Africa’s time in the sun

(LOC) Monday 1 February 2010

The growing stature and success of African football took centre stage this past week as the Africa Cup of Nations reached its crescendo in Luanda on Sunday. And according to many of the football administrators present for the tournament, this was just a taste of things to come in 2010.


Chief Executive Officer of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa (OC), Dr Danny Jordaan, summed up the mood in Angola when he told officials gathered at the 32nd CAF Congress that Africa is not a charity but has the right to host the FIFA World Cup and any other major football competitions.

“Last year the FIFA Under 17 World Cup, the FIFA Under 20 World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup were all hosted successfully on the African continent. As we go towards this World Cup we must defend our right to host this event on the basis that as members of FIFA we are all equal, and not as a charity, but as a right.”

The media and football administrators discussed football development on the continent, preparation for the FIFA World Cup, just over 130 days away, and other football events on the African continent in 2009.

As the world continues to focus on Africa and its role in world football, Jordaan took the opportunity to congratulate Egypt and Nigeria for hosting successful tournaments last year.

“It does not matter whether you have the economy the size of the USA or of Uganda or whether you have a population the size of China or Chad, as members of FIFA we are all equal. “

FIFA President Joseph S. Blatter said it was time for the world to stop doubting Africa’s capabilities.

“Why do people still doubt Africa? We have been working with Africa for years and now we have brought the World Cup to Africa which has given so much to football. I think it is only fair that the World Cup comes to South Africa. So let us trust the organisers.”

Issa Hayatou, president of CAF and head of FIFA’S World Cup Organising Committee said he was confident that Africa’s first World Cup would be a success.

“Journalists, fans and the teams must have trust and confidence in the organisation of this tournament. All the necessary steps have been taken to ensure that this World Cup is a success.

2010 FIFA World Cup ambassador, Roger Milla, who spoke to the congress via a pre-recorded video message, once again reiterated his joy at the World Cup being hosted in Africa for the first time.

“The World Cup is an historic event and we are particularly proud not only of South Africa but of the African continent as a whole. As the days go by we that Africa is going forward and that Africa is an important part of FIFA and is part of the power of football to generate hope. I hope this will continue,” he said.

Source: http://www.fifa.com

New stars emerge in Angola

(FIFA.com) Monday 1 February 2010

While Egypt’s lifting of their third consecutive CAF Africa Cup of Nations trophy surprised few, there were plenty of revelations at the biennial tournament in Angola. Particularly notable was the emergence of a handful of players that have now planted themselves firmly on world football's radar.


This was not a tournament in which established stars dominated, with the likes of Samuel Eto’o and Didier Drogba never really hitting form. However, a new generation of players emerged to pick up the slack, providing countless memorable moments. Ahmed Hassan was surely an exception, winning the tournament’s best player award in his fourth successful continental campaign, but it was the emergence of super-sub Mohamed 'Gedo' Nagui that was the biggest bonus for Egyptian supporters.

And while Nigeria’s Peter Odemwingie, Mali’s Seydou Keita and Côte d'Ivoire’s Gervinho confirmed their places among the best on the continent, a clutch of unheralded players also caught the eye at this latest Cup of Nations.

Mohamed Nagui, Egypt
The breakout star of the tournament with five goals in as many substitute appearances, the Al Ittihad striker known as Gedo scored a goal for every 35 minutes he was on the pitch. And they were almost all top-class finishes, with his quick-thinking volley against Mozambique in the group stage arguably the best of the lot. His finish in the 85th minute of the final as Egypt beat Ghana 1-0 was every bit as classy though, and even better was his run and full-speed combination play with Mohamed Zidan that set up the chance with extra time looming.

Samuel Inkoom, Ghana
A strong and balanced right back with a knack for finding himself in the middle of attacking action up the other end, Inkoom proved himself to be a good crosser of the ball as well as a solid defender. The 20-year-old Basel youngster was one of six players from the team that won the U-20 World Cup last October, and the only difficult choice for watchers was which of the composed young Ghanaian defenders were best as Isaac Vorsah, 21, and Lee Addy, 19, also enjoyed top-drawer tournaments.

Jonathan Pitroipa, Burkina Faso
The speedy winger was about as impressive as could be for a player whose team didn’t score any goals in the event. The 23-year-old was often left to cover great distances for his side up front, and he in turn showed great acceleration and skill with both feet as his team drew 0-0 with Côte d'Ivoire before falling to Ghana 1-0. It was a measure of his heart against the Black Stars that even though he spent the match taking on more than one defender at a time, he earned praise from Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac and his backline after the match. At the other end, defender Saidou Panandetiguiri, 25, was the best of back for the Burkinabe.

Emmanuel Mbola, Zambia
Aged just 16 years and eight months, the left-back was a strong part of the Zambian team that performed so well in reaching the quarter-finals in Angola. The Armenian-based player impressed with his physical defending and attacking instincts. He was one of the side's best players in the last eight defeat to Nigeria on penalties and has already earned 20 caps for the Chipolopolo. The youngest player in the tournament, he is the second player under 17 to play at a Cup of Nations (after Gabonese striker Nzighou Chiva).

Mabina, Angola
While Flavio, Manucho and Gilberto drew most of the headlines for the hosts, little-known right-sided player Mabina also turned a lot of heads. He was a reserve coming into the event, but the Angola-based player was a tireless threat down the flank in Group A before being stymied along with the rest of his team in the quarter-finals by Ghana. Many are now describing him as the next Gilberto, referring to the 27-year-old winger who stars for Al Ahly in Egypt.

