19th January 2013 kicks off a
spectacular African football tournament, the football world will have its eyes
on Africa‘s football elite teams to see who emerges as the last team standing. The
29th AFCON edition, promises to be an exciting tournament because
hosting this time around is South Africa which boasts of the best of Africa’s
infrastructures and media coverage, expect the stadiums to be in world class
states as they were still in use at the World cup three years ago.
As the kick off draws nearer, the
excitement intensifies and so does the several predictions by soccer enthusiasts
and pundits across the Continent, as it is the norm whenever a big tournament
like the AFCON is in view.
This prompted my own predictions as well
but from a careful study of past events and facts rather than depend on my
heart influenced sentiments.
Below are my contenders for the AFCON 2013
in no particular order:
1.COTE D' IVOIRE
You will say this is an easy choice for me to pick having consider
their recent 4-2 drubbing of Egypt but then its not, if you have to consider
that the team with the best players in Europe have not always been the winning
team in AFCON as results have shown, but rather teams with players that are
ready to fight like wounded Lions and that’s understandable as the Nations cup
battle is usually tough, physical and rough. Despite these I still pick the
Elephants as my clear favorites above the remaining 15 teams.
This is the last chance for the Didier Drogba generation to finally
put the misfortunes in past AFCON’s behind them and lift the trophy because if
they fail to, it might take a while for Ivory Coast to produce such a good team
again. Their major disadvantage is their age which they compensate for in huge experience
as I feel they are the most experienced side in the tournament. They have got
the best player in Africa, Yaya Toure who is always a joy to watch, and a
Didier Drogba who is desperate to lift the trophy before calling it quits, we
remember what happened the last time he was this desperate about winning a
particular trophy
Their comfortable victory over Egypt means they should easily get
pass Tunisia and Algeria in Group D but then needs to be very careful against
Algeria who have hurt them in the past and more importantly now that Algeria is
coached by Cotedivoire’s former Manager, Vahid Halihodzic.
They will need luck on their side or how can a team that didn’t
concede any goal in open play throughout the last Nations cup not win. If they
get lucky (at least no ghosts to play against this time around), they should be
victorious come 10th of February.
2. GHANA
This is another team that has been consistent over the
last 3 AFCON, reaching 2 Semi-finals and 1 final. Hardly can we forget their
heroics at the 2010 World cup, though they would be without John Mensah,
Paintsil and Andre Ayew, and would have 10 debutants in their AFCON squad,
their recent victory over Egypt and Tunisia showed that this shouldn’t be a
challenge. They will be competing in an easy group with their toughest
opponents being Dr Congo coached by their former Manager, Claude Leroy who
knows them inside out. They play Dr Congo in their opening fixture and I feel
irrespective of the outcome of this match, the game will put the Ghanaians in a
good stead in subsequent matches against Mali and Niger. They will most likely
have an easy run to the Semi-finals as I don’t see any team in group A stopping
them in the Quarter finals, if all goes well with them and they don’t get
careless, the Black stars can break
their 31 years AFCON title drought.
3. ZAMBIA
It is a new tournament,
with new teams and a new venue, the Zambian “ghosts” has been laid to rest with
their triumph at the 2012 edition. It might be safe to say they might not have
luck shine on them as it did the last time out. Every team in Africa now knows
the Zambians and as such will take them very serious as that wasn’t the case
last year.
Despite their not too impressive performance
in the pre- tournament matches so far, they are still a good side and a top
contender, they still have the discipline, organization, team spirit, humility
and determination that won them the trophy in Gabon as their present squad has
19 of their victorious team with the inclusion of Collins Mbesuma, Emmanuel
Mbola at left back and Jacob Mulenga in attack, three players who can make the
difference for them. They will also be playing in South Africa not too far from
home so there won’t be problems of adjusting with altitude and what have you.
Having said all of these, I feel it will be difficult for them to
retain their title as my head and heart keeps telling me the quarter final will be their “bus stop” as
I don’t see them getting past the Group D teams except Togo qualifies. They
were lucky at the last AFCON as evident in the games against Libya, Equatorial
Guinea, Ghana and Ivory Coast as a little twist in those matches would have
turned the results in favor of their opponents. They weren’t convincing in
their AFCON qualifier against a lowly rated Uganda side which they managed to
edge out in a keenly contested penalty shootout. They lost 3 pre-tournament
matches, I believe this says a lot about the title credentials of the Copper
bullets, I might be too quick to conclude but The Zambians can only prove me wrong.
4.
NIGERIA
The only reason why they
are contenders is based on their pedigree in African football, Nigeria’s CV has
2 AFCON Gold, 4 Silver and 7 Bronze, if they are living on past glory is an
argument for another day. I feel a team that has such an impressive past should
be a force to reckon with at any AFCON but it must be said that the chances of
the Eagles aren’t as bright as Cotedivoire Ghana and Zambia who will be
prosecuting AFCON 2013 with a tested team as against a Nigerian side going with
17 debutants; a team that lacks real game changers and influential leaders. The
Super Eagles is an evolving team and too much expectation shouldn’t be placed
on them. Though Football is a game of surprises, such surprises is one every
Nigerian is praying and hoping for, but we must wake up to the realities or
else we might be giving our selves heart aches.
If Nigeria is serious
about winning they should try to top their group as this will provide the much
needed confidence to go far in the tournament and prevent a quarter finals
matchup with the Ivoirians’.
OUTSIDE CONTENDERS
SOUTH AFRICA
They are the host and most times when they host they
tend to do well, as evident with their triumph in 1996. At the last World cup,
despite not making it out of the group stage, they gave a good account of
themselves when they defeated France and who says the magic of the Vuvuzela
cant have an impact on opposing teams more so now that they have a relatively
easy group stage, their only strong challenger in the group is Morocco which
they face on match day 3 and might not be a do or die affair if they put Cape Verde
and Angola in their places. They are definitely not top contenders for the
trophy but they stand an outside chance as host.
ALGERIA
Another team I believe will do well in South Africa is Algeria. I
tip them to be the surprise team; they last won it in 1990 when they hosted it.
They have a good coach in Vahid Halihodzic who has been able to put together a
relatively unknown but promising side. Vahid has got AFCON experience having
coached the Elephants of Cotedivoire at the 2010 edition. They comfortably
qualified for South Africa by edging out their North African rivals, Libya who
was at the last Nations cup. The desert foxes boasts of Al Arabi Soudani who
has scored 6 goals in 9 appearances, Captain Medhi Lacen has loads of
experience having played for several clubs in the La-liga, Sofiane Feghouli who
plays for Valencia is another player who can make all the difference. They are
a very disciplined and hard working side and recently played a goalless draw
against South Africa. If any of the top favorites doesn’t win it, I bet it will
be the Algerians smiling home with the trophy come 10th of February.
By Oluwatobi
Omoniyi
