16 Days To Go: Hot Hot Hot!

If you're in New York, you're probably standing in front of an air conditioner or fan.

It's HOT, something like 99 degrees.

Since when is it summer in May?!?

I wonder if it'll be this hot in South Africa for the World Cup?

Probably not ... anyways, I digress.

Today's Tidbits

1 - Diego Maradona will run naked through the streets of Buenos Aires if Argentina win the World Cup. Lock up your women and children now.

2 - USA announces their 23-man roster ... you know, the team that will defeat England 2-1 June 12th.

3 - Did you hear? Jose 'the Special One' Mourinho, fresh off his Champions League victory with Real Madrid, is the new coach of Real Madrid.

4 - From one of my favorite football websites, The Global Game ... 'Football's powers of resurrection have rarely had a better exemplar than Martin Afrika. The 32-year-old captain for South Africa at the Homeless World Cup has reconstructed his identity through sport.'

5 - Who were the 10 greatest Cameroon football players of all time? Glad you asked ...

What I Think I Think

This past weekend's Champions League final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich didn't do so hot in the ratings.

The first U.S. over-the-air network telecast of a European Champions League final got a 1.1 overnight rating and 3 share on Fox from major markets.

Fox Sports chairman David Hill said last week he hoped for a rating of 2.0 to 2.5. So it has to be somewhat disheartening to see the ratings info.

But when you think about it, it's not as bad as you think.

First off, it wasn't the sexiest match-up. Inter? Munich? We're not talking Manchester United and Real Madrid here.

Second, did you even know the game was on Fox? I didn't. It's not like the network did a great job of advertising the match. Maybe to the die hards that watch Fox Soccer Channel. But the casual fan had to search for the game.

Also, people usually watch big matches like this in groups. I watched it with about 40 people at a bar. So it makes sense that there were a lot more eyes on this match than the rating indicates.

Lastly, football's just not that big of a sport in the USA.

No big revelation here, of course. Soccer has its niche, much like ice hockey and Nascar. And that's ok.

Besides, more people will watch the World Cup, which usually attracts the casual fan.

Seen in this light, the rating's ok. No need to worry. The game's just fine here in the States.

Final Phase of African World Cup Qualifying Continues

Africa's road to the 2010 World Cup heats up this weekend with a full slate of action as countries compete for the 5 available spots in South Africa.

There are already some teams in trouble.

Like Cameroon and Morocco, who have collectively qualified for nine previous World Cup finals. Also in peril are reigning African champions Egypt and the unpredictable Guinea, both of whom were expected to feature among the serious contenders for the finals.

The first match day in March provided a host of surprises. With two more matches in quick succession this month, the picture could soon become a lot clearer.

Both Cameroon and Morocco were humbled in their opening group outings and now go head-to-head in Yaoundé on Sunday. Egypt, having dropped potentially vital points at home, seek to revive their campaign away against long-standing rivals Algeria.

Guinea hope to overturn a run of five successive defeats in head-to-head matches with Ivory Coast when they host a Group E tie in Cotonou, also on Sunday.

Of particular interest is the Group B clash between Kenya and Nigeria.

Nigeria's Super Eagles came under heavy criticism following their opening draw with Mozambique but their recent friendly win over France has restored morale.

Now they are at home against Kenya, whose own build-up has been disrupted by a pay dispute between their coach Antoine Hey and Football Kenya Ltd., which runs the game in the country.

The team left for Nigeria without him but he is now on his way.

Hey is planning to exploit the perceived differences within the Nigeria camp.

"I think they [Nigeria] are very much under pressure at home after the result in Mozambique," Hey said. "We will try and get a result that no-one is expecting," he told the BBC.

Here are the current African qualifying standings.

Over in Group D, Ghana were at the World Cup in Germany and the Black Stars gained a taste for the biggest stage.

They started this round of qualifying with a win but will be missing a series of high-profile players in their squad for a trip to Mali.

Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, Asamoah Gyan and Laryea Kingston are all out of action.

Mali's coach Stephen Keshi will have high hopes of securing a valuable win as he goes into the game with a fully fit squad.

In the other match in this group, Benin host Sudan, who must turn themselves around after a heavy 4-0 defeat in a friendly international against Tunisia.

Benin are hopeful of continuing the good form they showed in the previous round, after their narrow defeat by Ghana.

Squirrels' midfielder Romauld Boco says the team are in good spirits.

"We have played a lot better in the last 5 years, [because] we are the same group of players and we know each other very well," he told the BBC.

"The game against Sudan is the most important game for us."

The top team in each group goes to the World Cup.

Here are all the matches scheduled for this weekend:
Saturday 6 June 

Zambia-Rwanda, Malawi-Burkina Faso, Gabon-Togo, Tunisia-Mozambique

Sunday 7 June

Cameroon-Morocco, Benin-Sudan, Nigeria-Kenya, Guinea-Cote d'Ivoire, Mali-Ghana, Algeria-Egypt

Top 10 African Youngsters at the 2010 World Cup

My friend Tom Legg has a keen eye for talent. He's often telling me about this new prodigy or that new wunderkind that I should be keeping my eye on. He knows more about the Beautiful Game than just about anyone I know!

With that in mind, I asked him if he'd share a post he recently started on the famous soccer forum BigSoccer.com about the Top 10 African Youngsters every one will be talking about come the 2010 World Cup.

I hope to share more of Tom's insights with you in the future.

With that in mind, take it away Tom!
*********************************************************************

I started a review of the top 10 African prospects back in 2005 and have only recently begun updating my initial reviews of them. For those of you interested in joining in on the discussions, please visit the forum post here.


The list below highlights some of the best under-23 African players and other young players I expect to be on your lips, and the lips of many European pundits come the end of the 2010 World Cup:

1. Taye Taiwo (Olympique de Marseille/Nigeria): Over the last three season Taye has made the left back berth at OM - and Nigeria - his own. Although his development into a 'battering ram' attacking full-back has drawn praise from some quarters, its his defensive limitations - positioning, lapses in concentration and slow in the transition - that have deterred English and Italian suitors. He is without doubt a fantastic left back on his day; a pocket rocket with a shot to match, strong in the tackle etc., I only hope he gets the opportunity to move to a Premiership club at the end of this season to aid his development further as I for one would love to see him blossom into a excellent - all-round - left back in time for the 2010 World Cup.

2. John Obi Mikel (Chelsea/Nigeria): Being a Man Utd fan I should resent John Obi for what he did to us prior to joining Chelsea, but I don't. Over the last two season John seems to have finally settled down in London, securing a place - in the absence of the excellent Michael Essien - in the heart of the Chelsea midfield. But for those of us who watched John in his earlier years at Lyn, there is a hint of disappointment when I see him sitting in front of that Chelsea defense, void of creative duties. Of course he is currently not a spot on Frank Lampard as an attacking option in the middle, but give the lad a chance at least. The Chelsea fans I know are still not keen on him, generally speaking, but that's mainly due to them never seeing him played consistently in a position that suits him best. Saying this, I do believe he could turn out to be a more than effective defensive midfielder, if Chelsea decide to settle on that role for him and coach in accordingly. But there will always be a hint of ‘what if’ in my mind when I see him play. Lets hope in the next two season he can settle into a position and begin to convince the doubters out there. He certainly has the potential.

3. Alex Song (Arsenal/Cameroon): The defensive midfielder is seen as the most utilitarian player in the Arsenal first team this season, playing right back, defensive midfielder, attacking midfielder, central defender and left winger. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to watch the young Cameroonian play, imagine a player with the squad standing of John O’Shea (Man Utd) but double the ability (Man Utd fans out there, don’t you dare even think of retorting to that statement).



Without a doubt, Alex’s best position is sitting in front of the back four doing all the dirty work. The 21 year old's determination and sheer power in the tackle has made him a fan's favorite at the Emirates; during Arsenal’s ‘purple patch’ at the end of 08, Alex was one of the few players void of criticism from all of my Gooner “friends”. Similar in some cases to John Obi, let us all hope that Alex can find his place at Arsenal in the next two seasons, in time to impress us all in South Africa.