Andre Ayew, Ghana
The son of Black Stars legend Abedi Pele, Ayew has seemed to have little problem adjusting to such lofty comparisons so far in his fledgling career. Also a member of the world champion U-20 Ghana team, the 20-year-old was a confident, positive presence in midfield for the injury-hit Black Stars in Angola. The Marseille player was very comfortable on the ball and excelled in running at opposition defences. He kept his concentration to head home the only goal against Burkina Faso in Group B, which sent his team into the knockout rounds. .

Victor Nsofor Obinna, Nigeria
After coming on as a substitute in each of his country’s first five Cup of Nations matches and impressing with his rangy agility and dangerous running, Nsofor finally started a match in the third-place contest against Algeria. And the player, who is on loan at Malaga from Inter Milan, did not disappoint. The 22-year-old scored the game’s only goal with a tremendous burst of pace through the middle of Les Fennecs' defence before finishing well with his left foot. It was one of the best moments of the tournament for the bronze-medal winners.

Kwadwo Asamoah, Ghana
The 21-year-old Udinese midfielder had one of the sweetest touches in the Cup of Nations, justifying his wearing of the No10 shirt at such a young age. It was his corner kick that curled perfectly onto the head of Asamoah Gyan, who scored the all-important goal in the semi-final against Nigeria. He also showed great skill in the Group B encounter against Côte d'Ivoire with speed and a fine shot that forced the best from goalkeeper Boubacar Barry.

Didier Ovono, Gabon
The goalkeeper, who turned 27 during the tournament, was the hero of the Black Panthers’ shock 1-0 victory over Cameroon to open the tournament. And though the team went out at the group stage based on goals scored, the Le Mans player continued to make an impact with his leadership of the backline and quick reflexes. Ovono only saw his goal breached twice at the CAN, both by Zambia in their third match. Talented young defender Bruno Ecuele Manga also impressed for the Gabonese.

Source: http://www.fifa.com

Zidan: We can still get better

(FIFA.com) Monday 1 February 2010

If there were any questions or doubts before the CAF Africa Cup of Nations about Egypt’s strength in African football, the Pharaohs offered the best possible answer by winning their third consecutive continental trophy and a record seventh overall.


Statistically, they are the most successful team in African football by almost all conceivable measures, and they have now put behind them the disappointment of losing out on a FIFA World Cup™ berth. It was enough to make the usually steely Egyptian coach Hassan Shehata gush after the 1-0 final win over Ghana. “This is the best Egypt team ever, of any generation. Three in a row is something that will be hard to beat,” he said.

FIFA.com spoke exclusively to one of the shining stars of the team, Mohamed Zidan, minutes after they had been crowned as champions of Africa at the 11 November stadium in Luanda. The Borussia Dortmund forward, who turned 29 during the event, says that despite finishing the tournament with a perfect record, the Egyptians are still hungry to achieve more.

FIFA.com: First of all, congratulations on winning yet another Africa Cup of Nations. It’s been yet another flawless campaign for Egypt.
Zidan: Yes, we are very excited with this victory. It’s very moving for us. We knew that that the final was important for us as we wanted to set another record. We are all hungry to achieve more. And the good thing is, I believe we can be better. We have now won this competition three times in a row and anyone who wants to equal our record will have to work very hard.

Egypt have now won the Africa Cup of Nations seven times. Do you think anyone can top that record?
I would say it’s impossible, but again, in football, they say nothing is impossible. I don’t see that happening anytime soon though. To beat this record, I think a team must come up with something very special for a long time.

Would you say this is the best Egyptian side ever?
That is not for me to say, that is for the people and the fans to decide. I think we just have to focus on doing well as a team and let others judge. We are enjoying our football at the moment. I’m not in a position to make comparisons.
Honestly, there is no secret. I think the most important thing is that we don’t really have any big stars in our team.
Zidan on Egypt's success

Playing Ghana in the final was never going to be an easy task for you.
Ghana are a quality side, they are a good team and we have a lot of respect for them. We watched them against Nigeria in the semis, and we saw a very organised team. We knew that we had to play very well to beat them. As I said, playing against a side like Ghana is not easy, they have some good players, and they gave us a good game. And they had their chances, but fortunately for us, they couldn’t score. I think the difference between us and them is that we utilised our best chance to score.

Many people say Egypt played the best football in this tournament. What was the biggest motivation for you and the team?
In every competition, we always try to do our best. We came to this tournament determined to play good football and obviously defend this trophy, and we have done that. It was not easy because there were many good sides in this competition. If you look at some of the teams, they have good players and those teams play good football. But we knew what we wanted to achieve and we decided that we were not going to concentrate on them. We played good football, and we won all our matches. I think it was only fair that we won the trophy at the end of the day.

What is the secret behind the success of this Pharaohs team?
A lot of people tend to ask that question, but honestly, there is no secret. I think the most important thing is that we don’t really have any big stars in our team. By that, I don’t mean we don’t have good players, but in our team, we see each other as equal. Everyone is there to work for the team. We have one objective and that is to make Egypt the best. We try and develop ourselves every match and improve.

Just how important is the captain, Ahmed Hassan, to the team?
He has been brilliant in this competition. He leads by example. But as said, we don’t really single out players in our camp, everything we do, we do it as a team. We fight for each other, we play for each other. But yes, Ahmed is a special player who has a lot of experience.

What does the future hold for you?
At the moment I’m happy, and I’m enjoying football. I don’t worry about the future. Let me just say that we will see. But as I said, I’m happy for now.

Finally, missing on the World Cup must have been disappointing for you and fellow Egyptians.
Oh yes, it was. I was looking forward to playing at this World Cup in South Africa. But I don’t have to talk about that forever. It’s in the past now, and we would rather focus on the future.

Source: http://www.fifa.com