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The greatest ‘Mundial’ in Africa is less than a week to kick-off. It is the greatest football spectacle to grace the African continent close to a century. Over the years it has brought diverse cultures and people together to foster and champion a common African Dream. The idea of African Cup of Nations (AFCON) was brought to life in the late 1950’s as the likes of Gabriel Selassie and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah set up the Confederation of African Football (CAF). No less than five years did their thoughts migrated from the paper to reality as Egypt won the first Nations Cup tournament which had three teams participating; Ethiopia and Sudan with Sudan playing host in1956.
South Africa hosts the 2013 edition after successfully hosting the 2010 World Cup in great fashion and spectacle. They had to take over the hosting of the tournament from Libya due the Arab Spring that toppled Col. Muammar Gaddafi and Tunisia’s Ben Ali as well as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak.
The most recent edition co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon gave us a new champion; Zambia. They defied all odds to win the most prestigious football trophy on the continent. This edition in South Africa which kicks-off on January 19, 2013 as usual, brings Africa’s best 16 teams into the arena to battle for the title of African Champions.
Group A consist of South Africa, Cape Verde, Morocco and Angola. Group B consist of Ghana, DR Congo, Niger and Mali. Zambia (defending champions), Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia (who are making their first appearance in thirty years) make Group C. Group D, tagged as the “Group of Death” by the media, houses Cote D’Ivoire, Adebayor’s Togo, Algeria and Tunisia. Group D has also been dubbed; The Battle of the Confederations as two West African football giants take on two North African power houses. For two editions in a roll, Egypt, the country with the highest number of AFCON trophies, has not made it to the finals.
When the games finally kick-off you will expect stadia like Soccer City filled to capacity as host, South Africa will be based there, and then there is Royal Bafoleng, Nelspruit, Rustenburg and Durban being the other four stadia that will serve as the tournament’s arenas.
The opening game between South Africa and Cape Verde at Soccer City is not the dream opening game for the tournament as it may look one sided, with all due respect to Cape Verde. Over the years we have witnessed extraordinary opening games which have gone on to impact positively on the other games played. One typical example will be Ghana 2008 when the Black Stars struggled to beat Guinea 2-1 with an audacious strike from Sulley Muntari from well over 35 yards away. Then Angola 2010, when Mali fought back to earn a point after going down 4-0 at a time.
The glory to be chalked at South Africa 2013 will be unprecedented as if the financial benefits, boosting rights and the tag of Champions won’t be enough, the AFCON 2013 winner will represent the whole continent in Brazil 2013 later this year for the Confederation Cup.
I will put my bet on Angola and South Africa progressing from group A, Ghana and Mali who beat the Black Stars to win bronze in Equatorial Guinea/Gabon will progress to the next stage. Nigeria who failed to show up in the previous tournament, I hope will progress from Group C with reigning champion Zambia. In Group D, all-time-favorites Cote D’ivoire will move on from the group with Tunisia.
At this stage, I know the Super Eagles of Nigeria will march their way to the final to annex the AFCON trophy. I place my bet on Nigeria to defy all odds like Zambia did with the rich talents at their disposal like Mikel, Shittu, Uche, Ameobi and Moses to soar high above the other competitors to win their first major title in well over a decade.
Long Live Africa……………… Long Live AFCON
By; Benjamyne Lampard Quartey
University of Ghana, Legon.
