ANGOLA 2010: THE BATTLE FOR AFRICAN SUPREMACY

Africa’s biennial soccer fiesta is here again. The continent would be the focus of the sporting world this month as sixteen African countries battle each other superiority and for the coveted Orange African Cup of Nations in Angola. It will also serve as a platform for African nations that will be at the World Cup in June to fine-tune their teams.

Since its maiden edition in Sudan in 1957, only seven countries have managed to win the trophy with Egypt leading the pack with six triumphs—two in the last four years. It would, therefore, be interesting to see if the non winners and the perennial underachievers of this tournament would rise up to the occasion and alter the status quo or allow any of the previous winners to add up on their titles.

With Tunisia hosting and winning in 2004, Egypt also doing same in 2006, the Palancras Negras (the Angolan national team) backed by home support ranks among the favourites to win the trophy. An achievement of this feat would be the first official trophy for this nation who qualified for its first FIFA World Cup appearance in Germany in 2006. This ‘dream’, however, might be pushed into the future as they are drawn with power houses, Algeria and Mali. Qualifying for the World Cup at the expense of Nations Cup Champions, Egypt, the ‘Desert Warriors’ of Algeria have reignited the form that made them dominant in the 90’s. Though they missed another World Cup train, the Malians are far from pushovers looking at the talents they have in the likes of Barcelona’s Seydou Keita, Real Madrid’s Mahamadou Diarra, prolific striker Frederic Kanoute and Juventus’s midfielder Mohammed Sissoko.

One of the most confident teams that would be in combat in Angola is the ‘Super Eagles’ of Nigeria. Having made the trip to South Africa 2010 on the last day of the qualifiers, the self-belief and confidence of the Nigerian is at its highest. Ably supported by its vociferous fans, this Kanu Nwankwo led team would be aiming to brush aside all opposition to win the third Nations Cup for Nigeria. This goal would be spurred by their inability to win the tournament for the past sixteen years.

Despite their lack of success in this competition over the last decade, Cote D’Ivoire or Les Elephant as the team is known is now arguably the finest team on the African continent. Narrowly losing to hosts Egypt on penalties in the finals four years ago, the men from looks poised to go one step further this time. Also importantly, the Elephants would like to use the Nations Cup as an opportunity to display its firepower as it has been drawn in a group comprising of the likes of Brazil and Portugal in the World Cup. With Didier Drogba marshalling the attack, Yaya Toure creating in midfield and Manchester City’s Captain Kolo Toure shoring up the defence, the Ivory Coast has been tipped by many pundits to win their second African Nations Cup in Angola.

Another nation that also looks set to reaffirm its soccer prowess in Africa is the ‘Indomitable Lions’ of Cameroun. Finalists two years ago in Ghana, Cameroun would be one the teams to beat at the tournament. Making their first appearance at the Nations Cup in 1970, it has been one of the domineering forces of this tournament with its four triumphs. Also with veterans like Rigobert Song and Samuel Eto’o still playing, they boast of a vast knowledge of experience to transfer to young stars like Alexandre Song of Arsenal, Stephan Mbia and Bennoit Assou-Ekotto of Tottenham Hotspurs.

The Black Stars of Ghana are also expected to make a push for their fifth Nations Cup glory in Angola though having a relatively young team. Coach Milovan Rajevac’s team would be without skipper Stephen Appiah, Laryea Kinston and Sulley Muntari, but the experience of John Mensah, John Paintsil and Eric Addo can be blended with the youthful zeal of Andre Ayew, Dominic Adiyiah and the likes to achieve glory. The ‘Carthage Eagles’ of Tunisia would also try to wipe the tears of its supporters after losing out on the World Cup on the final day of qualifiers by winning the Nations Cup.

Coach Hassan Shehata would be chasing history in Angola to make it an enviable three consecutive triumphs. Though that looked farfetched on paper, no team plays the African game better than the ‘Pharaohs’. With chunk of the Egyptian squad playing in their national league, their cohesion and similar play style is unparalleled on the continent.

Usual of any tournament, the underdogs are there inevitably to cause upsets. This task falls on countries like Togo, Burkina Faso, Benin, Zambia, Gabon and Mozambique. Any of these countries would be out there to prove a point in order to make the finals in Luanda and perhaps win the trophy. It hasn’t happened in a very long—when an underdog wins the Nations Cup—but there is a first time for everything.