4. Jonathan Quartey (Kaizer Chiefs/Ghana): Currently playing for Kaizer Chiefs; to be honest, I haven't seem Jon play for a while. But the move to Kaizer's in 2008 is a positive step for the 20 year old. The PSL will give the central defender a good development platform and chance of being scouted to play in Europe; most likely France or England. ‘Giant Jon’ as he’s know in Ghana is a product of the famous Liberty Football Academy and first caught my eye at the 2005 U17 World Cup in Peru. A player who from an early age resisted the chance to move to Europe, preferring to develop in an environment where he's guaranteed first team football, Jon is a player with a firm grasp on his present and future development. He recently made his debut for the national team in Ghana’s opening World Cup Qualifying game against Benin.

5. Isaac Promise (Nigeria/Trabzonspor): Captained the fabulous Nigeria side in the Beijing Olympics last year and impressed several European/Nigerian scouts/officials at the competition. Currently playing for Trabzonspor - one of the top five in Turkey - and doing very well indeed. He has blossomed into a typical number 9, good on the ball, fantastic positional awareness and good first touch. The one thing he lacks at the moment? A decent goal ratio. A move to Germany or France would aid the 21 year old's progression greatly.

6. Stephan Mbia (Rennes/Cameroon): Regarded as one of the best all round midfielders in France, Mbia and Song will be the foundation for Cameroon’s midfield for the next 10 years. Song’s power, combined with Mbia’s unbelievable engine is a combination most international sides would be more then happy to have.


The 22 year old is regularly linked with moves to the Premiership; Newcastle, Arsenal, Chelsea, Man Utd, Tottenham and Everton who have all been keeping tabs on the energetic midfielder over the past two seasons. If he doesn’t move this summer, I will eat my hat and scarf!

7. Gervinho (Le Mans/Ivory Coast): The 21 year old forward is on a fast-track to success; he has already made 3 appearances for the Ivory Coast and is continually linked with the big clubs in France and Premiership giants Arsenal. By no means a prolific striker the young Ivorian is usually deployed as a support striker/winger. The worry I have for him is that the Ivorians are blessed with options on the wings and upfront; Baki Kone, Drogba, Kalou, Sanogo, Sekou Cisse, Arouna Kone, Dindane, the list goes on. I really hope Vahid takes a chance with the speedy Gervinho and includes him in the squad.

8. Andre Ayew (OM/Ghana): Son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele, Andre has been causing waves for Ghanaian youth sides over the past season. Dede - as he’s know - captained the U20 side to victory in the African U20 championships in Rwanda earlier this year and impressed continental and international pundits with his performances. Like Gervinho, Dede is regularly used as a winger/second striker for both club and country.


A quick turn of pace, good eye for goal and a decent box of tricks, he should develop into a more than useful asset for the Ghanaian national side. My worry with Dede is his build; relatively short and slightly built there are times when simply disappears in more physical games. For me he has to address this as the foremost area of development in his game if he's to be a success in South Africa.

9. Clifford Mulenga (Zambia/Bidvest Wits): Voted CAF Best Young Player in 2008, Zambia’s Ryan Giggs is one of Zambian football's biggest superstars. The speedy winger was, in his youth, linked to such clubs are Real Madrid and Lyon but the player has suffered from an hugely inflated opinion of himself over the past few seasons. His ability to striker fear into the eyes of covering defenders with his direct style of play has won over some Zambian journalists, but his petulance and ego leads him to over do the basics and frustrate team mates at club and international level. He has undoubted potential, and at 21 has plenty of time to grow up and realize that talent. Let's hope a World Cup stage will allow him to do that.

10. Anthony Annan (Rosenborg/Ghana): You may all rave about Ghana’s midfield three of Appiah, Essien and Muntari; but the apple of my eye is 22 year old Anthony Annan. I have saved the best for last folks, he’s brilliant in the tackle, quick in the transition and he will be coming to a TV screen near you in 2010. Those who worry that the decline of Stephan Appiah will have a detrimental effect on the Ghanian side, worry no more! With Appiah sitting in front of the defense - unable to move those old legs of his, Annan and Essien will do all the running... and then some.


Annan could become everything that Michael Essien has developed into, and more; his range of passing is far superior to Essien, with the young Rosenborg defender as comfortable with a 40 yard pass then he is with a 5 yard one. I hope for Ghana’s sake they play five across the middle when defending, then allow two; Muntari and Essien/Annan to bomb forward and support a loan striker.

Besides the players above there are two other players that you will not be seeing in 2010, but should hear more about in the coming two seasons.

Mcdonald Mariga and Osmane Jallow.

Osmane (Brondby/Gambia) is one of Gambian football's best kept secrets. Jallow currently plays for the famous Brondby IF in Sweden. Netted 5 in 10 this season and one Brondby fan I know has said the tall and agile Gambian is already a fan favorite. After a spell in Qatar with Al Ain and then Raja Casablanca, he made the move to Sweden at the start of this season. Already a full international with Gambia - 3 games and 1 goal - Jallow is one African player who's stock is rising by the game. He hit 11 in 15 for Al Ain and 15 in 19 for Raja. This kid is going places people. I've seen one league game this season - Brondby against SønderjyskE - where Jallow scored a sublime over-head kick. Big, quick and with a goals ratio to write home about, the striker will no doubt be on the radars of some of Europe’s elite this coming summer.

McDonald Mariga (Parma/Kenya) has not only blossomed into one of Parma's best players this season, but one of Serie B's most consistent and impressive midfielders. The tall midfielder was already on the verge of a Premiership move in 2007, but his £2.7 million pound move to Pompey broke down due to work permit problems. He moved to Parma instead, initially on loan, but impressed so much that cash strapped Parma decided to splash the cash on Mariga and make his move permanent.


This season's performances have drawn speculation that the midfielder will move to new pastures in the summer, with AC Milan and Juventus the most likely destinations. I only hope that if he does move in the summer, he will not be warming benches in Turn and Milan next season.

African Teams Slide Down World Rankings

FIFA released their world rankings last week and African teams feel heavily ... ouch!

Cameroon dropped two places to 16th and are now the only African side in the top 20.

Nigeria were 17th but have fallen six places to 23rd in February's list.

The biggest decline sees African champions Egypt drop 15 places from 15th to 30th position.

The Pharaohs' slump in the table is due to less importance being placed on their results over the last three years - namely their successes at the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2008.

The wider decline in the rankings of African teams is caused by the fact that FIFA place more emphasis on recent results than those over the past four years.

Ghana's Black Stars are down 10 places to 35th, while Ivory Coast are down nine places to 36th.

The only non-movers from Africa in the top 50 are Morocco, who remain in 41st position.

The African sides that dropped down this month will be looking to improve on their positions in the upcoming final round of World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin next month.

Al Ahly Win 6th African Championship

Congratulations to Al Ahly, who won the 2008 African Champions League this morning, defeating Cameroon's Coton Sport 4-2 on aggregate, drawing 2-2 in today's match.

The victory gives Egypt's Ahly their record 6th title, the most of any club in African continental football.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Cairo a fortnight ago – where goals from Wael Gomaa and Flavio separated the teams – Manuel Jose’s side were always favorites to win their third Champions League crown in four years. But Ahly weathered a persistent 2nd-half storm from Coton to hold on to the game.

The Egyptians dealt Coton’s slim hopes of a comeback a grievous blow in the 38th minute when, on the counter, Ahmed Hassan flicked home a goal with the outside of his right foot following a short-corner routine between Gilberto and Mohamed Aboutrika.

The Egyptian’s goal stunned Coton and hushed the previously boisterous and optimistic home crowd.

However, Coton drew level on the stroke of half time when Karim Abdoul fired in a low shot from just inside the penalty area after great work from striker Kamilou Daouda.

Just past the hour mark Baba Ousmaila capitalised on the utter dominance of Coton and made it 2-1, heading into an empty net after a great set piece from the hosts.

But Ousmaila and Daouda were guilty of spurning several great chances for Coton, who could have won the game by a landslide and pulled off an almost miraculous comeback had they been more composed in front of goal.

Al Ahly skipper Shady Mohamed sealed the title for his side in the final minute of injury time, scoring from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 after Andre Ndame had pushed over Mohamed Barakat.

