Cameroon, Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia return to the World Cup finals. They are joined by the Lions of Senegal, the big surprise of qualifying in Africa.

Africa has claimed back-to-back Olympic gold medals, but itÆs still waiting for its World Cup breakthrough.

Cameroon is the only African team to advance as far as the quarterfinals. The Lions fell to England, 3-2, at Italia Æ90.

African teams have had their moments ù Algeria in 1982, Morocco in 1986 and Nigeria in 1994 and 1998 ù but none has yet put together a sustained effort to get it into the final four.

Successful World Cup teams rely on three key elements: talent, experience and organization.

How do AfricaÆs five World Cup 2002 finalists rate? Well, two out of three ainÆt bad.

AfricaÆs top teams can match just about anyone in terms of individual talent.

This group of African finalists is surely the most experienced. Four of the five finalists played at France Æ98, and the fifth, Senegal, is loaded with European-based pros.

AfricaÆs weakness remains organization. All five African finalists changed coaches during qualifying. Cameroon, the best of the lot, changed coaches three times and will make at least one more move.

HereÆs a look at the Africa five in order of strength:

CAMEROON.

The Indomitable Lions are an enigma. In 2000, they won their third African Nations Cup title and captured Olympic gold. Since then, theyÆve looked quite ordinary, resulting in three coaching changes.

The Lions closed out their World Cup campaign with 58-year-old Frenchman Robert Corfou, but no one expects the obscure Corfou to be around next year.

On paper, the Lions have their deepest squad ever.

Take the Sydney Lions, throw in defenders Rigobert Song, Raymond Kalla and Pierre Njanka, starters at France Æ98, and midfielders Marc-Vivien Foe, a holdover from USA Æ94, and Salomon Olembe, who helped Nantes win the French title last season, and youÆve got quite a formidable team.

The Lions looked tired at the Confederations Cup, where they didnÆt last past the first round. More troubling, they looked disheartened.

Star Patrick Mboma says the LionsÆ success has gone to their heads and that they lack humility.

NIGERIA.

The Super Eagles have learned a thing or two about humility. Nigeria has never quite lived up to its billing as soccerÆs new superpower after winning the 1996 Olympic gold medal in Athens, Ga.

The Eagles were a big disappointment at France Æ98 and almost didnÆt make the World Cup 2002 finals. Nigeria was on the verge of being eliminated when archrival Ghana saved the Eagles with a 2-1 win over Liberia in Monrovia that derailed the Lone Star.

Veterans Taribo West, Sunday Oliseh, Jay Jay Okocha, Finidi George and Nwankwo Kanu form the nucleus of Amodu ShaibuÆs team.

The Nigerian Football Association insists itÆs sticking with Shaibu and his assistants, Stephen Keshi and Joe Erico, the first all-Nigerian staff to lead the Eagles into the World Cup.

SOUTH AFRICA.

In other circumstances, Portuguese Carlos Queiroz could be U.S. national team coach right now.

Queiroz, tipped to replace Steve Sampson after the 1998 World Cup, instead headed off to the United Arab Emirates. After an unhappy stay in the Middle East, the former MetroStars coach moved to South Africa 11 months ago.

The Bafana Bafana were unbeaten in eight qualifiers, a 1-1 tie with Burkina Faso the only blemish to their record.

Shaun Bartlett, a disappointment in two MLS seasons, has emerged as South AfricaÆs most dependable player.

He was the leading scorer (five goals) at the 2000 African Nations Cup and had four gamewinners in World Cup 2002 qualifying.

TUNISIA.

Former NASL coach Eckhard Krautzen (Vancouver Whitecaps) took charge of the Tunisians last spring and had a relatively easy job of leading the Eagles of Carthage back to the World Cup finals.

The GermanÆs big test will come next year when Tunisia will try to avoid a repeat of France Æ98, where it lost its first two games and tied the third.

He will rely heavily on a pair of youngsters up front: Ali Zitouni, 21, and Ziad Jaziri, 22.

SENEGAL.

