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Cup of Nations is Around the Corner

The venues are being scrubbed clean, the tickets are printed and the cities are bubbling with anticipation.

The African Cup of Nations is but a mere 2 weeks and 2 days away from taking over the minds and hearts of football fans around the globe.

Cup finalists begin their pre-tournament preparations in earnest this weekend, led by defending champions Egypt who host Namibia in a friendly.

Saturday's match in Aswan is the first of three warm-up matches for the Pharaohs, still sweating on the availability of star striker Mido.

The Middlesbrough forward has a knee injury and is unsure of his fitness for the tournament, which starts January 20.

Namibia play their first match under Dutch coach Arie Schans, who has had less than a month to work with the team. His predecessor, the Zambian Ben Bamchuile died at the end of last month, casting a shadow over Namibia's preparations.

All but two of the 16 finalists will play warm-up internationals over the next three weeks before the tournament kick off.

Cameroon had planned a match against Kenya in Nairobi but the post-election violence in the east African country have seen the Indomitable Lions switch their preparations to Burkina Faso. To date, they have no matches planned and will not have played an international since their last qualifier in September.

Guinea play no warm-up internationals but will get match practice against club opposition in Marbella, Spain, where they will begin preparations next week. Among their planned opponents are Fiorentina and Borussia Dortmund. Heady competition, no?

Nigeria and Sudan are training in Malaga while Benin have gone to Brazil for a 10-day camp before heading to Burkina Faso for a warm-up match against Senegal on Jan. 17.

Angola have been in Portugal since before Christmas for their preparations.
Tunisia host Zambia at Rades on Sunday before a flurry of fixtures next week, which sees matches in Abu Dhabi, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and South Africa.

Under FIFA rules for continental championships, clubs must release their players for preparations a full two weeks before the start of the tournament, setting Sunday as the deadline for squad members to join up.

But there are likely to be some exceptions, notably Ghana's Michael Essien who officials said would likely be allowed to play for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Jan.14. Also, Samuel Eto'o will stay with Barcelona until mid-week next week, playing in a Kings Cup match before meeting up with his Cameroon teammates.

It's almost here, people. I'm excited!!

African Player of the Year Shortlist

Some old faces, some new names in the Confederation of African Football's shortlist for the 2007 African Player of the Year.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year Didier Drogba will be up against his Chelsea team mate Michael Essien, Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and the Spanish-based pair of Frederic Kanoute and Mahamadou Diarra for the award which will be given out in February.

Kanoute, who helped Sevilla win the UEFA Cup in 2007, could become the first European-born player to win the title. Kanoute was born near Lyon and played for France at junior levels before switching his international allegiance to Mali in 2004.

Real Madrid's Diarra helped Mali qualify for the African Cup of Nations while Adebayor's performances with Arsenal catapulted him onto the list. There's controversy with the lanky striker from Togo as Adebayor boycotted several international matches this year in an on-going dispute over money with his country's football federation.

The winner will be announced at the annual Confederation of African Football awards ceremony, scheduled for Feb 1 in Lome, Togo.

The winner is voted for in a poll of coaches of the 53 African national teams. The five finalists were chosen by an initial vote of CAF committee members.

Good luck, all!

Chelsea Coach Speaks Out Against Cup of Nations

It's a common theme among big-name coaches in Europe:
Most are against the timing of the African Cup of Nations.

This is a good and bad thing.

Good in that it means more Africans are infiltrating the dressing rooms of top world football clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea.

Bad in that it's annoying to hear these coaches biting the hand that feeds them.

Africa has a right to stage their continental competition when they see fit. Although I strongly feel they shouldn't cave in to European demands simply because Old World powerhouses are calling for these changes, it's evident that changes need to be made. The Nations Cup scheduling is hurtful to the teams that pay big money to salary their African stars.

As more Africans play at world-class clubs and as more Africans proser at these clubs, the more their services are going to be missed and the angrier the clubs will get.

It's really a lose-lose situation in many ways.

Today, Chelsea coach Avram Grant became the latest to pop off on the African Cup of Nations timing.

