AFCON 2013 PREVIEW

                                          

19^th 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 29^th 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 10^th 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 10^th of February.

By Oluwatobi Omoniyi