The African Cup of Nations Thread

[bobby brows]

OK admittedly I’m posting this as the second game of Group C has just finished but lets pretend i've not

[center]Preview of Group B

Ghana

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Key Player(s): Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus) & Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain)

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When Udinese qualified for last seasons Champions League all the headlines were around Di Natale’s goals and Alexis Sanchez’s creativity but it was undoubtedly Asamoah’s driving force in the middle of the midfield that lead them their. It did not go un-noticed by last season’s champions Juventus who paid 9 million Euro’s for a 50% stake in the player.

Asamoah Gyan is no stranger to watchers of Premier League Football having spent a season under Steve Bruce at Sunderland where he scored 10 times in 31 games. Ultimately he fell out with Steve Bruce and was turned by the millions of the UAE and joined Al-Ain for £6,4m and £140,000+ a week salary.

City Connection(s): Mohammed Abu

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The 21 year old joined Manchester City last summer and was immediately loaned to Stromsgodset where he made 35 appearances. Currently on loan at Rayo Vallecano where he has made just one appearance but has done enough to earn 4 full Ghana caps.

Notable Premier League Players: Michael Essien, Kevin Prince-Boateng, Sulley Muntari, Tony Yeboah

Michael Essien is undoubtedly the most successful Ghanaian to have played in the Premier League and his success would have been greater had it not been for a succession of injuries. However Tony Yeboah is probably the most fondly remembered after a succession of spectacular goals whilst playing for Leeds in the mid 90s. Yeboah was capped 59 times by Ghana scoring 29 goals.

Considered the favourites for the 2013 tournament after a disappointing fourth place finish 12 months ago, Ghana certainly have the name power to mount a serious attempt at winning the tournament. (Throwing a 2 goal lead away against Congo will not held them advance from the group when they still have Mali to play though)

[center]Congo DR

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Key Player: Youssouf Mulumbu (West Brom) – Famously tried to get Balotelli sent off 3 years ago and was successful in doing so before finally being sent off as well as 80 minutes of kicking lumps out of City finally caught up with him. Mulumbu has had a cracking season in the Premier League and, for me, really makes West Brom tick over with his Yaya-like displays in the middle of the park. Should be interesting to see him at the CAN as he was twice boycotted the national team.

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City Connection(s): Kiki Musampa was born in Zaire and spent two years on loan during the Pearce era and will fondly be remembered for being the world’s windiest holding midfield player. Kiki was a Dutch international and, for me, will always be fondly remembered for a terrific volley scored at Villa Park in 05 and following up a few weeks later with a mazy run and finish through the Middlesbrough defence to score as we finished just outside the UEFA cup places.

Congo, like a lot of other nations, will take a lot of heart in Zambia’s tournament victory last season in the belief that they can upset the odds. Experienced coach Claude Le Roy will be a huge advantage leading a team into his 7th African Cup of Nations.

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Notable Premier League Players: Lomana Lua-Lua, Youssef Mulumbu

Lua-Lua made his debut in English football at Colchester against City on the first ever PPV football game on SKY. He then moved to Newcastle where he spent several years and was mostly remembered for the his back flip goal celebration.

[center]Mali[/center]

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Key Player: Modibo Maiga (West Ham) – considered a coup by Sam Allardyce when he arrived at Upton Park in July. Maiga scored 24 goals in two years at Sochaux before his £7m move. He will be expected to lead the line for Mali.

[center][youtube]8vkhyLUET1c[/youtube][/center]

City Connection(s): none

Notable Premier League Players: Frederic Kanoute, Mahamadou Diarra, Mohammed Sissoko

Freddy Kanoute was a player long time linked with City whilst he had successful spells with West Ham and Tottenham. Mahamadou Diarra came from the original Lyon team that burst onto the scenes in the early 2000s and formed one half of the centre of midfield with Michael Essien. Essien went to Chelsea and Diarra went to Real Madrid for £26m in 2006. Diarra arrived in the Premier League at Fulham in 2012.