Grant has called for the tournament to be played in June or July in the future as he faces the prospect of coping without striker Didier Drogba.

Ivory Coast captain Drogba is committed to playing for his country, which starts January 20th, although he has a knee injury and may require surgery.

Chelsea will decide in the next week whether an operation is required but already know Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien will be away for up to a month when they play in Ghana in the new year.

When Grant was asked if the tournament should be moved to suit the European soccer calendar in future, he was quite vocal.

"Of course, I think everybody wants it (a scheduling change) but it doesn't depend on me," he told a news conference at Chelsea's training ground.

"We need to think about this. When they started the African Nations Cup there were not so many players playing in Europe. Now the Africans have many players in the Premier League and in other leagues -- and in my opinion it will be even more in the next few years. So we need to think about this because it's not good for the players or the clubs. It would be better in the summer but I cannot change it, I can only say my opinion."

Drogba is 90 percent certain to miss this weekend's Premier League match at home to Sunderland according to Grant and the timing of his operation could have an impact on his availability for the African Nations Cup.

Grant said Drogba and the club had known about the problem for some months but the striker insisted on playing.

"He pushes to play even now but we must take care of the health of the player. We will see what is good for him. At the moment we will keep an eye on the situation then we will know what will happen," Grant said.

When asked if the player would require surgery, the manager said: "Maybe. We don't know yet, we will know better in the next days."

In other news, Samuel Eto'o is expected to play his first minutes since September with Barcelona this weekend. He's been recuperating from a leg injury. Good luck to you, Sammy. Stay fit.

Short List for 2007 BBC African Footballer of the Year

It's that time of year again, when journalists around the globe announce their picks for Footballers of the Year.

Africa has their own prestigious award and today, the BBC announced their short list for 2007 African Footballer of the year.

*Note: The BBC award is independent of the Confederation of African Footballer award. Ghana's Michael Essien won the award last year, while Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba won the CAF prize.*

The players selected are listed with their home countries and club teams:

Didier Drogba - Ivory Coast, Chelsea
Michael Essien - Ghana, Chelsea
Emmanuel Adebayor - Togo, Arsenal
Frederic Kanoute - Mali, Sevilla
Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon, FC Barcelona

The list was drawn up through consultation with sports reporters from every country in Africa.

Each reporter, from Morocco to Mozambique, from Somalia to Senegal, was asked to provide a list of five names. I'm a little skeptical of the Eto'o choice, being he's hardky played this year. But this is what they chose, so what do I know?

If you'd like to vote, please click here and have your say!

The winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Accra, Ghana on February 1, after the completion of the group stages of the African Cup of Nations.

According to the BBC's website, here's some things to consider in each player's case:

- Despite hardly playing in 2007, Samuel Eto'o has been chosen as the face of the 2010 World Cup and has taken a leading role in the fight against racism in football.

- Michael Essien was rewarded for his performances with a new five-year contract at Chelsea, and Ghana coach Claude Le Roy has declared Essien's talent to be "from another planet".

- Frederic Kanoute scored the vital goal which saw Mali qualify for the Nations Cup, and he helped his club side Sevilla retain the Uefa Cup.

- Togo's Emmanuel Adebayor picked up where Thierry Henry left off for English Premier League side Arsenal with seven goals for the Gunners in the first three months of the season.

- Ivorian Didier Drogba scored the winner in Chelsea's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United.

So who is going to win? What do you think?

Three Africans on FIFA World Player of the Year List

Three Africans made it onto FIFA's 30-player list for 2007 World Player of the Year.

Usual suspects all.

Strikers Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon and Didier Drogba of the Ivory Coast as well as Ghana midfielder Michael Essien have all made the initial shortlist.

There are also three Africans on the list for the women's award for 2007: Adjoa Bayor from Ghana as well as Nigerian duo Christie George and Perpetua Nkwocha.

The list is drawn up by members of FIFA's technical committees and voted on by the coaches and captains of every national team.

The winner will be announced at FIFA's World Player Gala in Zurich on December 17th.

Good luck to our African friends!

