By: Sihle Ndebele

Football analyst Christopher Bongo believes it will be very hard to predict who will win this year’s World Cup.

JournalismIziko Sport had a chat with Bongo, one of the respected football analysts in Africa.

Bongo said that this year’s World Cup could produce the unexpected, especially with a number of injury concerns among the top teams.

When asked who he thinks will win the world football’s prestigious tournament, he said that it is too early to predict because of the injuries that have been troubling the players leading to the kick-off of the World Cup.

“You cannot predict now because you do not know what will happen tomorrow. There are quiet few injuries to deal with. Maybe we should wait for the second round then predict’’, Bongo said.

The Democratic Republic of Congo born analyst also made an example of France in the 2002 World Cup.

“France went to the World Cup in 2002 as the world and the European champions, but they were eliminated in the first round without a win because of injury to their talisman then Zinedine Zidane’’ he said.

Injuries are proving to be a major problem leading up to this year’s edition of the World Cup and many star players have pulled out because of niggling injuries.

France and Bayen Munich star Franck Ribery is one of the players who will miss the 2014 World Cup in Brazil due to a lower back injury.

Colombia will have to soldier on without the services of their star Monaco striker Rademel Falcao following his anterior cruciate ligament injury.

England have been robbed of the services of Arsenal Winger Theo Walcott, who ruptured his interior cruciate ligament.

Italy midfielder Riccardo Montolivo suffered a broken leg when his country played against the Republic of Ireland.

Outgoing Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes tore his interior cruciate ligament in what proved to be his last game in Barcelona colours against Celta Vigo and Spain will have to soldier on without him in Brazil.

Japan will go to Brazil without their captain Makoto Hasebe after he underwent a second operation on his knee in February.

German and Borossia Dortmund ace Marco Reus will miss the upcoming FIFA World Cup after injuring ligament in his country’s 6-1 win over Armenia.