18 February 2002
analysis
Ademola Olajire, who was in Mali, appraises the teams that participated in the 23rd African Nations Cup finals, the continent s own version of the football World Cup
MALI
IT was a tearful scene. The beautiful work done by local and indigenous coaches for five years had come to a not too fruitful end. Malians would have wished for the trophy, but in the eyes of African soccer buffs, their fourth place was a graceful coup. Mali played some of the most eye-catching football of the tournament, their wonderful playmaker Seydou Keita possessing as much agility as charisma. In Skipper Soumaila Coulibaly, Mali had a man who led by example. Never to be cowed by any occasion, Coulibaly stormed into every contention and debated well with his legs, his chest, his head. He was the man with the steel and skill, while keita provided the flair. That Mali got to the semi finals was credit to Keita s improvising and dashing runs as much as to the pace and power of Coulibaly. Then of course, not to forget bassala Toure, whose goal against South Africa in Kayes must be in the running for the goal of the tournament. It is hard to say whether Mali should laugh or cry. The team of former junior internationals did its best in the circumstances. Expectations were too high, to be candid, that a team that had played in only two finals before could walk off with the Nations Cup simply because it was hosting. A team is in place, and when the next rounds of World Cup and African Nations Cup qualifiers come around, Mali will be ready to mount a challenge. That should be enough.. Mali 2002 Position:4th..Nations Cup record:3 appearances, 16 matches played,5 won, 5 drawn, 6 lost, 20 goals for and 24 against. NIGERIA
NIGERIA
Super Eagles or Chicken Eagles? A team that used to be known as the best in Africa looked like they missed their way at the continent s biggest house party. Lacking in confidence, it was no surprise that the 1996 Olympic champions could not stand up to the challenge of Senegal, a team to whom they have not lost in recent memory. Star players Austin Okocha, Sunday Oliseh and Finidi George were the biggest mal-actors, destroying the good work of a few guys who wanted to make a point in the tournament. However, the spoilers could not stop a rampaging Julius Aghahowa, though their attitude to the semifinal against Senegal infuriated him to commit the foul that meant he missed the third place and the highest scorer s award. For sure, the Super Eagles are not ready for the World cup. A purge is inevitable, for any progress to be made. Coaches Amodu, Keshi and Erico have proved they cannot take the sure footed decisions that make the difference between victory and defeat. What was the reason for starting Ike Shorounmu against Senegal in the semi, after the goalkeeper had a horrible injury in the previous match and only managed to cheat death? The psychological trauma alone weighed down the keeper. From the first minute against Senegal, when he watched a direct shot by Henri Camara sail over him, the coaches should have known it was not his day. They left him there, just as they left the ineffective Garba Lawal, who had no reason playing for more than ten minutes. The Nigerian defence showed some good presence of mind, and it was no surprise that two of them - TariboWest and ifeanyi Udeze got into the CAF First Eleven .Karibe ojigwe showed in the third place match that he is a candidate for the World Cup, alongside Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Nwankwo Kanu and Joseph Yobo. But it should be bye-bye to Finidi, Oliseh, Okocha and Victor Ikpeba, who played horribly in the only game he could have had a chance to play-the third place against Mali. .Mali 2002 Position:3rd..Nations Cup record:12 appearances, 58 matches played,29 won, 15 drawn, 14 lost 84 goals for and 63 against.. SENEGAL
The African team of the moment. Coach Bruno Metsu stood there forcing back the tears as his Captain, Aliou Cisse of French side Montpellier blew his kick in the penalty shoot-out. That meant Cameroon were African champions again, and Senegal, who had held out against the Indomitable Lions in perhaps the best Nations Cup Final of all time, were second best. Two years ago, Senegal were thought to be upset artists when they reached the quarter finals in Nigeria. Early last year, anyone suggesting that Senegal could be African champions would have been sneezed at. Not anymore. Metsu genuinely believed his lads deserved the Nations Cup, and they showed that in the way they held the Lions at bay for 120 nerve-tearing minutes. Before the match, Cameroon s talismanic defender and Captain Rigobert Song had dismissed the other Lions, saying they would have preferred to play Nigeria and be assured of a great final. He did not see Senegal giving the champions a tough time. But Song was made to chew his words many times during the match. Cameroon could have found a way through in the Lions lair and Song s penalty in the shoot-out was parried by Goalkeeper Mario Sylva. Apart from Cameroon, Senegal looked the other African flag bearer to be ready for Korea/Japan. Nigeria, South Africa and Tunisia have a lot of hard work on their hands. .Mali 2002 Position:2nd.Nations Cup record:8 appearances, 30 matches played,12 won, 7 drawn, 11 lost, 34 goals for and 25 against..
