A liitle tournament you might have heard of – The African Cup of Nations kicked off today (under a cloud, considering the last couple of days, understanably) and it couldn’t have got off to a more exciting start.
You’d usually think if you were 4-0 up with 15 minutes to go, that you’ve probably got the match won, right? Well Mali (a decent pick for Dark Horse at the tournament considering the talent they have in the side) fought back from 4 down, to finish 4-4, just to show that absolutely anything can happen, and it really is not over untill its over.
Mali’s goals were pretty scrappy, or the result of poor defending, but they probably aren’t going to be too worried. Its an incredible comeback, and it surely ranks up with the best of all time?
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It has been a day of conflicting news and uncertainty following yesterday’s deadly attack on the team bus of the Togolese national team.
With players and other staff members of the Togolese national team, officials of the Togolese FA and government, officials of the Angolan FA and government, CAF, FIFA, Sepp Blatter and a range of European clubs all releasing statements and bits and pieces of sometimes contradictory information, it’s difficult to give a definitive picture of the current situation.
What seems to have been confirmed is the sad news that the Angolan bus driver, the team’s spokesman Stanislas Ocloo and assistant coach Amalete Abalo died in the gun fire.
Another nine people were injured – two players, an assistant manager, physio, goalkeeping coach and another coach.
Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays for Romanian club Vaslui, was hit by two bullets and lost a lot of blood (…) His club reported that his condition was stabilised and he underwent successful surgery. Reserve keeper Obilale, who plays for French club GSI Pontivy, was also seriously wounded and transferred to hospital in South Africa, while several other players required treatment.
Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the rebel Liberation Front of Cabinda (FLEC). FLEC has been fighting for the independence of the oil rich province and threatened to carry out further attacks.
For most of the day it was reported that Togo would pull out of the tournament, after the Togolese government told the team to come home, coinciding with news that Emmanuel Adebayor had already left the country and Moustapha Salifou stating that “We all want to go home to Togo”.
This decision was eventually reversed following a team meeting, as Togo’s Thomas Dossevi told AFP.
“In memory of the dead, the national team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup. We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men. It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities. [The team is] a bit bitter, we are a little disappointed with the Confederation of African Football (CAF)…which couldn’t arrange for a postponement of our first match so we could bury our dead. CAF puts its interests first and not those of the countries. They did not support us enough.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has meanwhile announced that the games of Group B scheduled to be played in Cabinda will go ahead as planned.
In short: the tournament won’t be delayed or even cancelled. Group B matches will be played in Cabinda. Togo will take part in the tournament.
I for one will leave you with this rough and incomplete update of the recent tragic events. This may be a blog and blogs strive on opinions, but I can’t offer you anything except for my contempt for the violence and death caused by the rebels. I also accept the decision by the Togolese team to play for their dead team members. But anything beyond that would only end like this:
Apart from the situation in Angola, there has also been some rather predictable backlash elsewhere, e.g. with Hull City’s Phil Brown voicing his concerns over the World Cup in South Africa. Fortunately, Hull City also employ Jimmy Bullard, who can give his manager an update on the Africa is a country or a continent question with his next goal celebration. For all the other Phil Browns in this world though, South Africa’s World Cup organiser Danny Jordaan issued a statement to the press.
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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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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.
I am currently a student of Sunyani Polytechnic offering HND General Agriculture.
I am also a freelance Journalist, a motivational speaker and the founder of PERSONALITY AND HUMAN RELATIONS (PHR)
PLEASE THIS WEBSITE IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Update: The attack has been 
Simple question and yet such a complicated answer:
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