The Egyptians will go on to represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year.

Congratulations, Al Ahly! Enjoy your championship!

Coton Sport reach African Champions League final

We haven't blogged about the biggest continental competition in Africa, the African Champions League, for some time. Here's an update ...

Cameroonian side Coton Sport became the first Champions League finalists from Cameroon in 28 years after destroying minnows Dynamos of Zimbabwe 4-0 on Saturday in Garoua.

The home side advanced on a 5-0 aggregate thanks to their 1-0 win in the first leg of the semi-final clash in Harare two weeks ago.

Coton Sport had a great start with Sebastien Koua scoring just one minute after the kick-off to double the aggregate advantage. The goal lifted Coton's hopes of emulating compatriots Oryx Douala, Union Douala and Canon and conquering Africa.

Dynamos recovered to have the edge territorially in the first half but the 'Harare Glamour Boys' could not score.

When Jacques Zoua added a second Cotons goal seven minutes after half-time the 1998 runners-up realized their great run was coming to an abrupt end.

Any doubt about the outcome was dispelled on 65 minutes when Niger national team striker Daouda Kamilou scored his seventh Champions League goal this season, a feat bettered only by teenage Enyimba striker Stephen Worgu.

Baba Ousmaila claimed his fifth goal of the competition 14 minutes from full-time as Dynamos wilted under constant pressure, with goalkeeper Willard Manyatera saving the Zimbabweans from a heavier loss.

The first leg of the final will be staged in Cairo or the south-eastern Nigerian city of Aba over the weekend of October 31-November 2 with the return fixture in Garoua two weeks later.

The other semifinal pits Egypt's Al Ahly and Nigeria's Enyimba.

The game is evenly poised at 0-0 following the first leg in Nigeria two weeks ago.

Apart from a one-million-dollar first prize, the African champions qualify for the FIFA Club World Cup during December in Japan, where Manchester United will be among the contenders.

Africa in the Olympic Quarterfinals

While we lament the loss of the Nigerian Super Falcons in the Women's Olympic football tournament, praise must be heaped on the African men, who all swept into the quarterfinals of the men's Olympic tournament.

One thing we know for sure is that Africa will be represented in the semi-finals, as Nigeria take on Ivory Coast in the last eight. Cameroon advanced to play Brazil.

1996 gold medalists Nigeria advanced as winners of their group and were unbeaten after an opening draw with one of the pre-tournament favorites Holland, coupled with wins over Japan and the USA.

The Super Eagles are without several key players following the balmy club-vs. country rows that affected superstars such as Lionel Messi of Argentina/Barcelona.

Russia-based Peter Odemwingie is the only over-aged player in the squad after goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama and striker Ikechukwu Uche were not released by their respective clubs.

The lack of an experienced goalkeeper has already cost Nigeria as Ambruse Vanzekin's poor clearance led to a goal for Japan.

The Ivory Coast are making their first appearance in the Olympic football tournament and began their campaign with a 2-1 loss to defending champions Argentina.

The Ivorians bounced back from that defeat with an easy 4-2 win over Serbia and assured qualification with a 1-0 win over Australia.

Strikers Salomon Kalou and Sekou Cisse have lead the way for the Ivorian Elephants with two goals each , while midfielder Gervinho has scored one goal as well as assisting two.

The 2000 gold medalists Cameroon face a tough task in the last eight as they play Brazil.

The Brazilians have won all three of their games so far scoring nine goals and are yet to concede.

Cameroon have struggled to find the net in China with only two goals at the Games.

Georges Mandjeck has been both hero and villain for Cameroon, scoring a late equalizer in the opening game against South Korea that ended 1-1. But he was then sent off in a goalless draw with Italy.

The only other goal was scored by Stephane Mbia as Cameroon narrowly beat Honduras 1-0.

All the quarter-finals are on August 16th.

Good luck, Africa!

Can Africa Win an Olympic Gold Medal in Football?

The men's Olympic football tournament will be one of the most highly anticipated sporting events of the upcoming 2008 Beijing Games.

This year's tournament features three teams from Africa, with Cameroon, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast sending over their young, developing talent in hopes of Olympic glory.

We covered this topic in some depth in an earlier post. Now today, ESPN Soccernet journalist Sulaiman Folarin offers his take on Africa's chances. And really, he's a lot more qualified than I am at this point to offer a worthy opinion ...

Can Africa strike gold? Can the young talent at display in China come up big?

I don't know. I don't see why not ... African teams have won gold two of the last three times.
From my uneducated view, I'd say it's probable.

Folarin is an educated journalist whose opinion I value. He seems to think along the same lines.

Here's a small excerpt of his article. For more, please click here.

Of the three representatives, two teams; Nigeria in 1996 and Cameroon four years later, have finished with a Gold medal. The Ivorians, making their debut appearance this year, will hope to follow them when they send out a young and energetic team for the first game against Argentina.

The West Africans have a few mainstream names, but none in category of the Toure brothers; Kolo and his brother Yaya, and they could certainly use the services of Didier Drogba. But with coach Gerard Gili in charge of the team - a tactician with Ivorian football for over two years at all levels - the young Elephants have the potential to trample their way to the podium at end of the competition.

With the full commitment of young talents like Salomon Kalou pairing with the enterprising playmaker Gervais Yao Kouassi (popularly referred to as Gervinho), the Ivory Coast, up front, will be a threat to teams during the group stages and should be safely through to the knock-out phase.

With key players plying their trade in smaller clubs around Europe, fans should also watch out for Sekou Cisse and Kafoumba Coulibaly; two of the players that exemplify the potential of a team with relatively unfamiliar talent.

There are also the home grown players from some established local clubs; Asec Mimosas and Africa Sports. Both have been known not only to develop quality African players, but also prove themselves as quality opponents in the physical African club competitions.

But you cannot mention anything about physical football without pointing in the direction of Cameroon. The Indomitable Lions parade the most physical team in Africa, and probably the world. This style compliments Cameroon's pattern of play, although the Lions are probably the least skilled of the powerhouses on the continent.

African Football at the 2008 Olympics

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China are but a few weeks away.

The men's Olympic Football Tournament looks like it will be a hotly contested competition, with countries like Argentina, Holland and the United States seeking Olympic gold.

Africa will be well represented with three formidable squads in the 16-team tournament for the gold medal.

Former gold medalists Nigeria and Cameroon are joined by newcomers the Ivory Coast.

Cameroon and Ivory Coast were assured of qualification as far back as November 2007, with victories in their penultimate games to ensure that they couldn't be overtaken by the other contenders in their respective groups.

Cameroon triumphed in a tough section in which Morocco were their major rivals, finishing their campaign with a 1-0 win at home over Botswana, surprise qualifiers from the preliminary knockout rounds.

Serge Ngal, the Portugal-based striker knocking on the door of selection to the national side, got the only goal for Cameroon's U-23 side in their win to ensure they finished four points clear at the top of Group C.

Cameroon were the last African side to win men's football Olympic gold, winning at the Sydney Games in 2000. This time around, they're considered the weakest of the three African representatives at Beijing 2008.

Ivory Coast are the team to watch.

They finished a comfortable five points clear at the top of Group B. The Elephants' U-23 side boasts several players who are also part of the star-studded senior Ivorian squad, which reached the last four at the recent African Cup of Nations in Ghana.

They lost their opening Group B game against Zambia but then won the next five to stride into the Beijing Games.

Captain Gervais Yao Kouassi, better known as Gervinho, a regular in French side Le Mans, has been an impressive performer along with Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou, who was drafted in for the key qualifier against Zambia last year, when he scored to help ensure qualification.

Meanwhile, Sekou Cisse, who plays his club football in the Netherlands, scored both goals in the Ivorians' last match, a 2-1 away win over Senegal in Dakar in March.

Yet it is Nigeria who are expected be the most charismatic of the African representatives.

The Eagles stormed into the 2008 Games after a 3-0 win over South Africa on Wednesday. The Group A match in Abuja marked the return of Olympique Marseille defender Taye Taiwo and the debut of Everton striker Victor Anichebe, who came off the bench to score Nigeria's third goal.