CAMEROON
Champions again! It was not only the way Cameroon won the Nations Cup that should bother other so-called big teams in Africa. From the very first day, they made it clear they would not settle for second best. Even their jersey showed they were ready for business and would not mind using power, raw power to achieve their goal. The Congo Democratic Republic was first to fall, a television goal by Patrick Mboma accounting for the three points.
Then Mboma punished Cote d Ivoire in the last five minutes, before the goals tap opened against Togo .After their playing legend and goalkeeper coach Thomas Nkono was rough handled before the semi against Mali, it was predictable that the Lions would attack the game with anger. They did, and could have scored a dozen goals if they had not taken their feet off the pedal. Two gold medals in the Nations Cup and Olympic gold, was it a surprise that Samuel Eto O Fils stripped himself naked at the blast of Referee El Ghandour s whistle on the final day? Yes, the Lions are ready for the World Cup. Their group opponents should watch it!. Mali 2002 Position:1st..Nations Cup record:12 appearances, 53 matches played,30 won, 12 drawn, 11 lost, 74 goals for and 49against.
SOUTH AFRICA
A big disappointment. The Bafana Bafana never woke up to the tournament.
Having won gold, silver and bronze in the past three editions, many thought they were ready to begin all the way from the very top again. Qualification for the World Cup finals, their second consecutive , made Portuguese coach Carlos Quieroz believe he had a team capable of shaking Africa. But the Bafana could not even beat Burkina Faso in their opening match and great energy expended on getting Captain Shaun Bartlett to come to Mali proved not worth the while. Bartlett ended the tournament a terrrible flop, with very few people realising the top scorer at the last championship was even there. Perhaps the Bafana should not have come to Mali. For the miserable outing is bound to have a negative impact on their World Cup trip in the summer. Is it that the Bafana cannot do without Mark Fish? Fish had opted to stay with English side Charlton Athletic, the same club Bartlett plays for, instead of coming to the African show. Coming fourth would have been a poor show. But when they finished eight, Coach Carlos and his wards needed nobody to tell them they were out of sync. Now, Carlos may be forced to recall those stars who have shunned him for the trip to Mali if he hopes to win confidence for his World Cup build-up. Eric Tinkler, Captain in the uncertainty that surrounded Bartlett, showed he still possessed the steel at the centre of defence, but the message that Benni McCarthy sent out with his outing was that he is no longer in the smoking room. Most of the time, McCarthy simply fouled opponents without making concrete contributions to his team s game, and honestly he would need to do much to earn a place in the squad to korea/Japan.. Mali 2002 Position:8th..Nations Cup record:4 appearances, 22 matches played,13 won, 5 drawn, 4 lost, 31 goals for and 17 against.
CONGO DR
Coach Louis Watunda and his Simba arrived in Bamako with a lot of confidence, afterall Mali is next door to Burkina Faso, where they picked up bronze four years ago. They were also in the same group with Cote d Ivoire, whom they had beaten at home in a World Cup qualifier months earlier, and a Togolese team certainly out of sorts without a number of key Europe based stars. But it is never easy playing the defending champions in the first match at any competition, and woe betide any team if that happens to be Cameroon. After holding out for 40 minutes, the Congolese were caught napping by an Mboma rocket. When star player and captain Shabani Nonda left to play for this club in a midweek game in France, Congo failed to beat Togo. Shaban was back for Cote d Ivoire and they shocked the tournament by winning 3-1.They have won the trophy twice before, but not in the past 28 years. The Simba seem to have withered in strength in African football. The war has not helped, just as the players themselves have to show more commitment ..Mali 2002 Position:7th..Nations Cup record: 13 appearances, 49 matches played, 15 won, 14 drawn, 19 lost 61 goals for and 68against.
GHANA
When will the Black Stars shine again? That was the question everyone was asking at the March 26Stadium on February 3, after the Eagles of Nigeria sent out their West African rivals from the finals. In years gone by, Ghanaians would have been inconsolable after a loss to Nigeria in international football, especially in a terrain as the African Nations Cupthat they believe is their own. But their fans were dancing and singing at the end, jubilating that it had not been the outright wipe-out they feared. For them, it was enough that a team was being prepared ahead of the World Cup 2006, and what mattered was that that squad had shown promise. A scorching shot by Garba Lawal in the second half separated both teams.
