The 28th African Nations cup takes place from 21January – 12 February 2012 co- hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Thetournament will see 16 qualified teams being pitted into four groups of four teams each. The two top teams from each group will qualify for the quarter finals with the winners progressing to the semi – final then final
eventually.
The Cup of Nations is Africa's biggest regular sporting event and it's held every 2 years. Although the plan is to hold another tournament in 2013 so the tournament does not clash with the World Cup (2014).
Sudan is the only East African nation in the tournament. But Sudan started qualifying as one country, and is now two. Players from both Sudan, and what is now South Sudan, will be playing to win and hopefully this will be a chance for the people to feel a bond of unity. Libya and Tunisia will both still be playing despite going through revolutions in 2011.
That's the power of soccer in Africa; nothing will stop the game from being played! Although the Libyan team will not be playing in their traditional green shirts, instead they'll be sporting new shirts bearing the pre-Gadhafi national flag. Togo did play for a spot in the tournament despite the horrific attack they endured in Angola, 2010. Unfortunately they failed to qualify. Egypt also failed to qualify despite winning the tournament a record seven times, including the last tournament played in Angola in 2010. Perhaps the biggest omissions were that of Cameroonand Nigeria who both surprisingly failed to qualify for the tournament.
Ghana and Ivory Coast have been installed as joint favourites for the competition. Though I’m sure the other 14 teams will have something to say about that and Senegal, who boast the goal scoring talents of Demba Ba remain many people’s tip as dark horses for the tournament.
The sixteen counties who will fight it out for the crown are as follows:
Equatorial Guinea,
Libya
Senegal
,Zambia
Ivory Coast
Burkina Faso
AngolaGabon
Niger
Morocco
Tunisia
Ghana
Botswana
Mali
Guinea
May the best team win !
Ben