Taiwo had earlier broken the deadlock in the first half before South African defender Thapelo Tshilo put through his own goal to double the Super Eagles' lead in Abuja.

The African squads won't have an easy go at it.

The Ivory Coast is in Group A along with Argentina, Australia and Serbia.

Nigeria sinks their talons into Holland, Japan and the USA in Group B.

And Cameroon tries to get past Italy, South Korea and Honduras in Group D.

Here are all the teams scheduled to be at the 2008 tournament for Olympic Gold. The competition begins August 6th with the champion crowned August 24th. Men's teams are allowed to augment their squad with three players over the age of 23.

Qualifiers for Beijing 2008
CONMEBOL: Brazil and Argentina.
UEFA: Netherlands, Belgium, Italy and Serbia.
CAF: Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Nigeria.
OFC: New Zealand.
CONCACAF: Honduras and the United States.
AFC: Australia, Japan and Korea Republic.
Host nation: China.

Please click here for groups, standings and schedules.

Eto'o's Shirt Costs a Lot of Money

Who knew that obtaining Samuel Eto'o's shirt would cost so much money?

The story begins here: Tanzania lost a hard-fought encounter against Cameroon 2-1 in recent World Cup qualifying. Tanzanian defender Nadir Haroub gave away his jersey to Cameroon star Samuel Eto'o after the game in Yaounde. It's tradition, you know?

The local media praised Haroub and said his performance was the reason Eto'o was keen to swap jerseys with him.

But the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) didn't see it that way. TFF bosses were clearly not amused by the gesture and told Haroub that part of his allowance would be used to replace the jersey.

The team's management insisted that Taifa Stars players were not allowed to give away jerseys as the federation could not afford a new set of jerseys for each match.

But following criticism from the media and fans alike, the TFF has backtracked and said the player would not be punished. The decision has been reversed ...

"It's obvious he couldn't say no to Eto'o," said TFF president Leodegar Tenga.

"It was a wise decision to give his jersey to such a famous player. This will make our country known," he added.

A fund-raising drive was already underway with fans donating money to help Haroub meet the cost of replacing the jersey.

MY POV: Times are tough around the world these days. Even the simple football tradition of swapping shirts isn't exempt.

Eto'o Breaks Spanish Record

It's obvious to anyone that follows the Beautiful Game that Samuel Eto'o is one of the greatest strikers of all-time.

While it hasn't been the best of seasons for the Barcelona striker, the Indomitable Lion can at least be content with establishing himself as the African player with the most La Liga games to his name.

He's had a host of troubles while in Spain.

He's been the object of racist taunts. He called Real Madrid fans derogatory names after winning the Spanish title with Barcelona. He's been deemed a clubhouse 'cancer' by teammates and journalists.

But through it all, he's persevered and scored at an amazing pace, winning plaudits and championships along the way.

Eto'o spent 70 minutes on the pitch in Barca's 6-0 demolition of Valencia yesterday.
MY POV: For more about this game and more ranting about my beloved club Valencia, please check out my Valencia blog ...

Although he didn't add to his tally of 14 goals this season, he notched up his 242nd appearance in the Spanish first division.

He takes the 'record' from his compatriot Thomas N'kono, who wore the gloves for Barcelona's neighbors Espanyol in 241 games between 1982 and 1989.

Eto'o has played 106 games for the Catalan club since arriving at Barcelona in the summer of 2004.

In addition, he played three times for Real Madrid at the start of his career before moving to Real Mallorca for five seasons and 133 matches.

The question now is, how many more La Liga games will Eto'o play?
MY POV: I think he's gone after this season. Barca have seriously under-performed and many are blaming Eto'o and a lackluster Ronaldinho for their demise.

Barcelona have three games remaining this season, including a trip to bitter rivals and Spanish champions Real Madrid on Wednesday.

But Eto'o himself will be suspended after picking up a fifth yellow card against Valencia.
MY POV: Seems convenient that Eto'o picked up a yellow card ahead of Wednesday's Classico.
Now, Eto'o won't have to stand in line and salute the champions as per Spanish tradition, the pasillo, where the opposing team stands and claps for the champions.

"I did not know that if I was booked I would miss the game on Wednesday," he said. "I did not deserve it anyway and am angry that I cannot play in the game. It is always a great occasion and I did not want to miss it. I hope that they will look at it and take the card away."
Hmmm ...

There have been strong rumors in recent months that Eto'o may move during the summer,
with Italy's Serie A or the English Premiership being the most likely destinations.
MY POV: My money's on England. Chelsea, anyone??

However, Eto'o has been at pains to dismiss speculation about his departure.

"I want to carry on here next season. I have a contract here until 2010 and I think I'm going to see it out," said Eto'o last week.

"When you look at all the players we've got, I think we can go on to win further titles. I believe in this team. This season hasn't been either so good or so bad but I wouldn't use the word 'fiasco' that has appeared in the media."

Despite not winning anything with Barcelona this season, Eto'o has still achieved a stunning array of honors with his various clubs.

He won Champions League winners' medals in 2000 and 2006, with Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively although he didn't play in the final when he was at his former club.
MY POV: Thankfully. Real Madrid beat Valencia 3-0 in Paris in the 2000 Champions League final. If Eto'o played, it might have been 6-0 ...

The three-time African Player of the Year was part of the Barcelona teams that won the Spanish league title in 2005 and 2006.

He was also the Spanish first division's leading scorer in 2006 (the Pichichi), becoming the first African player to achieve such an accolade, and won the 2003 Spanish Cup while at Mallorca.

MY POV: There's no doubt Eto'o is a special talent. He's been through a lot in Spain and has always played exceptionally well.

But I do think his time in Barcelona is up. The squad needs major upgrading and Eto'o will likely look for new challenges.

A trip to England awaits ... stay tuned!

Kevin Keegan Talks About African Players

The legendary Kevin Keegan, former Liverpool star and current manager of Premier League side Newcastle United, has hailed the impact of his side's African players, saying they are 'vital' for the future.

It's nice to see African players making an impact.

"I'm lucky, most of my African players have experience of big leagues; they're very important to us," Keegan told the BBC last week.

The Newcastle side have struggled since Keegan took over a few months back. But things are starting to change. Nigeria's Obafemi Martins and Geremi of Cameroon have played key roles in Newcastle's recent turnaround in form.

Both scored in the Magpies recent 4-1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur.

"They are all very experienced. Obafemi Martins has played in Italy (Inter Milan), Habib Beye in France (Strasbourg and Marseille), and Abdoulaye Faye (Bolton Wanderers) and Geremi (Chelsea and Middlesbrough) have played in the Premier League for a long time," Keegan added.

"They're all great trainers and very professional - and that's something you don't always get with young players from elsewhere."

DR Congo's Kazenga LuaLua, brother of Lomana, has broken through the youth ranks this season and with the recent signing of Senegal's Lamine Diatta, Keegan now has six players from Africa at his disposal. (My POV: Keegan's side will rival Chelsea's soon. Jose Mourinho was synonymous with drafting Africans into his side, players like Didier Drogba and Jon Obi Mikel.)

Keegan continued fawning over Africa, saying the African profile in world football has heightened since his last time in charge.

"Africa is a place you can't ignore now because there are so many talented players there. You just have to look at the Premier League which is just littered with players from the continent. There's evidence of players who have come to England and performed very, very well."

Super Eagles' striker Obafemi Martins thinks Keegan has been like a 'breath of fresh air' to the side.

"Things weren't going right with Sam Allardyce so the owner decided to do something about it.
Our training now is sharper and we look to attack more when we have the ball, so that's been good for me. It's good to have Kevin Keegan here."

Former Real Madrid and Chelsea star Geremi was signed by former manager Allardyce and made club captain. But despite his recent demotion the Cameroonian has relished the opportunity to prove himself to Keegan.

"It is always difficult because every manager has their own mind. I respect that and the fact that it took some time for him to get to know the squad. But now he knows us all better and we hope we are going to do a lot of good things together," Geremi said.

After a stuttering start to his reign, Keegan is now targeting a top 10 finish for the Magpies.

If he achieves his aim, Newcastle's African contingent will surely have played a big part in that success.
(My POV: It's great to see another Premier League side relishing the contributions of their African contingent. In time, many more will feel the same. This is only the tip of the iceberg ... Africa is indeed the 'wave of the future.')