However, in as much as GFA boss, Benjamin Kuofie, Coach Fred Osam Duodu and GFA technical chief Abedi Pele would celebrate a quarter final effort, they should recall that they very nearly failed to reach there. Burkina Faso were leading them until the last minute. Duodu would have to determine whether he can carry on with just the greenhorns, or add some ample experience in all departments. Kudos to young Goalkeeper Sammy Adjei who showed in Mali that he is ready for the Europe big market. The expulsion of Germany based defender Sammy Kuffour was the biggest news in their camp.
The Deputy Captain was accused of keeping late nights. It is now 20 years since Ghana last won the cup, and10 years since they won a medal at the African championship. A lot of work has to be done to get the Black Stars out of thick cloud.. Mali 2002 Position:6th..Nations Cup record:14 appearances, 57 matches played,32 won, 11 drawn, 13 lost, 78 goals for and 46against.
EGYPT
An Egytian player failed a dope test during the finals to set the searchlight on the Pharaohs .Before that unfortunate incident, not much attention was on the team s camp. Defeat to Senegal in their opening match did not help matters. Three defenders were guilty of ball-watching when Lamine Diatta s weak header sailed into the net. Just when they were getting some serious mention, after beating World Cup-bound Tunisia, the Pharaohs spoilt it . It is not yet known which player failed the test, since a second test is mandatory. But that did not help the team s image.
Not even the 2-1 defeat of Zambia. Then, when it looked like they were capable of doing something in this
desert as they did in the desert of Burkina Faso four years ago, the Pharaohs failed to measure up against holders Cameroon, going down without a whimper. It was the laziest match they have played in recent times.
Instead of making it a fifth win and going clearly ahead of Ghana in the all-time ranking, Egypt lost the plot and allowed Cameroon to catch up on the mark. .Mali 2002 Position:5th..Nations Cup record:18 appearances, 69 matches played,36 won, 8 drawn, 25 lost, 111 goals for and 69 against.
COTE D IVOIRE
Rated as one of the strongest teams coming to the tournament, on the premise of their powerful showing in the World Cup qualifiers, the Elephants proved to be paper tigers. Not since Cameroon at Algeria 90 has a team been so disappointing. Their 3-1 defeat to the Congo Democratic republic was a big blow to Ivorian football. Never has Congo expressed supremacy over Cote d Ivoire on the field so commandingly. Less than seven months previously, the Elephants had lost at home to Congo DR, albeit in a meaningless world Cup game. Failure to defeat Togo in their second match set the stage for the disgraceful loss to the central Africans. Players like Lassina Diabate, Guel Tchiressoua, Ibrahima Bakayoko, Aruna Dindane, Abdulkader Keita and Bonaventure Kalou failed to live up to their reputation .Kalou and Bakayoko, who scored 11 goals in World Cup series, were particularly disappointing. Where do the Elephants go from here? It is hard to predict. They have no World Cup finals to look forward to. The2004 preliminaries are around the corner though. .Final placing:16th..Nations Cup record : 15 appearances, 56 matches played, 23 won, 11 drawn, 22 lost 75 goals for and 67 against. Champions in 1992.
BURKINA FASO
The Etalons failed to sparkle into life, despite an attempted come-back against the Moroccans. from the word go, they were not expected to crush Group B team mates Morocco, South Africa and Ghana, but it was thought that they could put some flash on the tournament taking place in their neighbourhood. Perhaps the sacking of Argentine coach Oscar Full one few months to the Championship contributed to the poor showing. It was not the team that careered to fourth place at home four years ago. Somehow, they were able to raise hope by drawing with World Cup-bound South Africa in their first match. But the loss to Morocco led to the unexpected defeat by Ghana. The team showed inexperience. Goalkeeper Mohammed Kabore and defender Mamadou Fall argued at crucial sand that led to the team conceding two goals in the last minute against Ghana, when they were staring a place in the quarter finals in the face. .Mali 2002 Position:13th..Nations Cup record:4 appearances, 15 matches played,2 won, 4 drawn, 9 lost, 16 goals for and 30 against.
ALGERIA
Despite a disgraceful international friendly against World champions France at the Stade de France in October , Algeria recovered to win a number of build-up games and serve hope that they could do something in Mali. The confidence of former playing legend Rabah Madjer did not appear misplaced.
There were players like Abdelhafid Tasfaout, farid Ghazi and Rafik Saifi who had shown a lot of comportment on the international road. The only problem Madjer appeared to face was the low morale in the team following a poor run in the World Cup series. When Algeria took the pitch against Nigeria, they looked to have forgotten the World Cup misadventure and were on to something. Impressive in the build up, the young team however lacked punch upfront. They played brilliantly to put the Super Eagles on the back foot for long periods, but failed to make the pressure pay off, until Julius Aghahowa caught them napping. That pattern characterised their campaign. It was no surprise they failed to eke a win. They need some time to mature into a team capable of standing up to the best in Africa.. Mali 2002 position: 15th..Nations Cup record : 12 appearances, 47 matches played, 19 won, 11 drawn, 17 lost, 58 goals scored and 50 against.
