Official African Nations Cup 2008 thread

[The Third Dukes]

Quote

ACCRA (AFP) - The west African state of Ghana is about to take its place in the international spotlight as hosts of the 26th African Nations Cup.

It's been a bit of a scramble but the former British colony is all set for the biggest show of its short life, one that promises to upstage even last year's celebrations to mark 50 years of independence.

Sunday's opening match between the Michael Essien-led hosts against neighbours Guinea raises the curtain on what many people are predicting will be the toughest and best Nations Cup ever staged.

The squad lists of the 16 teams read like a who's who of footballing A List stars, their clubs reluctantly letting their prize jewels answer the call of Africa at the expense of their domestic calendar.

And here to see them are tens of thousands of supporters keeping the baggage handlers busy at Accra airport.

One fan arrived on Thursday with five friends from London.

"I shouldn't be here as I've just had eight months off work with a bad back, my boss and my wife are mad at me, but I wouldn't miss this for the world," he confided to AFP.

Local hopes are high that Ghana can continue the good run enjoyed by countries that have acted as hosts, Egypt and Tunisia thrilling their home crowd in 2006 and 2004 respectively.

"Everyone says we'll win, but they're probably just trying to be polite," said Godwin, one of Accra's taxi drivers who over the next three weeks will have his foot to the floor ferrying tourists from the city's stadium to their barely finished hotels.

Ghana themselves won the biennial competition twice on home turf and are looking to repeat the magic under the canny managership of Frenchman Claude Le Roy.

But they will have to do so without their injured captain, Fenerbache's Stephen Appiah.

Ghana though are so much more than a one-star team, as they can also call on the expertise of Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari and Udinese's young attacking phenomenon Asamoah Gyan.

The 2008 Nations Cup is being played out at four venues - Accra, Sekondi, Tamale and Kumasi.

Sharing the billing with the Black Stars as favourites are westcoast neighbours the Ivory Coast with Didier Drogba, Nigeria and Samuel Eto'o's always dangerous Cameroons.

But it would be a mistake to suggest the three-week footballing feast can be reduced to a shortlist of this quartet if the lessons of the 2006 World Cup are to be learned.

In Germany the natural African order of things was turned on its head with traditional heavyweights like Nigeria and Cameroon making way for novices Angola, Togo, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

It promises to be an eventful footballing safari.

 

[Dan]

Go Namibia!

[supergrass]

I think the winner could come out of Group B. Given the inclusion of Toure and Eboue, I will be hoping for an Ivory Coast victory - although at the same time if they failed to get out of the group and had to come home early I wouldn't complain.

Highlights are on the BBC every night at 7pm I believe (might be on the BBCi/red button thingy), should be decent enough.

[Guest Ringmaster]

No one in his right mind should root for the Ivory Coast unless he's in fact from the Ivory Coast, they're a team full of filthy, disgusting thugs who dive and cheat at their every opportunity, I hope the players' kids get raped

That said, I don't think Group B is as foregone a conclusion, Mali can easily not only win the group but has the potential to win the whole thing as well. They've got the best midfield out of all the teams: Diarra (who's finally no longer crap at Madrid), Sissoko (who probably wants to put himself in the shop window) and Seydou Keita (who has been shit hot at Sevilla). Not to mention Kanoute banging in the goals and a few players like Diakite and Kante who have been showing some good form in France. While I don't see them disposing of the Ivory Coast easily, they could get rid of Nigeria who bar a very good attack are somewhat weak everywhere else.

[The Quasi Juice]

Today should be a good match, I'll most likely watch it. I hope Cameroon wins the whole tourny. I don't know why but I've always had a thing for Cameroon and I feel sad for them that they didn't go to the World Cup.

[Cadj]

Well this isn't a good start for Namibia.

2-0 down after 5 minutes

[The Quasi Juice]

2-1 biatch! And they just had another big chance, shame he couldn't pass the ball to the striker who was alone in front of the goal. Attractive game so far, shame like 10% of the stadium is filled.

[Guest Ringmaster]

Egypt 4 - 1 Cameroon.

Quite surprising, really.

[9 to 5]

4-2*

Cameroon have been on a downturn as of late, but still didn't expect Egypt to brush them aside so easily.

[Guest Ringmaster]

That's probably because 9 out of Egypt's starting 11 play for the same team

[9 to 5]

And they looked fit and bothered, unlike E'too. >_>

[FireDoughnut]

It seems like the countries I expect to do well Nigeria and Cameroon are very much rebuilding. They are the countries I remember from USA '94 and I expect them to be the better teams, but instead Eqypt and obviously, Ivory Coast are now coming through.

It's simply that I hear more about Eto'o or however you spell it and Kanu that I do about Zidan and co. Plus it's easy to forget about quality players like Stephen Appiah at Fenerbache as he no longer plays in a major European country.

[The Quasi Juice]

I knew Zidan would be a big player for Egypt because he has been performing well for HSV in Germany. I didn't expect Egypt to get past Cameroon this easily though. Most Cameroon players were too eager to pass the ball or to reach Eto'o but even Eto'o can't do everything on his own. There were a LOT of shitty passes to the opponent by Cameroon players, which was just unbelieveable considering they were 3 goals down after the first half.

I also watched Sudan - Zambia with one eye and Zambia's first goal was extremely fast but also a thing of beauty. The Zambians (if that's a word) impressed me.

[IAceI]

Mohammad Zidan is that?

I remember signing him with Everton on FM2005, one of the few players I was relieved to see the back of when the African Nations rolled around. Fast, but utter, utter shite. Poor man's David Bellion in essence >_>

[FireDoughnut]

You can poorer than Bellion? Oh dear, oh dear...

[The Third Dukes]

Salomon Kalou's goal for Ivory Coast against Nigeria actually made SportsCenter over here. It was a great run through the defense, but I'm shocked no one tried to take him down. All the same, looks like a wide-open tournament so far. Guinea played Ghana respectably and will be a tough out.

[Guest Ringmaster]

You can poorer than Bellion? Oh dear, oh dear...

[9 to 5]

With a Wigan? >_>

[The Quasi Juice]

Mohammad Zidan is that?

I remember signing him with Everton on FM2005, one of the few players I was relieved to see the back of when the African Nations rolled around. Fast, but utter, utter shite. Poor man's David Bellion in essence >_>

[IAceI]

...What's your point? I didn't say anything about his real life ability, because quite frankly I've not seen him play that I can recall, and chances are I probably never will unless he makes the jump to the Premiership or Championship etc.

Simply said what past experience I had with him on FM2005, and it was shit.

Hell I had a shit experience with Mika Vayrynen as well but I don't necessarily think he's rubbish either. He's an ugly duckling however.