Reactions to the African Cup Final

So it's over, with the defending champions Egypt retaining their African title thanks to a 1-0 victory over Cameroon. That's their sixth African championship, more than anyone else.

One could say the howler by Cameroon captain Rigobert Song handed the title to the Egyptians. But that would be a bit unfair.
Even today, word comes from Cameroon that Song's teammates don't blame him for the loss.

Song, who was playing in his seventh Cup of Nations, lost possession to Mohamed Zidan on the edge of his area and allowed the Hamburg striker to set up Mohamed Aboutrika for an easy finish in the 77th minute on Sunday.

"We played a good game but we conceded a goal at a very bad time," said Song, who had been gunning for a third continental triumph after lifting the trophy in 2000 and 2002.

"Even if everybody has not been on top, all the players gave their best. I will continue with the national team. It is not because things did not go the right way that I am going to retire," the 31-year-old centre back added.

Right back Geremi, who with Song and Samuel Eto'o was playing in his third Nations Cup final, denied that age was a factor.

"We're disappointed but in football, when someone makes a mistake, you can't blame them because it happens," he said.

"It was special for me and Rigobert and Eto'o because it would have been our third Nations Cup and we're really disappointed. It's not a question of age, you are confusing age and experience," the 29-year-old added. "This is my fifth Nations Cup, I started young."

Let's be fair: Egypt was the better team, creating most of the scoring chances with their speed and mobility. Cameroon rarely troubled the Pharaohs.

Egypt was compact in midfield, tenacious in defense and quick on the counter. Cameroon tried but couldn't wedge through the defensive-minded Egyptians.

Even with that, the score was still 0-0 before the error by Song.

Why the Egyptian dominance in international play?

One factor could be the strength of their club football.

Only two players based abroad started Sunday's 1-0 win, with defender Wael Gomaa and captain Ahmed Hassan playing respectively at Al Siliya of Qatar and Belgian club Anderlecht.

Most of the others play together with five-time African champions Al Ahly, giving fluidity to the Pharaohs' play, while several are from Egyptian rivals Ismaili.

"The Egyptian clubs are often brilliant in the African Champions League," says Angel Marcos, who coached Ismaili for a spell during the 1990s.

The Argentine, now a consultant for French sports daily L'Equipe's Web site, added: "The clubs have very good structures, with a lot of effort being made in the academies. They have tactical courses, making the Egyptian clubs play like the South Americans and the Europeans. Undoubtedly, it is what gives the Pharaohs the edge over the other teams in Africa."

Egypt played a free-flowing passing game throughout the tournament, beating Cameroon 4-2 in their opening group game before thrashing hot favorites Ivory Coast 4-1 in the semi-finals.

On Sunday, they dominated most of the game but were kept out by Cameroon's impressive keeper Carlos Kameni until Mohamed Aboutrika pounced after Song's error.

It's obvious Egypt wanted to prove their 2006 victory on home soil was no fluke.

"We always respect our opponents but we are not afraid to play our game," striker Mohamed Fadl told reporters.

"The fact that everybody was only speaking about Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana (as tournament favorites) was a huge motivation for us. After all, we were still the defending champions and we eventually proved our point. We beat Cameroon twice and we knocked out Ivory Coast."

So what was the scene like in Egypt after the win?

Pure bedlam as hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated on the streets late into the evening.


According to the BBC, within seconds of the final whistle being blown, the Egyptian capital Cairo erupted into a cacophony of noise and a blur of light.

Tour boats on the Nile sounded their horns in time to the chants of crowds pouring across bridges spanning Africa's longest river.

Fireworks lit up Cairo's night sky as jubilant fans climbed atop buses and cars, dancing and beating drums.

"I feel very happy and I'm going to party all night to celebrate," 19-year-old Cairo resident Mohammed Saeed told the AP news agency, his face painted in the national colors of red, white and black.

In the football-loving nation of 80 million people, the celebrations are likely to continue for days to come.

Sounds like a great time!

Congratulations to Egypt, 2008 African Cup of Nations champions!!!

Bios of Egypt/Cameroon Players Ahead of Final

Here, what the press call 'penpix' or bios of the players participating in tomorrow's Egypt-Cameroon African Cup of Nations final. These are provided by Reuters, the wonderful news service.

Should be a very good one!!

First off, Cameroon.

Penpix of Cameroon's squad ahead of Sunday's African Nations Cup final against Egypt:

Goalkeepers:

1-Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol, Spain). Born Feb. 18, 1984. Caps: 35 Goals: 0. Capped first as a teenager, he spent early part of career languishing in the reserves at Le Havre in France before achieving breakthrough in Spain. Hero of the penalty shootout win for Cameroon at the 2000 Olympic Games gold medal match against Spain.

16-Hamidou Souleymanou (Denzilispor, Turkey). Born Nov. 22, 1973. Caps: 15 Goals: 0. First choice at the 2006 Nations Cup finals in Egypt but after Kameni ended a self-imposed exile from the team, Souleymanou lost his place. Made his debut in 2000 in World Cup qualifier against Somalia.

22-Janvier Mbarga (Canon Yaounde). Born Jan. 17, 1985. Caps: 0 Goals: 0. The only home-based player in the squad, called up for the Nations Cup as cover for the first two goalkeepers. Previously played at under-23 level.

Defenders:

2-Augustin Binya (Benfica, Portugal). Born Aug. 29, 1984. Caps: 4 Goals: 0. Only came to the attention of Cameroon officials after Benfica signed him at the start of the season. Handed a six-match ban by UEFA for a vicious tackle in the Champions League against Celtic.

3-Bill Tchato (Qatar SC). Born May. 14, 1975. Caps: 44 Goals: 2. A Nations Cup winner in 2002 who was surprisingly recalled for this tournament three years after his last appearance for Cameroon. His club career includes stops at Nice and Montpellier in France and Germany's Kaiserslautern.


4-Rigobert Song (Galatasaray, Turkey. Pictured above). Born July 1, 1976. Caps: 117. Goals: 4. Cameroon's influential captain was the first player from sub-Saharan Africa to reach the milestone of 100 caps. Made his debut in 1993 and competes in a record-equalling third Nations Cup final on Sunday.

5-Timothee Atouba (Hamburg SV, Germany). Born Feb. 17, 1982. Caps: 38. Goals: 0. Fullback playing in his third successive Nations Cup. Moved from Cameroon to Switzerland, then England's Tottenham Hotspur before going on to play in the Bundesliga.

6-Benoit Angbwa (Saturn Rameskoye, Russia). Born Jan. 1, 1982. Caps: 10 Goals: 0. The only outfield player yet to get a game for Cameroon at these finals. He was also backup at the 2006 edition where he made a single appearance.

8-Geremi (Newcastle United, England). Born Dec. 20, 1978. Caps: 93. Goals: 9. Free-kick specialist who was a winner in 2000 and 2002 finals. This tournament is his sixth Nations Cup.

23-Andre Bikey (Reading, England). Born Jan. 8, 1985. Caps: 14 Goals: 0. Suspended for Sunday's final after receiving red card in the dying minutes of Thursday's semi-final. Played in the 2006 finals while still on the books of Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow.

Midfielders:

7-Modeste Mbami (Olympique Marseille, France). Born Oct. 9, 1982. Caps: 26. Goals: 3. Played at the 2004 finals but a rift with officials cost him a place in Egypt in 2006.

10-Achille Emana (Toulouse, France). Born June 5, 1982. Caps: 15. Goals: 1. A regular for the first time after serving as a reserve at the 2006 finals. Has been on the books of Ligue 1 club Toulouse for eight years.

11-Jean Makoun (Lille, France). Born May. 29, 1983. Caps: 27. Goals: 0. Expected to become the next leader of the new Cameroon generation but has been in disappointing form in Ghana and lost his place in the team. This is his third Nations Cup tournament.

13-Landry Nguemo (Nancy, France). Born Nov. 28, 1985. Caps: 9. Goals: 1. Scored goal on his debut at the start of the qualifying campaign in late 2006 but has played only 45 minutes in Ghana. Came through the junior ranks at Nancy.