The Lions were the big surprise, beating out three former World Cup finalists (Morocco, Egypt and Algeria) to qualify.

They put behind them an absolutely dismal record in World Cup qualifying ù they were eliminated in the first round six times in seven previous appearances and failed to take part in 1990 qualifying when the Senegalese federation forgot to send in its entry form on time.

The mastermind of the Senegalese revival is Frenchman Bruno Metsu, brought in to replace veteran German coach Peter Schnittger last year.

The flamboyant Metsu employed a lineup consisting entirely of French-based players for the deciding qualifier against Morocco in Dakar.

SenegalÆs star is El Hadji Diouf, who finished second among all African players with eight goals in qualifying. n

THE AFRICA FIVE

CAMEROON

World Cup appearances: 4 (1982, 1990, 1994, 1998). Titles: Olympics (2000), African Nations Cup (1984, 1988, 2000).

Lineup: Boukar Alioum (Samsunspor, Turkey), Rigobert Song (West Ham, England), Raymond Kalla (Extremadura, Spain), Pierre Njanka (Strasbourg, France), Geremi Njitap (Real Madrid, Spain), Marc-Vivien Foe (Lyon, France), Pierre Wome (Bologna, Italy), Lauren Etame Mayer (Arsenal, England), Salomon Olembe (Nantes, France), Samuel EtoÆo (Mallorca, Spain), Patrick Mboma (Parma, Italy). Coach: Robert Corfou (France).

NIGERIA

World Cup appearances: 2 (1994, 1998). Titles: Olympics (1996), African Nations Cup (1980, 1994).

Lineup: Ike Shorunmu (Besiktas, Turkey), Justice Christopher (Bendel Insurance), Ifeanyi Udeze (PAOK, Greece), Joseph Yobo (Marseille, France), Taribo West (free agent), Sunday Oliseh (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Jay Jay Okocha (Paris SG, France), Finidi George (Mallorca, Spain), Nwankwo Kanu (Arsenal, England), Tijani Babangida (Vitesse, Netherlands), Victor Agali (Schalke, Germany). Coach: Shaibu Amodu.

SENEGAL

World Cup appearances: 0. Titles: 0.

Lineup: Omar Diallo (El Khourigba, Morocco), Ferdinand Coly (Lens, France), Aliou Cisse (Paris SG, France), Lamine Diatta (Rennes, France), Omar Daf (Sochaux, France), Makhtar NÆDiaye (Rennes, France), Pape Sarr (Lens, France), Salif Diao (Sedan, France), Moussa NÆDiaye (Sedan, France), El Hadji Diouf (Lens, France), Henri Camara (Sedan, France). Coach: Bruno Metsu (France).

SOUTH AFRICA

World Cup appearances: 1 (1998). Titles: African Nations Cup (1996).

Lineup: Hans Vonk (Heerenveen, Netherlands), Cyril Nzama (Kaizer Chiefs), Pierre Issa (Marseille, France), Frank Schoeman (Lyngby, Denmark), Bradley Carnell (VfB Stuttgart, Germany), Sibusiso Zuma (FC Copenhagen, Denmark), John Moshoeu (Fenerbahce, Turkey), Quinton Fortune (Manchester United, England), Delron Buckley (Bochum, Germany), Shaun Bartlett (Charlton, England), Benny McCarthy (Celta, Spain). Coach: Carlos Queiroz (Portugal).

TUNISIA

World Cup appearances: 2 (1978, 1998). Titles: 0.

Lineup: Chokri El-Ouaer (Esperance), Khaled Badra (Denizlispor, Turkey), Radhi Jaidi (Esperance), Sami Trabelsi (Ajax, Netherlands), Raouf Bouzaiene (free agent), Tarek Thabet (Esperance), Zoubeir Beya (Besiktas, Turkey), Sirajeddine Chihi (Esperance), Maher Kanzari (Al-Ahly, Saudi Arabia), Ali Zitouni (Esperance), Ziad Jaziri (Etoile du Sahel). Coach: Eckhard Krautzen (Germany).

by Soccer America Managing Editor Paul Kennedy