Update: The attack has been claimed by FLEC, an Angolan guerrilla group.
***
Nearly surreal news coming from Angola today: the Togo national team was crossing into Angola from the DRC when they were attacked by Angolan rebels, who fired into the bus with machine guns. At least three players and the bus driver have reportedly been hit, and according to Thomas Dossevi, there may be more.
“I am fine but several players are in a bad way,” Nantes striker Thomas Dossevi told Radio Monte Carlo.
“We are still at hospital. We were attacked like dogs and had to hide for 20 minutes under the seats to avoid the bullets.”
Dossevi also said that the team no longer wanted to play at the tournament.
Obviously the tournament is secondary, but this could have a tremendous effect on the next few weeks. Now hoping for the best possible news to come from the hospitals.
Sky Sports is now reporting the driver is dead and four others are injured.
According to French news, two of the injured players are Kodjovi Obilala and Serge Akakpo.
“The Angolan driver was killed on the spot,” said a Togolese sports ministry spokesman in Lome, adding that the attack took place in the restive Angolan region of Cabinda.
He said the wounded included two squad members and two medics.
Simple question and yet such a complicated answer:
- The bookies say it’s going to be the on-paper favorite Ivory Coast.
- History says it will be Egypt, two-time defending champions.
- Your gut says it won’t be either.
Then who will it be?
Everything, at least right now, points to two teams: Ghana & Ivory Coast. Which is why they, along with Cameroon, are the top three teams heading in on odds.
i. They have two of the deepest, most balanced teams in the tournament. ii. They both dominated World Cup Qualifying. iii. This is perhaps most important: they’ll both have a very difficult game heading into the knockouts via the groups – against each other. Coaches can’t stress enough the importance of getting their teams tested against good opposition (tough loss better than an easy win and all that hullabaloo).
The Ivory Coast does have a little bit something extra, however, which makes them the favorites: an in-form Didier Drogba.
They’re a very good team sans Drogba, sure, with a very good international strikeforce, but let’s not pretend an in-form Drogba doesn’t make them an entirely different team. He is, when hot, the best striker in the world and one of football’s greatest difference makers. This season’s he’s scalding: 19 goals in 24 games. Plus he scored the only goal in the Ivory Coast’s warmup versus Tanzania to boot. Good team with the best weapon, simple as that.
Does it mean they’ll win? No, but it’s precisely why they’re the favorites.
That said, I’m picking Cameroon. Where’s the fun in picking the favorites?
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It’s right around the corner, you know. And by ‘right around the corner’, we mean that quite literally: turn the corner of this week into next week and you’re there. The first game kicks off Sunday evening when tournament hosts Angola take on Mali.
So with time at a premium, let’s get right down to ten things you need to know for the African Cup of Nations.
i. You can call it whatever the hell you want.
CAN 2010, African Cup of Nations or any mildly dyslexic variation, AFCON, AfCoN – they all work. And this year’s are simply being called Orange African Cup of Nations. Not because they’ve decided to replace color with years – which would be sweet: “we won the blue one!” – but because it’s being sponsored by the French telecommunications company. The official website even has it listed as COCAN 2012.
Provided you’re somewhere in the region, people will get it – no need to be pedantic.
This comes as no surprise as Cote d’Ivoire are widely considered the best team on paper. What does come as something of a surprise is that Egypt are all the way down at 9/1 despite being two-time defending champions. They’ll miss out on the African soil’s big tournament in the summer, sure, but they’ve always done poorly on the global scene yet done exceedingly well within the continent. So that may not be the worst bet… iii. Burkina Faso & Togo would like a redraw, please. Or: clear your calendars at 1930 Angolan time on the 15th.
The odds indicate the group match between CdI and Ghana is being considered a preview of the most likely (sort of) final. They also indicate Burkina Faso and Togo are mighty pissed.
v. Angola’s timezone is the same as Central European time.
vi. Only 5 of the 16 coaches are native to their country.
And the nations are: Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Malawi and Nigeria. (An equal number were born in France.)
While Africa would probably like to go in the other direction, as in more native coaches, this may be the new trend for international coaches. After all, international football isn’t so much about patriotism as it is the results, and sometimes the best option has a funny looking passport (see: England). Some countries may take longer than others – Italy, Germany and Brazil will fight to the death – but eventually, we might see a European Championships sporting a similar ratio or worse.
The Palanquinha is inspired on the Giant Black Antelope, a national symbol and an ex-libris of the national fauna for being a specie that cannot be found elsewhere in the world.
Symbol of strength, dynamism and vitality, the Black Antelope is represented in a dynamic and determined manner. Colours used are influenced by the equipment of the Angola national football team as well as the national colours black, red and yellow.
And watch out when it sneaks up on your car asking for autographs without even washing the windows.
viii. The stadium where the final is being held, the Estadio 11 de Novembro (bonus points for translation), has been open since, oh…last Tuesday.
ix. You need to pay attention to the flight of the ball during the tournament.
Why? Simple: they’re using the adidas Jabulani, the very same ball being used in the World Cup during the summer, but with an Angolan design.
Every keeper in the world should be paying attention – if they don’t already have a ball or seven – and you should too.
If only to impress your friends during the World Cup: “watch it dip……….here.”
x. It’s okay to be ignorant.
One of the most beautiful things about this for the tournament is that for the non-African or non-African fan, it’s an immersion into a different culture and different teams which we’re not used to seeing. Most of us here watch more football than we’d like to admit – though some are holding it dear for an eventual insanity plea – but African football doesn’t get a ton of priority, if any at all – partially due to a lack of exposure. Sure, I’ve seen some games, but ask me about Nigeria’s tactics, Benin’s fullbacks or how well Mozambique plays through the channels and I’m at a complete loss. This is a chance to watch the teams we’re rarely exposed to while being that young fan who knows little, but just loves the game. And because of this it may be, World Cup aside, the most pure tournament in all the land.
The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off this Sunday, January 10th in Angola. You can find the full match schedule here.
Below you’ll find the squads for all 16 qualified nations, divided by group. A quick glance down the list reveals a lot of familiar names and a lot of European clubs.
Group A
Angola 1 Lamá (Petro Atlético) 2 Manuel Jamuana (Petro Atlético) 3 Enoque Guilherme (Santos) 4 Dias Caires Sagrada Esperança) 5 Kali (Unattached) 6 Davíd (Petro Atlético) 7 Ricardo Job (Petro Atlético) 8 Xara (Petro Atlético) 9 Mantorras (Benfica) 10 Francisco Zuela (Kuban Krasnodar) 11 Sebastião Gilberto (Al-Ahly) 12 Johnson Macaba (C.R.D. Libolo) 13 Carlos Fernandes (Rio Ave) 14 Djalma Campos (Marítimo) 15 Rui Marques (Leeds United) 16 Flávio Amado (Al-Shabab) 17 Zé Kalanga (Dinamo Bucureşti) 18 Love (1º de Agosto) 19 Dédé (Timişoara) 20 Stélvio (U.D. Leiria) 21 Mabiná (Petro Atlético) 22 Wilson Alegre (Caála) 23 Manucho (Real Valladolid) Coach: Manuel José
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My name is Mamudu Nurudeen popularly known as Alhaji Righteous De Ambitious born on 25 Feb. 1985, to Mr Mamudu and Hajia Safura at Bawku Central in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
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Update: The attack has been 
Simple question and yet such a complicated answer:
vii. Angola’s mascot is way cooler than 
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