Sport category: Soccer CAN 2006 SPECIAL Talking Point
Date: 08-02-2006 20:46
The group stage of the 2006 African Nations Cup has now come to a close. A lot has unfolded in the tournament since it kicked off on January 20 and as we now focus on the quarter-finals, Goal.com’s Ibrahim Dabo opens a talking point where you can share your views on how your players and teams have performed so far, as well as what you think about this year’s finals.
Immediately after the Indomitable Lions’ 3-1 win over Angola during the group stages, a Cameroonian friend Derrick Tabong called me to ask whether I saw Samuel Eto’o’s cracker. “Did you see Eto’o’s lightning 22-yard shot against Angola?,” he asked referring to the 24-year-old striker’s third goal against the Palancas Negras. “It was so hot and fast that [Angola goalkeeper] Joao Ricardo lost his mind.” Indeed, the Barcelona forward has been in great form recently scoring vital goals for both country (notably in Egypt 2006) and club. I think we should call him the electric goal machine.
While many seem to be focused on Eto’o, Tunisia’s Dos Santos has also showed that he has an eye on the golden boot. The Brazilian-born striker has tremendous pace that many times leave defenders to mark their shadows. He is a key player that is helping the Carthage Eagles in their quest to retain the African title.
What about the teams… the heavyweights vs. lightweights? Lets examine one heavyweight and one lightweight here.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria, still bitterly angered at missing out on this year’s World Cup finals to the advantage of Angola, kicked off their Nations Cup campaign with a hard fought 1-0 win over arch-rivals Ghana. There has been much talk of a recent shift in the continent’s football but the heavyweight are proving that they are still ruling, despite failing to qualify for the World Cup. Nigeria eventually topped the proverbial Group of Death - which included Ghana, Senegal and Zimbabwe – winning all their matches, however, their upcoming performances and results will determine whether truly they still have a say in African football.
Togo may have qualified for the World Cup but many remain skeptical about how well they can represent the continent in this year’s finals in Germany. They lost all their group matches in finals in Egypt and yet again, failed to make a second round appearance in the tournament for the first time. Does the success of the team solely depend on Emmanuel Adebayor who was leading goalscorer during the joint qualifying rounds or are there other problems? The striker was left out of the starting XI against DR Congo in their opening Group B match, which seemed to have an effect on the team.
The Hawks’ Nigerian-born coach Stephen Keshi has cited poor preparation as a reason for their early exit in Egypt. "We only went into camp five days before the tournament to prepare, which to me is useless,” he told BBC Sport. Well, whatever the problems are, they need to be solved before Togo face France, Switzerland and South Korea during the group stages of the World Cup.
Oh! And the coaches too… Luis Oliviera Gonclaves and Kalusha Bwalya guided Angola and Zambia, respectively, in the Nations Cup but these teams have headed back home after the first rounds. On the other hand, African coaches have led teams like Senegal and Nigeria to the second rounds of the Nations Cup in Egypt while Keshi and Gonclaves qualified Togo and Angola, respectively, for their first World Cup finals. Do you think African coaches are making a big impact in the African game?
So… It’s now time to hear what you have to say. How has your player or team performed in the tournament so far? What do you think about this year’s finals by looking at the first rounds? Has there really been a shift in African football or is it too early to tell?
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Immediately after the Indomitable Lions’ 3-1 win over Angola during the group stages, a Cameroonian friend Derrick Tabong called me to ask whether I saw Samuel Eto’o’s cracker. “Did you see Eto’o’s lightning 22-yard shot against Angola?,” he asked referring to the 24-year-old striker’s third goal against the Palancas Negras. “It was so hot and fast that [Angola goalkeeper] Joao Ricardo lost his mind.” Indeed, the Barcelona forward has been in great form recently scoring vital goals for both country (notably in Egypt 2006) and club. I think we should call him the electric goal machine.