Champions in 1990.
ZAMBIA
A young team, capable of fighting the best teams in Africa to a standstill, but must learn how to do the most important thing in football- scoring.
Players like Andrew Sinkala, Moses Sichone, Gift Kampamba and Mark Sinyagwe did things with the ball that were delightful to the eye. But like the Algerians, they were short on the final punch. Coach Raould Poulsen must be proud of the new team that has been put together under such a short period.
By the time they play in the qualifiers for 2004, they would be much better. The Zambia that we all used to know, the Kalusha Zambia was not the one we saw in Mali. But like every serious nation, you have to know when to take out the guys who have gone past the period and start afresh, not necessarily on winning note. The Chipolopolo did not impress in Mali, crashing out in the first round for the second consecutive championship.
But they were not disgraced.. Mali 2002 Position:14th.Nations Cup record:11 appearances, 41 matches played,16 won, 10 drawn, 15 lost, 55 goals for and 43against.
MOROCCO
Portuguese coach Humberto Coelho was unable to build a team that could take the same of World Cup non-qualification off the North African giants. His job is on line, for sure. The Moroccans, who also exited at the group stage in Ghana\Nigeria two years ago, look resigned to the curse that the Nations Cup is not their terrain. The only time they have won was in 1976. The Atlas Lions that came to Mali never looked convincing, though some of the players should have seized the opportunity of the absence of some mainstream guys to stamp their seriousness. It was not too bad drawing with Ghana and beating Burkina Faso. But the 3-1 loss to South Africa, who also got them out of the competition four years ago, was unexpected. Moreso when the South Africans had failed to score in their first two matches prior to that game.. Mali 2002 Position:9th..Nations Cup record:10 appearances, 39 matches played,13 won, 16 drawn, 10 lost, 38 goals for and 35 against.
NOTE: Analysis of the other teams will follow later.
TUNISIA
Certainly the most disappointing team of the tournament. Many people, including CAF chieftains were wondering whether the North Africans would not disappoint Africa at the World Cup finals in the summer. They failed to score even one goal, in all three matches, proving that their smoking form in the World Cup qualifying series was a fluke. They lost to Magrebian rivals Egypt and failed to beat Zambia, then were lucky to have escaped with a draw against Senegal. New coach Henri Michel also proved he has not mastered the African Nations Cup terrain. Two years ago, he led Morocco to first round elimination in Nigeria. For all their great showing in African club competitions, Tunisia has failed to lift the Nations Cup, even after hosting twice. They harbour great expectations for the next edition, which they host in two years time.. Mali 2002 Position:11th..Nations Cup record:10 appearances, 36 matches played,9 won, 12 drawn, 15 lost, 43 goals for and 47 against.
LIBERIA
So many problems followed the Liberians to Mali. Some players failed to arrive the camp in Coted Ivoire on time, despite presidential exhortations.
They did not play a single tune-up game. One match organised against Egypt failed to take place when the officials and home-based players failed to arrive from home. George Weah was apparently pissed off by the refusal of the government to release money for the team s campaign. Under such circumstances, not much was expected of the Lone Star. The draw against Mali was an impressive performance. And when they looked like beating Algeria, there was joy among their few fans.But in the end, they allowed a last minute equaliser and then failed to hold ground against World Cup foes Nigeria. The Lone Star appear headed into a thick cloud following public condemnation of President Charles Taylor by Weah, plus the latter s retirement. .Mali 2002 Position:10th.Nations Cup record:2 appearances, 5 matches played, 1won, 2 drawn, 2 lost, 5 goals scored and 7 against.
TOGO
From the kick off, Togo looked capable of doing something, with youthful goalkeeper Kossi Agassa, who is on work-out with Metz in France displaying superb confidence. That accounted for the team drawing their first two matches, against Congo DR and Cote d Ivoire. The Ivorians were able to get a few shots at close range but Agassa was up to the task. If they were not in the same group with in-form Cameroon perhaps Togo would have made it to the knock-out stage for the first time in history. The Hawks were pounded 3-0 by the Lions and they were on their way back to Lome after group stage.
Surely, the absence of Germany-based Bachirou Salou did did not help the cause of Coach Tchanile Bana. .Mali 2002 Position:12th.Nations Cup record:5 appearances, 15 matches played,2 won, 6 drawn, 7 lost, 11 goals for and 25 against.
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