Perhaps nothing short of winning the title can compare with hosting the World Cup, which South Africa will do beginning June 11. But there already have been some big highlights for the African continent.
----
-Cameroon stuns defending champion Argentina 1-0, 1990. The Indomitable Lions play rough with Diego Maradona and rattle the Argentines. Cameroon ends the game with nine men, but with a win on Francois Omam-Biyik's goal.
Lions become first African team to make quarterfinals.
-Nigeria wins tough first-round group, 1994. With sensational offensive spurts and a little bit of good fortune, the Super Eagles soar to the top of Group D ahead of Argentina and Bulgaria (eventually a semifinalist). The signature performance is a 3-0 romp over the Bulgarians sparked by Emmanuel Amunike.
-Nigeria again, winning Group D, 1998. A 3-2 victory over Spain catapults the Eagles, who then eliminate Bulgaria 1-0 to move into the second round. Sunday Oliseh's 30-yard shot glances in off the post for decisive goal against Spaniards.
-World Cup defending champion goes down to African team again, 2002. This one is Senegal, which uses goal by Pape Bouba Diop to beat France in Seoul. That catapults the Dakar Lions toward the quarterfinals and the French toward a quick exit.
-South Africa wins bid to host 2010 World Cup, 2004. With Nelson Mandela as their inspiration and Danny Jordaan as their organizing chief, the South Africans become first nation on their continent selected to host the world's most popular sporting event.
-Ghana beats United States to advance, 2006. Considered the weakling of a solid group with Italy, the Czech Republic and the Americans, Ghana barely falls to eventual champion Italy 1-0, then beats the Czechs and Team USA to move on. Brazil ends the Black Stars' tournament in the second round.