Here's a rundown of all the nominated players:
Men's nominees (alphabetical order):
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Petr Cech (Czech Republic), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Deco (Portugal), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Michael Essien (Ghana), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon), Gennaro Gattuso (Italy), Steven Gerrard (England), Thierry Henry (France), Juninho (Brazil), Kaka (Brazil), Miroslav Klose (Germany), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Frank Lampard (England), Rafael Marquez (Mexico), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Alessandro Nesta (Italy), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Franck Ribery (France), Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina), Ronaldinho (Brazil), Wayne Rooney (England), John Terry (England), Carlos Tevez (Argentina), Lilian Thuram (France), Fernando Torres (Spain), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Netherlands), Patrick Vieira (France)

Women's Nominees (alphabetical order):
Nadine Angerer (Germany), Adjoa Bayor (Ghana), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Lisa de Vanna (Australia), Formiga (Brazil), Christie George (Nigeria), Ragnhild Gulbrandsen (Norway), Duan Han (China), Ariane Hingst (Germany), Jie Li (China), Kristine Lilly (USA), Renate Lingor (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Perpetua Nkwocha (Nigeria), Bente Nordby (Norway), Cathrine Paaske Sorensen (Denmark), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Un Suk Ri (North Korea), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Rebecca Smith (New Zealand), Ane Stangeland Horpestad (Norway), Kerstin Stegemann (Germany), Ingvild Stensland (Norway), Abby Wambach (USA)

Essien Given Passing Lessons

File this under old news, as it's been reported everywhere.
But also, file this under strange news, because things like this should not be happening.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich gave Ghana's Michael Essien tactical instructions at the end of their 1-1 draw with Rosenborg last week, it has been revealed.

The Observer says employing striker Andriy Shevchenko as translator, the Chelsea owner instructed midfielder Essien, player of the year last season, to hit passes wide rather than through central areas where the Norwegians had compressed play.

Abramovich is expected to take an increasingly hands-on role in the team following the appointment of Avram Grant to replace Jose Mourinho and, according to several sources, will effectively select the side.

But Grant says he is in charge of the team and will pick his squad.

This is oh-so-bad for Essien, Drogba and the rest of the talented squad at Chelsea.

Love him or hate him, Mourinho was a technical genius. He also appreciated the African players, often noting their contributions to the squad.

Now, with Grant in charge (or is it Abramovich?), what will become of the team? How will they handle adversity during the season now that no one is there to deflect attention away from them when something goes array (see yesterday's match with Manchester United, for example)? What will they do with the African contingent that is leaving for the Cup of Nations come January?

A meddling owner is never a recipe for success. Grant would do well to shut the locker room door to the nosy owner. But will he have the nerve to do such a thing?

I believe Chelsea will rue the day they let a man of quality like Jose Mourinho go.

Essiens Calls for Cup of Nations Change

Ghana midfielder Michael Essien has called for a rethink on the timing of the African Cup of Nations.

Chelsea are poised to lose Essien, Didier Drogba, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou for up to a month during next January's tournament in Ghana.

Essien thinks that switching the tourney to the end of the European season would have the support of players.

"If they can change it would be good for us players and it would be good the clubs too," said Essien.

"You have to leave in January, which is a difficult month for the club, but you have to go and help your country. If they can change it would be good for us."

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has planned for the loss of his African players as the Blues look to win the English title back from Manchester United.

Mourinho has signed Tal Ben Haim, Claudio Pizarro and Steve Sidwell over the summer transfer period.

"I think the new players here are really very good, they fit in really well," added Essien.

"I think we have good players to fit in whilst we are away, so I don't think it will be a problem. I hope not."

Africans in Europe

Let's take a look again at the footballing exploits of African superstars in Europe this week, courtesy of Timothy Collings of Reuters.

Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins scored a vital brace, including a spectacular overhead kick, as Newcastle United opened their English Premier League campaign with a 3-1 win at Bolton Wanderers.

Martins's athletic strike was the eye-catching highlight of a busy and successful weekend for African players as the leading European soccer leagues began their seasons.

