Okay so the AFCON is here and even though Bafana Bafana didn’t make it (even after celebrating like idiots thinking they did) I’m sure this tournament is going to be an enthralling one I’ve got my 3 favourites for the tournament and one of them is likely to win the whole thing.
3. Senegal
My third favorite is Senegal, they are in a pretty easy group which includes Zambia, the hosts Equatorial Guinea, and Libya I would expect them to get all nine points unless something funny happens.
Much hype has been made about Demba Ba but I’m still not convinced I personnnaly like the tried and tested players like Mamadou Niang and Souleymane Camara. Although Ba has been great this season for is club side in England scoring 15 goals in the league but nobody has ever seen him play at this type of tournament.
Senegal have given us great footballing memories like the time they whopped the aging France side at the 2002 World Cup but at the AFCON they really haven’t done much too get us excited but maybe this year could be their year.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Bouna Coundoul (New York Red Bulls),Khadim Ndiaye (ASC Linguere),Pape Latyr Ndiaye (US Ouakam)
Defenders: Omar Daf (Stade Brest),Pape Malickou Diakhate (Grenada),Souleymane Diawara (Olympique Marseille), Jacques Faty (Sivasspor), Kader Mangane (Stade Rennes), Cheikh Mbengue (Toulouse), Armand Traore (Queens Park Rangers), Mustapha Bayal Sall (Doincaster Rovers), Lamine Sane (Girodins Bordeaux)
Midfielders: Issiar Dia (Fenerbahce), Remi Gomis (Valenciennes), Mohamed Diame (Wigan Athletic), Guirane Ndaw (Birmingham City)
Forwards: Demba Ba (Newcastle United), Souleymane Camara (Montpellier), Papiss Demba Cisse (SC Freiburg), Ndiaye Deme Ndiaye (Arles-Avignon), Dame Ndoye (FC Copenhagen), Mamadou Niang (Al Sadd), Moussa Sow (Lille)
2. Ghana
Yes! The Black Stars of Ghana are my second favorites even though Michael Essien is out injured and mrapper Kevin-Prince Boateng announced his retirement last year (watch how quickly he changes his mind when they qualify for Brazil 2014) Ghana still have a better than average squad.
Asamoah Gyan, Dede Ayew, Emmanuel Agyemang Badu are few of the attacking players you should look out for.
They are in a group with our beloved neighbors Botswana I’l be rooting for them to do well but I want them to lose because I betted that they wont get a point in this group (sorry Zebras I got kids to feed) anyway Ghana have been Champions in ’63,’65, ’78, ’80, and the previous AFCON they were Runners-up to once the best team in African and now old age home Egypt. So it been like 30 years since they last won the AFCON and this year, with all the talent they have in their team, just could be their year.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Daniel Adjei (Liberty Professionals), Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset), Ernest Sowah (Berekum Chelsea)
Defenders: Lee Addy (Red Star Belgrade), Masawudu Alhassan (Genoa), John Boye (Stade Rennais), Samuel Inkoom (Dnipro), John Paintsil (Leicester City), John Mensah (Lyon), Jonathan Mensah (Evian), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege), Isaac Vorsah (Hoffenheim)
Midfielders: Mohammed Abu (Stromsgodset), Kwadwo Asamoah (Udinese), Anthony Annan (Vitesse), Andre Ayew (Marseille), Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Derek Boateng (Dnipro), Sulley Muntari (Inter), Charles Takyi (St. Pauli)
Forwards: Jordan Ayew (Marseille), Asamoah Gyan (Al Ain), Prince Tagoe (Bursaspor)
1. Cote d’Ivoire
Being ranked number one in Africa and with players like, African player of the year Yaya Toure, Midfield Bully Chiek Tiote, and Didier ‘Tito’ Drogba it would be hard to pick against The Elephants.
Even though for the past 7 years or so a lot has been expected from the Ivory Coast and they haven’t delivered. Going out first round in the 2010 World Cup in Mzansti and also not being convincing at previous AFCON tournaments. But this year I got a feeling, a good feeling, that they’re going to take the main prize.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Copa Barry (Beveren),Gerard Gnanhouan (Avranches), Daniel Yeboah (Dijon)
Defenders: Benjamin Angoua (Valenciennes), Sol Bamba (Leicester City), Boka Athur (Stuttgart), Emmanuel Eboue, (Galatasaray) Lolo Igor (Kuban), Siaka Tiene (PSG), Kolo Toure (Manchester City), Didier Zokora
(Trabzonspor)
Midfielders: Tioté Cheick (Newcastle), Kafoumba Coulibaly (Nice), Gosso Gosso (Orduspor), Max Gradel (Sainte Etienne), Ya Konan (Hannover), Yaya Toure (Manchester City),
Forwards: Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Didier Drogba (Chelsea), Gervinho (Arsenal), Kader Keïta (Al Sadd), Salomon Kalou (Chelsea), Bony Wilfried (Vitesse)