Looking at the various talented African footballers in all the major leagues in Europe, this month long football festival in Angola would be not short of spectacular and excitement as all the best African talents would be on display. Also it would reveal which country out of the six African countries that will represent the continent at the World Cup that will have the bragging rights of being the African Champions going into the first ‘African’ World Cup.

THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS IN ANGOLA: A PREVIEW

The prying eyes of the world will be on Africa (for football reasons though) this weekend and throughout the month as its premier football showpiece kicks off. With the desirable record of being the first winners in a new decade firmly at the back of the minds of all participating teams; this biennial football fiesta which would take place in Angola promises to be keen, exhilarating and competitive.

Playing hosts for the first time in the history of the Orange African Cup of Nations, the Palancras Negras of Angola would be hoping to achieve what the Black Stars of Ghana failed to do in the last edition by winning the trophy on home soil. A stern test stands in the way of this dream from group competitors Mali, Algeria and Malawi.

Despite failing to make the FIFA World Cup, the Eagles from Mali go into this tournament as one of the must- watched teams. Coached by one of the present best African tacticians, Stephen Keshi, the likes of Frederic Kanoute, Seydou Keita and Mahamadou Diarra can turn the fate of matches the Malian way on any given day. Algeria would be seeking to prove a point that their qualification ahead of Egypt to South Africa in June was no fluke. A strong performance would not only reinstate their African football prowess but also go a long way in boosting their morale for the World Cup. Nations Cup whipping boys Malawi completes this interesting and unpredictable group.

It’s a West African affair in the Cabinda based Group B. Touted as the “Group of Death” of the tournament; the Black Stars of Ghana, the Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire and the Hawks of Togo would be battling for West African supremacy. Much as they would be battling themselves, these West African giants seek to win the coveted trophy that has eluded any West African nation since Nigeria won it in Tunisia in 1994.

The Didier Drogba led Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire come into the tournament as the huge favourites. And rightly so! Take into account the talents they have in Barcelona’s Yaya Toure, Manchester City’s captain Kolo Toure, Salomon Kalou of Chelsea and the many others who are performing creditably well in their respective European clubs. However, more often than not, this favourites tag has turned out to be a curse in disguise for teams in the past. The bulky nature and physical strengths of the Burkinabe would pose a threat and Togo would do what they love best: being the bogey boys. Much cannot be said of the Black Stars winning their fifth Nations Cup title in Angola because injuries to most of its key players, however, the hunger for success on the part of the bulk naïve players in the squad
cannot be underemphasized.

One would be right in easily picking Nigeria and defending champions Egypt to make it to the quarterfinals out of Group C that would be based in Angola’s second most famous city and self- appointed cultural capital, Benguela. Yet Mozambique and Benin would be no pushovers in the group. ‘The Mamba’ of Mozambique dramatically eliminated Tunisia from World Cup participation in South Africa on the last day of the qualifiers and with veteran players like Tico Tico still strutting their stuff for the national team, they look set in causing another stir in this tournament. In an interview with BBC, Beninois striker Razak Omotoyossi was quoted as saying the Nations Cup in Angola would be platform for the Eagles of Benin to upset the odds. Having not made it to quarterfinals before, he believes they are strong contenders now due to their team spirit, attacking football and the perception that they are minnows.

Group D concludes what is set to be an interesting tournament with four-time champions Cameroun battling it out with Gabon, Zambia and perennial contenders Tunisia. Gabon and Cameroun will rekindle their recent World Cup qualifiers rivalry where the Indomitable Lions of Cameroun pipped the Azingo National to qualification. Tunisia would be looking to get over their recent World Cup ache and add another title to the trophy they last won in 2004. Captain Rigobert Song would love to put his last Nations Cup nightmare (his mistake led to Egypt’s lone goal in the finals in Ghana two years ago) behind him as leads a young Indomitable Lions comprising the of enterprising Arsenal midfielder Alex Song, Stephen Mbia of Olympique Marseille and Nicholas Nkoulou of AS Monaco to glory.

Egypt would be seeking to achieve an unprecedented three consecutive Nations Cup triumphs. The five African teams who have qualified for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa would also be looking forward of being African Champions going into an African World Cup. The minnows as usual would be looking for significant upsets. With all these prospects expected to unfold this month in the land of the “Palancras Negras”, Angola 2010 would be more than interesting!