The striker's first goal was sublime. He controlled James Milner's cross on his chest with his back towards goal, before spinning and executing a perfect overhead kick high into the net to make it 2-0 after 21 minutes.

The former Inter Milan frontman scored his second six minutes later with a deflected long-range strike and Bolton could manage only a solitary consolation from French striker Nicolas Anelka.

Elsewhere in the English league, it was an excellent day for Portsmouth's African duo Benjani Mwaruwari and John Utaka.

Both were on the score-sheet as Pompey began the season with a 2-2 draw at newly-promoted Derby County.

After 27 minutes Zimbabwean Benjani latched onto a pass from England's David Nugent to equalise Matt Oakley's early opener.
Then Utaka, an impressive new arrival, appeared to win the game for Portsmouth when the Nigerian drove home powerfully with just seven minutes remaining.
But Derby struck back immediately to snatch a point through an Andy Todd diving header.

Ghana's Michael Essien started the new season with Chelsea's winning goal in a 3-2 win over promoted Birmingham City in an entertaining game at Stamford Bridge.

Young Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe scored a vital goal for Everton as they started their season with a 2-1 win at home to Wigan Athletic.
The 19-year-old from Lagos calmly converted from an Andrew Johnson through-ball with 15 minutes remaining.

ISIAKU DOUBLE

The German Bundesliga got underway on Friday night, but the first major African contribution came the following day when VfL Bochum hosted Werder Bremen.
Bremen were without eight first-team players but they will still be disappointed to have surrendered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw.

Brazilian playmaker Diego scored Bremen's first from the penalty spot before Ivorian striker Boubacar Sanogo doubled the advantage with a curling free-kick in first half stoppage time.

Manasseh Isiaku was on target twice for MSV Duisburg as they won 3-1 at Borussia Dortmund.
The Nigerian struck either side of Mihai Tararache's 62nd minute penalty to make sure promoted Duisburg kicked off their season in style with their first win at Dortmund for 35 years.

In France, a double from Algerian striker Rafih Saifi helped FC Lorient to a 2-1 win over Monaco in the second round of Ligue 1 fixtures on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, St Etienne's all-African strikeforce powered them to a victory over Valenciennes.
A goal from Batefimbi Gomis of Senegal and two from Guinea's Pascal Feindouno shot 'Les Verts' to their first win of the season.

On Sunday, a late goal from Senegal striker Momar N'Diaye was not enough to save Metz from a home defeat against Lille.
N'Diaye looked to have earned a share of the points when his deflected effort made it 1-1 in the 84th minute but there was still time for Croatian midfielder Marko Maric to steal the win for the visitors.

Africans in French Football

African players are in vogue in France, as over 90 Africans call the French domestic league home.

To be precise, 97 Africans play in France's Ligue 1, Many are hoping to emulate the likes of Cheslea's Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and his Ghanaian team-mate Michael Essien, who used the league as a stepping-stone to riches in the English Premiership.

Each of the 20 clubs in the country's top league have at least two Africans on their books as they vie for Le Championnat, the league title.

Champions Lyon, who have won 6 straight French titles, signed Ivorian striker Kadar Keita and Algeria defender Nadir Belhadj to strengthen the squad following the departure of four key players including Florent Malouda to Chelsea.

Lyon begin their title defence on Sunday when they take on Auxerre but if there is any team to prevent them from grabbing their seventh successive title then it is former European champions Olympique Marseille.

Marseille went on a pre-season shopping spree to bolster their squad after buying six players including skilful Algerian playmaker Karim Ziani from rivals Sochaux.


They also promoted 17-year-old Andre 'Dede' Ayew (left), son of Ghana legend Abedi Pele, from their youth team.

"We have had an excellent preparation and that is why I think that we can challenge Lyon for the title," Dede told BBC Sport.

"We have a good mix of experienced and young players who can carry us through this long season."

Marseille must be able to cope with the possible absence of all nine of their African players in mid season when the African Cup of Nations starts in January.

It will be interesting to find out how newly-promoted Metz finish on the table as they are the club with the highest number of Africans in their squad.

The possible absence of their ten players during the Nations Cup in Ghana is expected to weigh heavily on their survival chances.