14-Joel Epalle (VfL Bochum, Germany). Born Feb. 20, 1978. Caps: 32. Goals: 2. Speedy winger who has spent most of career in Greece. Member of under-23 side that won gold medal at 2000 Sydney Olympics.


15-Alexandre Song (Arsenal, England. Pictured above). Born: Sept. 9, 1987. Caps: 6. Goals: 0. Nephew of captain Rigobert Song, he won one cap in late 2005 but did not play again until new Cameroon coach Otto Pfister watched him in Arsenal's reserves.

19-Stephane Mbia (Stade Rennes, France). Born May. 20, 1986. Caps: 11. Goals: 3. Began his international career at the start of the qualifiers for this Nations Cup. Scored twice in quarter-final win over Tunisia in Tamale last Monday.

20-Paul Essola (Arsenal Kiev, Ukraine). Born Dec. 13, 1981. Caps: 1. Goals: 0. One of four uncapped players in squad. Has had only 13 minutes of action in the group match against Sudan on Jan. 30.

Forwards:

9-Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain). Born March 10, 1981. Caps: 72. Goals: 29. Three-times African Footballer of the Year and the Nations Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer with 16 in five tournaments since 2000. Eto'o joins Rigobert Song and Geremi in a record-equalling third final.

12-Alain Nkong (Atlante, Mexico). Born April 6, 1979. Caps: 2. Goals: 1. Journeyman plucked from obscurity for this tournament. He scored winner in semi-final victory over hosts Ghana on Thursday. Has played for clubs in Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and the U.S.

17-Mohamadou Idrissou (SC Freiburg, Germany). Born March 8, 1980. Caps: 18. Goals: 1. Tall striker who made debut at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France and played at the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia the following year. Will move from MSV Duisburg to German rivals SC Freiburg next week.

18-Bertin Tomou (Excelsior Mouscron, Belgium). Born August 8, 1978. Caps: 2. Goals: 0. Made debut against Sudan in a World Cup qualifier in 2004 but not called up again until this tournament. Spent eight years playing in South Korea and China before moving to Brest in France and now Belgium.

21-Joseph-Desire Job (Nice, France). Born Dec. 1, 1977. Caps: 50. Goals: 9. French-born striker who chose to play for Cameroon in 1997 and made his debut against England at Wembley. Won a Nations Cup winners' medal in 2000 but has rarely featured for Cameroon in last five years.

And now, Egypt ...

Penpix of Egypt's squad ahead of Sunday's African Nations Cup final against Cameroon:

Goalkeepers:

1-Essam Al Hadari (Al Ahli). Born Jan. 15, 1973. Caps: 82 Goals: 0. Al Hadari has fought a niggling injury but produced several vital saves, notably in Thursday's semi-final against Ivory Coast. Has won all of Africa's top honours at club and national level.

16-Mohamed Abou Moncef (Zamalek). Born Feb. 6, 1977. Caps: 9 Goals: 0. A squad member in the 2006 winning team, he has only played intermittently. His Cairo club have been struggling in domestic competition this season.

23-Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaili). Born Aug. 30, 1981. Caps: 0 Goals: 0. Recently drafted into squad as third choice but yet to win a cap. Has been an Egyptian Premier League regular for the last five seasons.

Defenders:

2-Mahmoud Fathallah (Zamalek). Born Feb. 13, 1982. Caps: 11 Goals: 0. Flying fullback who made his debut in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in 2005. Played in first two matches of this tournament before losing his place after a one-match suspension.

3-Ahmed Al Muhammadi (ENPPI). Born Sept. 9, 1987. Caps: 11 Goals: 0. One of the few additions since Egypt's triumph in 2006. Made debut last year although most of his caps have come as a substitute.

4-Ibrahim Said (Ankaragucu, Turkey). Born Oct. 16, 1979. Caps: 47 Goals: 2. Popular with fans because of his playboy image, he has not played club football this season. A regular in the 2006 team.

5-Shady Mohamed (Al Ahli). Born Nov. 29, 1977. Caps: 21 Goals: 0. Captain of the all-conquering Al Ahli team which reached three successive African Champions League finals from 2005-2007. Made debut for Egypt in 2000 but has played sparingly since, missing out on most of the major tournaments.

6-Hani Said (Ismaili). Born April 22, 1980. Caps: 30. Goals: 0. Played in the 2000 Nations Cup and earned a move to Italy's Serie A before losing his place in the national team. Brought back last year by coach Hassan Shehata and now a regular again.

13-Tarek El Sayed (Zamalek). Born Oct. 9, 1978. Caps: 44 Goals: 5. Playing in his fourth successive Nations Cup but has made only one start. A flying left back surprisingly recalled for these finals after two years out of the team.

14-Sayed Moawad (Ismaili). Born May 25, 1979. Caps: 25 Goals: 0. Started all five matches for Egypt here. Versatile player who can play at left back or in midfield. He made his debut in 2001 but only worked his way back into the squad over the last 12 months.

20-Wael Gomaa (Al Saylia, Qatar). Born Aug. 3, 1975. Caps: 56. Goals: 0. Uncompromising central defender who was an integral part of the 2006 team. He has played in four Nations Cup finals and has two African Champions League winners medals.

Midfielders:

7-Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahli). Born Nov. 10, 1984. Caps: 54. Goals: 2. Made debut a month after his 18th birthday and played in the 2006 Nations Cup final in Cairo. Originally a right back, he is now used as an attacking midfielder.

8-Hosni Abd Rabou (Ismaili). Born Nov. 1, 1984. Caps: 39. Goals: 6. Scorer of four goals here and winner of several man of the match awards. Previously played in France with Racing Strasbourg and now involved in a tug of war between Egypt champions Al Ahli and Ismaili over who owns his contract.


11-Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough, England. Pictured above). Born Oct. 5, 1981. Caps: 50. Goals: 3. Key defensive midfielder who missed Thursday's semi-final win over Ivory Coast because of injury. Scored against Cameroon home and away in 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

15-Ahmed Shaaban (Petrojet). Born Oct. 10, 1978. Caps: 2. Goals: 0. Late bloomer on international scene, making his debut last month in a warmup against Namibia. Has not played here.

17-Ahmed Hassan (Besiktas, Turkey). Born May 2, 1975. Caps: 135. Goals: 18. Scored second goal in 1998 Nations Cup final victory over South Africa and named best player of 2006 tournament. Playing in record-equalling seventh Nations Cup.

21-Hassan Mostafa (Al Wehda, Saudi Arabia). Born Nov. 20, 1979. Caps: 25. Goals: 0. Hard-working midfielder who was substitute in 2006 final and played a similar backup role in Ghana. Made debut in 2003 but was not picked again until a year later when Shehata took over as coach.


22-Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahli. Pictured above). Born Nov. 7, 1978. Caps: 45. Goals: 12. One of the key men in the march to the final, overcoming a bout of flu at the start. Hit five goals in first six internationals although did not score again for 11 games.

Forwards:

9-Mohamed Zidan (Hamburg SV, Germany). Born Dec. 11, 1981. Caps: 14. Goals: 4. Moved to Denmark as a teenager and then on to the Bundesliga. Scored two goals in opening match of tournament against Cameroon.

10-Emad Moteab (Al Ahli). Born Feb. 20, 1983. Caps: 39. Goals: 15. Made excellent start to international career, scoring seven goals in eight games. Has failed to score here although a consistent goal-getter in Al Ahli's African Champions League successes of 2005 and 2006.

12-Omar Gamal (Ismaili). Born Sept. 16, 1982. Caps: 12. Goals: 0. Backup striker who has not featured at this tournament. All but one of 12 caps have come as substitute.

18-Mohamed Fadl (Ismaili). Born Aug. 12, 1980. Caps: 4. Goals: 2. Scored debut goal that ensured Egypt's qualification for these finals. Yet to appear in tournament.

19-Amr Zaki (Zamalek). Born April 1, 1983. Caps: 39. Goals: 21. Scorer of four goals at these finals including two in the semi-final win over Ivory Coast. Returned to club football in Egypt last year after a brief spell at Lokomotiv Moscow.

