“Pele’s oft-cited prediction, made in 1977, that ‘an African nation will win the World Cup by the year 2000’ is, apparently, apocryphal: he has repeatedly claimed his words were twisted and taken out of context. Nevertheless, it endures, both as a spectacularly errant prophecy (no African team has made it beyond the quarterfinal stage of the competition) and as evidence that the continent has been punching below its weight.” (WSJ)