Venezuela President Nikolas Maduro has joined the chorus of quarters that believe that Africa, and not France, was the true winner of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. This is in reference to a big percentage of the African immigrants in the team.

While this is true, African leaders should not dwell on claiming vicarious success in the French team’s victory. They should explain the paradox of why Africans have to leave the continent to in order to experience success. They have to explain why they sustain conditions that force many Africans to risk death in the Mediterranean, fleeing the continent. Kenya, for example, basked in glory for raising Barrack Obama, former US president and epitome of democracy, while back at home, democracy and accountability have been weighed on the balance and found wanting. Africans in NASA have helped sent men to the moon while accessing villages back at home is a herculean task due to poor transport infrastructure.

The excellence of Africans outside the continent is an indictment to the continent. Africa would be better off rectifying the systemic failures that stifle the socio-economic and political development of its people rather than ride on the successes elicited by other environments.