is a genuine success story in Nigerian football.
Born and brought up in Lagos, he attended the Ultimate Strikers Academy before even being signed straight by Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2017. He moved from Germany to France, and now to Italy, where he currently plays for Serie A club Napoli and will most probably be playing in the UEFA Champions League the next season.
* Luis Diaz (Colombia)
Since his introduction, the striker has captured the Premier League by storm. He joined Liverpool in January and also has scored several goals. The forward, however, was unable to lead Colombia toward the World Cup in Qatar.
Colombia finished sixth mostly in CONMEBOL Qualifiers, one point short of a playoff spot. In the overall rankings, Peru defeated them. Luis Diaz was indeed Copa America’s joint leading scorer last year, but he will not play in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
* Martin Odegaard (Norway)
The Norwegian international has yet to play in a World Cup and will not compete in the 2022 edition either. Odegaard has put in place himself as a permanent fixture at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta. However, he was unable to lead Norway to the championship event.
* Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy)
Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Euro 2020 Player of the Tournament, will not compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The PSG legend was unable to lead Italy to the finals in Qatar. For the second time in a row, the Azzurri failed to qualify for something like this huge tournament.
They were also unsuccessful in 2018. Italy finished second in their group, trailing Switzerland. They were then eliminated during the first round of the postseason by underdogs North Macedonia. Gianluigi Donnarumma was chastised for his performance in their winning session.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, these were the top footballers who would have been missing from the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Nonetheless, a few heavyweights ceased to secure a place in Qatar 2022. This will result in some major stars missing football’s significant milestone.
The post Top African Football Players Who Won’t Be At The FIFA World Cup This Year appeared first on Cornerstone News Nigeria.