Mali finished 3rd 12 months ago and have climbed to their highest FIFA world ranking (25th) and will expect to get through to the knockout stages.

[center]Niger
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Key Player: Moussa Maazou (Etoile Sahel) ex-Bordeaux, Monaco, Le Mans & CSKA Moscow plus a stint in Belgium before finally settling in Tunisia hardly suggests he has set Europe alight. You’ll have to take my word for it (or not)

City Connection(s): none

Notable Premier League Players: none

Niger lost all three group games a year ago so any improvement on this will be an achievement.

[bobby brows]

[center]African Cup of Nations Group C Preview

Burkina Faso
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Key Player: Alain Traore (Lorient) - Scorer of the goal that secured African Cup of Nations qualification. Has scored 4 times in just 5 appearances for Lorient this season

[center]A great free kick
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City Connections: none

Notable Premier League Players: none

In a group that includes Nigeria and Zambia, Burkina Faso will do well to advance to the second round. They have only done this once in 1998 and they were the hosts.

[center]Nigeria
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Key Player: Victor Moses (Chelsea) Moved to England at 11 and played at U21 level before switching his allegiance. Won his first cap against Rwanda in 2012 and has scored twice since then. Big, fast and strong, he should be considered one of the best players at the tournament.

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City Connections: Dickson & Kelvin Etuhu – Both were born in Kano, Nigeria. Dickson has 17 caps for Nigeria and Kelvin is currently turning out at Barnsley.

Notable Premier League Players: After the success of Nigeria at the 94 World Cup there have been several terrific Nigerian players to play in the Premier League. Daniel Amokachi, Celestine Babayaro, Efan Ekoku, Finidi George, Obafemi Maritns, John Obi Mikel, Peter Odemwingie, Jay-Jay Okocha, Yakubu, Taribo West, Joseph Yobo.

The most iconic of all though is probably Nwankwo Kanu who arrived at Arsenal in 1999 from Inter Milan. The ultimate question due to all he has achieved in the game, he spent 5 years at Arsenal before moving onto West Brom and spent the last 6 years at Portsmouth having won the Premier League twice and the FA Cup 3 times in 13 years in English Football.

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Nigeria are not the team that they were in the 1990s and there are fewer Nigerians in Europe’s top leagues but have enough quality that they will want to advance to the knockout stages.

[center]Ethiopia

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Key Player: Saladin Seid (Wadi Degla) A striker who cost a national record $240,000 to Egypt in 2011.

City Connections: none

Notable Premier League Players: none

This is the first time Ethiopia have qualified in more than 30 years and will be an unknown quality. The team is based mostly of home based players and any positive results will be considered an achievement.

[center]Zambia

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Key Player: erm…pass

City Connections: Jim & Jeff Whitey – 2 brothers who player for different nations (Northern Ireland and Wales respectively) were both born in Zambia. Jeff was a major influence in the Joe Royle-era coming back from a loan spell at Wrexham to have a major role in the Play off run in and starting in the final at Wembley. Went on to make 118 appearances for City and score 6 goals. Jim was capped 3 times by Nothern Ireland, made 38 appearances for City making his debut in the league against Portsmouth in Jan 98.

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Notable Premier League Players: stretching the meaning of notable but Collins Mbesuma (Portsmouth) and Emmanuel Mayuka (Southampton)

Winners 12 months ago defeating the Ivory Coast on penalties and will be seeking to retain the title.

[Sister of fu]

Did anyone see that fucked up bum shuffle celebration by some goalkeeper. No idea,who he plays for but you wouldn't get me doing that shit on a Sunday. Also them fuck wits doing some stupid dance after scoring that went on far too long that the fans pelted them with vuvuzelas. PMSL. You know we shouldn't have been throwing coins at Wio, it should have been a vuvuzela.......

[Blue Since 76]

Did anyone see that fucked up bum shuffle celebration by some goalkeeper.

