Nigeria take AFCON spoils

Ghana taking on Cameroon. Photo credits to Jake Brown

Nigeria won their third Africa Cup of Nations trophy as they beat Burkina Faso 1-0 on Sunday 10^th February.

Nigeria progressed to the final of the competition after demolishing Mali 4-1 in the semi-final.  This fixture saw the Super Eagles go into the dressing room at half time 3-0 up, with tournament top scorer Emenike notching the third goal of the game, taking his tally for the competition to four (though he would later go on to miss the final through injury).

Diarra scored a consolation goal in the 75^th minute to return the deficit to three but Nigeria comfortably held on, and the ease with which they dispatched their opponents showed the intent and desire of a side that did not want to suffer a similar fate to their Ivory Coast rivals, who had gone into the tournament as favourites but bowed out in the quarter finals.

The Super Eagles’ opposition in the final, Burkina Faso, had never won on foreign soil in the Africa Cup of Nations and had never qualified for a World Cup, but it was unlikely to be a walkover – the two sides met in the group stages, where the game finished 1-1.

The Burkinabe Étalons took on Ghana in a semi-final full of controversial refereeing decisions.  The referee, Slim Jedidi, waved away Burkina Faso’s claims for what looked like a stonewall penalty, before awarding Ghana a very dubious spotkick, with Atsu going down after challenging for an aerial ball.  Later in the game Jedidi sent off Burkina Faso’s Pitroipa (who went on to be named the player of the tournament), though the referee later apologised for making mistakes throughout the game, and the Burkinabe star midfielder was allowed to play in the final after the red card was rescinded.

The match went into a penalty shootout after the two sides were tied at 1-1 after extra time, and the shootout started in the worst possible fashion for the Ghanaian Black Stars, with Vorsah scuffing his kick horribly wide.  Two more Ghanaian misses followed, and Burkina Faso sealed a memorable 4-2 shootout victory.

The final itself was a hard-fought contest in which Nigeria always seemed on track to victory, though it took a moment of brilliance from Sunday Mba to separate the two teams.  A shot rebounded to the Nigerian midfielder in the 40^th minute, and he cleverly flicked the ball up over Mohamed Koffi before poking the ball into the far corner, sending the Super Eagles’ fans into delirium.

It was a game that showcased some of Nigeria’s greatest international performers – Chelsea duo Mikel and Moses both hit excellent form for their country over the course of the competition and were decisive in seeing their nation win their first AFCON since 1994.  Although Burkina Faso threatened on occasions, they never really looked like challenging their opponents, and Burkinabe coach Paul Put admitted that his team ‘showed Nigeria a bit too much respect in the first half’, before adding that ‘the whole of Burkina Faso can be proud of their players’.

Many critics will remember the 2013 edition of the tournament for its poor playing surfaces, unreliable refereeing and unsold tickets, but the tournament offered fans enough excitement to make up for the problems that it experienced.  While Burkina Faso put in a brilliant effort to finish runners-up in their best ever Africa Cup of Nations, the title goes to a strong Nigeria side fittingly managed by the outspoken Stephen Keshi, who captained Nigeria to their previous AFCON title 19 years ago.

Tim Hellyer

Africa Cup of Nations semis take shape

Joint top scorer Emmanuel Emenike, pictured playing for Spartak Moscow. Photo credits to Wikimedia Commons

This year’s Africa Cup of Nations has seen holders Zambia knocked out in the group stages and tournament favourites Ivory Coast beaten by Nigeria in the quarter-finals.

AFCON, which takes place every two years, was previously won by underdogs Zambia in 2012 (before the competition was moved to odd-numbered years starting this year) in an epic penalty shoot-out that finished 8-7 in sudden death.

The losers of that contest were the Ivory Coast, who lost 2-1 to Nigeria in the quarter-finals.  With a talented squad led by recent Galatasaray signing Didier Drogba, Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote and Manchester City powerhouse Yaya Toure, The Elephants were not expected to lose to the Nigerian Super Eagles who had only managed to win once in the group stages.

Drogba, who sealed Chelsea’s Champions League victory with his last ever kick for the London club last May, said that his chances of ever lifting the AFCON trophy were now “over”.  The striker, who will have turned 36 by the time the World Cup kicks off in Rio next year, said, “We now look ahead to the World Cup, with or without me”.

The game itself saw tournament joint top scorer Emmanuel Emenike (pictured) rifle in a 30-yard shot just before half time, but it was Drogba who turned provider for The Elephants five minutes into the second half.  His free kick found a completely unmarked Cheick Tiote at the back post to nod in an equaliser, but the aptly named Sunday Mba finished off a marauding run with a shot that deflected and looped over Côte d’Ivoire keeper Boubacar Barry to clinch a 2-1 victory.

That ensured that Nigeria would finish the weekend anticipating a semi-final clash against Mali, who beat hosts South Africa 3-1 on penalties on Saturday. The second semi-final will see Ghana take on Burkina Faso.  On paper, Ghana are the in-form team of the competition, having won their last three games in a row, but a shaky performance against Cape Verde in their quarter-final will give Burkina Faso hope.

Top scorers

Ghanaian striker Wakaso is one of the current tournament joint top scorers, but it should be noted that of his three goals, two have been penalties and one was an open goal scored after the opposition goalkeeper went upfield for a corner in the last minute in a desperate bid to snatch an equaliser.

The Black Stars’ opponents Burkina Faso have a joint top scorer themselves in Alain Traoré, who equalised in the 94^th minute with the last kick of the match against Nigeria in the group stages and scored twice in The Stallions’ emphatic 4-0 victory over Ethiopia.  With Nigerian Emenike also on three goals, progression to the final – and potentially overall victory in the 2013 AFCON – could be decided by one of these three leading strikers.

Political turmoil leads to weak North African showing

There have been a few notable absences in this year’s AFCON, chief among them Egypt, who have won the AFCON more than any other team. But, the seven-time winners, who won the tournament three consecutive times in 2006, 2008 and 2010, have failed to qualify for the last two tournaments in a row.

It is unsurprising that Egypt have struggled over the last few years.  Earlier this month, at least 74 people were killed in riots at the Egyptian city of Port Said after fans took knives into the stadium when rivals al-Masry and al-Ahly met, and while there is some hope after al-Ahly unexpectedly won the African Champions League in November last year, it is clear that these are bleak times for a national side that has not qualified for the AFCON since 2010 and has not qualified for the World Cup since 1990.

It is no coincidence that since the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Egypt have struggled to retain a footing in international football, and it can be argued that the national side will only progress once the often-violent domestic leagues and tumultuous political scene stabilise.

The North African sides that managed to qualify this year also fared poorly.  Morocco went through the tournament undefeated but their three draws were not enough to seal qualification to the knockout rounds, whilst Algeria, who held England to a 0-0 draw in the 2010 World Cup, took just one point from the competition after losing to Togo and Tunisia.

Nigeria and Ghana have won the AFCON twice and four times respectively, but neither has won in the last 19 years.  While Burkina Faso and Mali will both be looking to get their hands on the trophy for the first time, they know that they will have to get past stern opposition in the semi-finals – teams that have won the cup before, and are looking to win it again after years without a trophy to their names.

The semi-finals of the AFCON – Mali v. Nigeria and Burkina Faso v. Ghana – will be played today (February 6). The final will be played on Sunday (February 10).   

Tim Hellyer