Cup Final Preview: Egypt vs. Cameroon

First off, congratulations to Ghana, who came from behind to claim a consolation third-place finish at the African Cup of Nations after beating Ivory Coast in a six-goal thriller, 4-2.

Sulley Muntari's swerving 25-yard free-kick gave Ghana the lead on 10 minutes before Ivorian Boubacar Sanogo hit back with a quick-fire brace.

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie equalized after half-time with a solo effort before Junior Agogo struck on 80 minutes.

Ghana's Hamanu Draman then sealed the win with a 25-yard shot on 85 minutes.

So after the tears of their semi-final loss to Cameroon, we get Ghana's joy of staging a terrific tournament and beating a skilled Ivorian squad for 3rd-place.



And as we can see above, some terrific dancing from Michael Essien and the rest of the squad!!

Good going!!

Nevertheless, the main event is tomorrow.

The Grand Finale between Egypt and Cameroon.

One one side, we have the defending champions, somewhat of a sleeper heading into the tournament. On the other, a squad fueled by the grace of striker Samuel Eto'o and the machinations of veterans such as Chelsea midfielder Geremi and defender Rigobert Song.

So who wins? I don't know. I haven't seen either side play.

Still, we have history to go by. The Pharaohs defeated Cameroon's Indomitable Lions 4-2 in Group C's opening game in Kumasi.

But midfielder Stephane Mbia said this helped: "We started slow, but losing to Egypt spurred us on to the final."

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata countered, "We are champions of Africa now and we hope to still be after the final."

"Cameroon are a big team, but we've already beaten them in this tournament and that is a good sign for us to produce a good result on Sunday. All my players are motivated, they want to keep the title to prove that we are truly the champions of Africa."

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister, who led Ghana to the 1992 final, reacted differently to their earlier loss to Egypt: "We've progressed match by match. Perhaps we started badly but we always know how to react."

Egypt seem to be peaking at the right time. And it's not like their earlier match against Cameroon was that tough for the Pharaohs. As the Guardian's Paul Doyle puts it:

... the fact is (Cameroon) were utterly dismantled, the Egyptians' clever passing and movement making the Indomitable Lions look oafish. While it's true that Cameroon have improved since then, largely thanks to the emergence of (youngster Alexandre) Song, so too have Egypt - not least because of the return to fitness of Mohammed Aboutreika, the Al Ahly playmaker whose balance, intelligence and probing have made him the classiest player of the tournament.

With their slick five-man midfield and smart attackers such as Amr Zaky and Mohamed Zidan, Egypt are experts at pulling teams apart. They won't constantly lob crosses into the box the way Ghana did, instead they will create holes and thread their way through them. Andre Bikey's suspension will make that task even easier. Wael Gomaa will shackle Samuel Eto'o and Hassan Shehata will become only the second manager to win back-to-back titles.

I think he likes Egypt in this tournament ... Also something to think about: Egypt have looked equally polished in defense and attack, with keeper Essam El Hadary in particularly good form. So they're a balanced, tricky side with few holes.

Also, they have the luxury of being healthy. Egypt skipper Shehata has a fit squad to choose from. Cameroon are sweating it out to see if Arsenal midfielder Alexandre Song recovers after being stretchered off at the end of the semi-final win over Ghana.

The young Song missed his side's final training session before the final to add to his coach's anxiety.

"The doctors reckon it's not serious. It's not a ligament problem," said the player's cousin and Cameroon captain Rigobert Song.

Cameroon are also missing Andre Bikey, the Reading defender who was sent off in the 90th minute in the semi-final for shoving a medical official tending a stricken team-mate.

So what do people in Ghana make of this unexpected final?

As writer Greg Lalas reports in today's New York Times Goal blog, not many people care.

“Cameroon-Egypt will not get people to the stadium,” Jerry Ayensu, a sports commentator for local channel Metro TV, said. “I mean, some will come, but there will be no atmosphere. You’ve seen Ghana games, how colorful, how loud, how much feeling in the Ohene Djan Stadium. Sunday will have very little of that.”

It is a final, though, so even if the Ghanaians are too saddened to care, other parts of the continent cannot wait. In Yaounde, the celebrating began right after the Indomitable Lions’ victory and will only ramp up on Sunday.

In Cairo, the traffic might actually subside for 90 minutes when everyone stops to watch the game. (There are events elsewhere, too. A friend working for an NGO in Juba, Sudan, has organized an educational match-viewing party. “We’ll watch some football and hand out some condoms to help fight the AIDS epidemic,” she said.)

What will be lacking in atmosphere, the Egyptian side might be able to make up for in performance. Coach Ali Hassan Shehata’s Pharaohs are awesome, capable of breathtaking creativity and teamwork. They calmly and collectively destroyed the impressive Ivorians the other night.

Striker Amr Zaky is a poacher and tricky playmaker Mohamed Aboutreika could be mistaken for a Brazilian. The attack has now notched 14 goals in five games, including a 4-2 drubbing in the group stage against the same Cameroonians they will meet on Sunday. In back, they are organized and goalkeeper Essem El-Hadary is right now my vote for the Golden Ball award.

With all these players, odds are the Egyptians will defend their title on Sunday and add to their record tally of five Nations Cup trophies.

I think he likes Egypt, too. Read the rest of the blog entry by Lalas to see his theory for why the Pharaoh's African Cup success doesn't seem to translate to World Cup success.

One theory? They're just too tired. The bulk of players on the national team make up the Al Alhy football club, the most successful club team in Africa.

As Lalas points out, 'With the Cup of Nations every two years — as opposed to every four, like the European Championship — the international schedule is crowded. Add to that domestic play with big clubs like Al-Ahly and Al-Ismaily, which must also participate in the African Champions League, and it is understandable why the Egyptians are exhausted when the World Cup comes around.

“For example, many of the Al-Ahly players have been going straight for three years,” Nazhar said.'

Good point.

Anyways, that's a discussion for another time. For now, we're ready for Egypt-Cameroon in the African final.

I can't wait! And I hope you can't either.

My prediction? Egypt in a close one, 2-1.

Have fun!!

Ghana in Mourning

Ghana were oh-so-close to getting the job done, to making their way to the African Cup of Nations final on their home soil.

But with their 1-0 loss to Cameroon in yesterday's semi-final, all those dreams came tumbling down. Hard.

Today, a report from BBC News about the emotional aftermath of yesterday's loss.

People in Ghana are taking it very, very hard. Have a read here and click above to see some images from the BBC's 'Nations Cup diary.'

Ghana do have one game left, against the team many thought they'd play in the final: Ivory Coast. Should still be a good game. Just not the one everybody anticipated ...

Ghanaians are not moving with a spring in their step this morning - their dream of lifting the Nations Cup trophy remains just that.

For the 600 fans who crowded into a square in central Ho to watch the Black Stars take on Cameroon's Indomitable Lions on a big screen, an earlier cloud burst set the tone for the tears to follow.

"I am not happy about what they did," Stanley, a 12-year-old boy, exclaims passionately after the 1-0 defeat.

"They tried but - but they didn't try hard to score a goal."

As the music blares out from giant speakers to try and ease the aching hearts, some are more philosophical.

"I still have hope - this is not the end of the world and there is nothing we can do," a young man called Joseph said.

Others still believe there is still something worth fighting for.

"We're going to pray and correct our mistakes for the next match so we can win third position, which will be played on Saturday," says a man aptly named Courage.

Jinx

Few expected Ghana to err against Cameroon and the arguments and debates continued in Tank Rank square for hours.

"We had problem with the defence and midfield too. We have to have more skilful scorers to be able to break and penetrate that wall. That is our problem," says Anthony, a worker at the Volta Region Hospital.

Both semi-final results are what Ghanaian football fans least wanted and this raises the question about whether attendance will be reduced for Sunday's final in the Accra stadium - Egypt v Cameroon - and at the big-screen arenas around the country.

"No, I won't watch, because I'm sad," a teenage girl says on the verge of tears.

She seems most upset that Laryea "Rasta Man" Kingston - the Ghanaian midfielder was not selected for the match.

"As Ghana has been defeated I think the tournament will not be interesting any more. Me personally I don't think I'll follow it anymore," another man says.