My 7 year old did and I can guarantee what he's going to be up to on Saturday if his team score.

[markuse]

It was the congolese dr gialie that did that at the 2-2

Amazing defense by Nigeria today to allow the Burkinabè goal in the 93rd min...two players going for the clearance and missing it altogether

[Goaters 103]

Dnt give one iota of a shit about the whole thing. Someone let me know when Ivory Coast are out as I hope they lose every game.

[bobby brows]

Group D begins today with our boys taking on Emmanuel Adebayor

Ivory Coast v Togo 3pm ko Eurosport
Tunisia v Algeria 6pm ITV4.

Here is the Preview of Group D:

http://mancramble.blogspot.co.uk/2013/0 ... eview.html

Also hopefully not coming to the Premier League THAT goal celebration

[youtube]ipSIPd4NhCY[/youtube]

[bobby brows]

1 nil Yaya Toure 9 mins

Came straight after Adebayor missed a sitter

[bobby brows]

1 all half time. Togo scored from a soft corner just before half time after Yaya hit the inside of the post!

[Dameerto]

What was Yaya's goal like? I missed the first half.

[bobby brows]

What was Yaya's goal like? I missed the first half.

Pretty soft! Deflected.

2-1 ivory Coast. Gervinho got on the end of a Yaya free kick after Yaya was fouled.

All Togo have done is kick fuck out of Toure and Drogba

[Plain Speaking]

The standard of football was generally quite poor. However Yaya was quality with every touch. He drove a powerful shot through a crowd of players to put Ivory Coast in the lead. He was unlucky to hit the inside of the post with a powerful shot and with about 3 minutes left delivered a quality free kick over the defence for Gervinho to cut back in the empty net for the winner.
Kolo looked rusty and a little nervous but the match fitness should do him good.

[bobby brows]

The standard of football was generally quite poor. However Yaya was quality with every touch. He drove a powerful shot through a crowd of players to put Ivory Coast in the lead. He was unlucky to hit the inside of the post with a powerful shot and with about 3 minutes left delivered a quality free kick over the defence for Gervinho to cut back in the empty net for the winner.
Kolo looked rusty and a little nervous but the match fitness should do him good.

This is a very accurate assessment of the game

[bobby brows]

Tunisia 1 - 0 Algeria

[Pretty Boy Lee]

The standard of football was generally quite poor. However Yaya was quality with every touch. He drove a powerful shot through a crowd of players to put Ivory Coast in the lead. He was unlucky to hit the inside of the post with a powerful shot and with about 3 minutes left delivered a quality free kick over the defence for Gervinho to cut back in the empty net for the winner.
Kolo looked rusty and a little nervous but the match fitness should do him good.

Match fitness for kolo is a good thing, one positive from the tourney for me.

[kinkylola]

here is a look at the crowd for the ivory coast v. togo game:

http://iceimg.com/i/ce/7a/f8a9d17668.png

[Original Dub]

here is a look at the crowd for the ivory coast v. togo game:

http://iceimg.com/i/ce/7a/f8a9d17668.png

I'll never understand people leaving early.

[Redna]

Not many travelling supporters in this tourney and it feels like a "have to be played" competion. FullMembersCup at Luton sort of.
But when and if the heat is on I bet atmo is beyond recognition. Not very often if the truth be told.
CTID!!

[Dameerto]

Looks like a relatively decent crowd for the Bikini Fatsos versus Ethiopia - by decent I mean the stadium looks one third full. Ten man Bikini boys are 4 up in injury time too, good on them.

[BlueinBosnia]

Looks like a relatively decent crowd for the Bikini Fatsos versus Ethiopia - by decent I mean the stadium looks one third full. Ten man Bikini boys are 4 up in injury time too, good on them.

First time I ever heard of Burkina Faso was in an issue of King of the Kippax, in a section called 'Kappa Connections'. I remember it vividly.