CAIRO: With less than 90 days to the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil Issa Hayatou wants to see an African nation reach the Final.

The veteran Cameroonian IOC member has been president of the African football confederation for 26 years.

Five African nations go to the finals in Brazil hoping to improve on a dismal showing in South Africa four years ago when only Ghana – out of six continental contenders – progressed beyond the group stage.

Hayatou said: “After everything we’ve achieved in African football what would give me the greatest pleasure would be to see more international success for our teams.

“We have made great strides in development of the game at all levels and I don’t see now why we shouldn’t have one or two teams in the semi-finals or even the final of the World Cup.”

Apart from Ghana in 2010, Cameroon in 1990, Nigeria in 1994 and Senegal in 2002, no African nation has ever reached the knockout stages. That challenge will be taken up in Brazil by Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, Algéria and Nigeria.

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