Sports analyst Samuel Bartels says debutant teams at the ongoing Club World Cup are exceeding expectations, with many delivering impressive performances despite being widely written off before the tournament.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s “The Point of View” on Monday, June 22, Bartels said the early stages of the competition have been shaped by surprise performances from first-time participants.
He cited Cape Verde’s resilience as a standout example, saying the team has already exceeded expectations with its performances, regardless of how its campaign ends. He also pointed to Curaçao’s draw against one of the tournament’s highly rated sides as further evidence that so-called smaller teams are capable of competing with the established favourites.
Bartels further observed that the tournament has also been defined by the relatively muted impact of several global football stars, with the exception of Argentina’s Lionel Messi, who made an early impression in the opening match, and Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who recently got on the scoresheet.
He noted that many veteran players in their mid-30s and 40s, including Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, are yet to fully influence the tournament, adding that attention will now turn to the second round of group matches to see whether they step up.
Responding to a question on whether Morocco can be considered “the real deal,” Bartels said the North African side faces both opportunity and historical pressure.
He referenced past World Cup cycles where strong African performances were followed by disappointing returns in subsequent tournaments, citing Cameroon after 1990, Senegal after 2002, and Ghana after 2010 as examples.
According to him, Morocco’s challenge is to go beyond their impressive run at the previous World Cup, especially now that they are no longer a surprise package to opponents.
He explained that while Morocco’s tactical evolution towards more expansive football is promising, their tendency to start games strongly but fade in the second half could be a concern.
Bartels concluded that Morocco remain the strongest African side in the tournament based on current form and results, but their true test will be consistency as the competition progresses.