But Anthony, in a more sporting frame of minds, says: "Football is a game, either you win or you lose. So each and everyone should go to the stadium on Sunday."

On the eve of the match, police across the country warned fans to contain their enthusiasm and not to over celebrate following several fatalities after Black Stars' victories.

This morning they'll be hoping they didn't jinx the result.

The Final: Egypt v. Cameroon

Talk about unexpected.

I saw a Ghana-Ivory Coast African Cup of Nations final happening no matter what.
How could Cameroon stop the Black Stars on their home turf? How could Egypt defend their title against the hungry Ivorian Elephants, who wanted revenge from their loss against the Pharaohs in the 2006 final?

I was wrong, very wrong.

Egypt, who beat Ivory Coast on penalties in the final two years ago, thumped the Ivorians 4-1 in their semi-final in Kumasi on Thursday. Cameroon reached their sixth Nations Cup final with a 1-0 victory over hosts Ghana in Accra.

So the game's set. Egypt-Cameroon for the right to call themselves African champions!

I didn't see the games today. Work pulled me away. But from what I read, Ivory Coast's reserve goalkeeper Stephan Loboue was somewhat to blame. Loboue came on for the injured Boubacar Barry in the 39th minute.

As for Cameroon, they fought and fought in what was described as a dingy, dull game.
Substitute Alain Nkong's second-half goal gave the Indomitable Lions the win and a place in the final.

Poor Ghana. What suffering must be going on in the host country. So many expectations, so much energy coming off of Sunday's super victory against Nigeria.



"I was never as sad in my career as I am today," said Ghana coach Claude Le Roy.

"It's a terrible deception to lose this game. I can understand how sad the people of Ghana are tonight."

Eto'o Breaks Record

Samuel Eto'o is the king of African football.

Today he became the highest scorer in Cup of Nations history when he converted a penalty in a 3-0 win over Sudan in their group finale.

The Indomitable Lions finish second in Group C behind Egypt with six points to go through to the quarterfinals.

Eto'o's 27th-minute strike took his tally at African Nations Cup tournaments to 15, overtaking the 38-year-old record of Ivory Coast's Laurent Pokou.

A bizarre own goal by Mohamed Ali Khider effectively ended the game six minutes later before Eto'o completed the scoring in injury-time, his fifth goal at the 2008 finals.

"We've been very efficient and scored 10 goals in the group stage, I don't know many teams who've done that," said Cameroon coach Otto Pfister.

"We totally dominated the first half and, although we did not put on a great show, I'm happy that we've qualified."

Kudos to Sudan, who didn't score a goal in the tournament, but gave their fellow countrymen something to cheer about after many war-ravaged years. I hope this tournament experience was a good one for them.

Over to Kumasi, where a last-gasp equaliser from Chris Katongo enabled Zambia to hold Egypt to a 1-1 draw.

But the result was not enough to rescue Zambia from elimination and confirmed Egypt as Group C winners.

Amr Zaki scored after 15 minutes in another solid display by the defending champions, who finished with seven points, one more than second placed Cameroon.

Egypt were caught out after a sustained period of pressure when Katongo blasted home from close range in the 89th minute.

Their next opponents have not been confirmed. Group D qualification comes tomorrow.

Cameroon Crushed, Zambia Rolls and Links

Day 3 of the African Cup of Nations didn't disappoint.

First off, defending champions Egypt routed pre-tournament favorites Cameroon 4-2. Striker Mohamed Zidan scored a double and Hosni Abd Rabou also struck twice for the five-times African champions with Samuel Eto'o netting Cameroon's two at the Baba Yara stadium.

Here, highlights from the match ...

Egypte cameroun resume
Uploaded by _drari_

In today's other match, Zambia profited from James Chamaga's early goal to score a resounding 3-0 win over Sudan in their opening Group C match on Tuesday.

Fellow forwards Jacob Mulenga and Felix Katongo added goals in the second half at Kumasi's Baba Yara stadium to put Zambia top of the group with Egypt after the defending champions' 4-2 win over Cameroon in the earlier match.

Chamanga, put into the starting line-up in place of suspended captain Chris Katongo, took just one minute and 45 seconds to fire Zambia ahead.

No highlights just yet ...

But here, I do have highlights of yesterday's 1-0 victory by Mali over Benin.
Sevilla striker Frederic Kanoute scored a penalty 49 minutes in after Dramane Traore had been fouled by Alain Gaspoz.

Mali-Benin
Uploaded by Footn

Now, on to some links ...

- First off, the link I posted in the last blog entry worked just fine for the Egypt-Cameroon match and failed to work for the Sudan-Zambia match.
No idea what is up there ... just keep trying, I suppose!

- Sports Illustrated writer Greg Lalas is onsite in Ghana and posted this interesting article after the first match ... good stuff, Mr. Lalas!

- The New York Times sent Brian Furtig, a law student at William & Mary School of Law and a Chelsea FC season ticket holder to Ghana. Here's his updates on the NY Times' Goal Blog. Speaking of which, the aforementioned Greg Lalas is also updating the terrific Goal Blog. Check them out. Fascinating insights.

- Regular commentator Chxta posted this on his excellent Chxta's World blog regarding his native Nigeria's match against the Ivory Coast.

Here, a small excerpt. Back with more later!

I now officially hate Jose Mourinho, and if the bastard is assassinated tomorrow, come and look for me. The attacking instincts that John Mikel Obi once possessed have been well and truly drilled away, and what is left is a Frank Lampard imitation. Mikel is still a good player, but he isn't mature enough to boss a midfield on his own, and it showed when Kanu was removed. Had Mikel been more mature, or more attack minded on another hand, the outcome may well have been different. Olofinjana tried his best, but he was out of his depth, and well, we've talked about Kanu before.

Eto'o Update and Nigerian TV Row

**Note: I still haven't found a place in New York City to watch the African Cup of Nations. If anyone knows a place to watch, please e-mail me at cesarman@yahoo.com and let me know! Thanks!**

An update on Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o's Cup of Nations situation. As reported in yesterday's entry, Barcelona and Cameroon have been arguing over when the star striker would report to Cameroon's pre-Cup camp in Burkina Faso. The Cameroon FA wants him there now, Barcelona want him in Spain for their upcoming matches in the Copa Del Rey and La Liga.

It's finally been sorted out. Barcelona have permission to retain Eto'o for the two games before he joins up with Cameroon, the president of the Cameroon FA confirmed on Tuesday.

"There is no problem. The coach (Otto Pfister) has spoken with the player and accepts that he plays this weekend and then joins the squad, having played two more games with Barcelona," Mohammed Iya told Spanish radio station RAC-1.

Iya admitted Pfister had needed convincing but that the German coach had accepted it would help Eto'o improve his physical fitness after having missed most of the season so far with injury.

Iya's comments supported Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard's assertions that the La Liga club had written permission to retain the player.

"The important thing for Samuel is to play and the federation and their coach have seen that that is best for them and for us," Rijkaard told a news conference on Tuesday.

Barcelona included Eto'o in their squad to face Sevilla in the first leg of their King's Cup (Copa Del Rey) last-16 tie on Wednesday and expect to field him at home to Real Murcia in La Liga on Saturday before he hooks up with Cameroon.

So that's that. Glad the situation was rectified.

But here's an interesting situation that could spell gloom for Cup of Nations viewers in Nigeria.

According to today's BBC, Nigerian broadcasters say they cannot afford to buy the rights to the Cup of Nations.

The Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) says the company that owns the rights wants 3m euros ($4.4m).

More than 30% of Africa's TV audience for football is in Nigeria, BON says.

The group says it can only offer 1.25m euros ($1.8m) for the rights.

"They said our offer was not acceptable, so we said: 'Fine, you can go and set up a TV channel in two weeks, we won't deal with you'," BON chairman Abubakar Jijiwa told the BBC Focus on Africa program.

Many Nigerians fanatically follow their national team, the Super Eagles, and the country is the most populous in Africa. "If you want to ignore Nigeria, good luck to you," Mr Jijiwa said.

Wow, this could get heated. And here we thought the club v. country row was the hottest topic of debate.

Can you imagine Nigeria being shut out from watching the Cup? Tragic.