2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations

[Sħãlïq™]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/03/2012_Africa_Cup_of_Nations_logo.png

Just a month to go... No Cameroon, no Nigeria, no South Africa this time around...

 

Group A

Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Senegal, Zambia

 

Group B

Ivory Coast, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Angola

 

Group C

Gabon, Niger, Morocco, Tunisia

 

Group D

Ghana, Botswana, Mali, Guinea

[Cobb]

Zambia and Ivory Coast in the finals. Game is on Sunday.

[Sħãlïq™]

It looks like Ivory Coast will finally conquer the continent's trophy. I remember how a few years ago they lost in the final. Didier Drogba, my favorite (active) player Abdul-Kader Keïtá & co. deserve it.

 

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40939000/jpg/_40939678_trophy270a.jpg

 

CÔTE D'IVOIRE FTW!!

http://ystudio.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/keita.jpg

Edited February 9, 2012 by Šhãłïq

[Sħãlïq™]

Ghana faces Mali in the 3rd Place play-off today.

[Sħãlïq™]

Ghana faces Mali in the 3rd Place play-off today.

Mali upset Ghana 2:0 to claim the bronze medals.

 

Africa Cup of Nations: Zambia and Ivory Coast in Final

http://i44.tinypic.com/8yfggg.png http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/02/08/sports/soccer/ivory/ivory-articleInline.jpg

 

Emmanuel Mayuka (left) after scoring the goal that sent Zambia to the Cup of Nations final.

Gervinho after scoring for Ivory Coast just before halftime of its semifinal match Thursday against Mali.

 

Zambia, which saw most of its national team players killed in a plane crash in 1993, then advanced to the final of the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations, upset favored Ghana Wednesday to advance to this year’s final. The championship match, against Ivory Coast, which defeated Mali, 1-0, in the other semifinal, will be played in Libreville, Gabon, the site of the accident 18 years ago, which killed 25 players and team officials. Ivory Coast advanced to the final on a goal in the 45th minute by the Arsenal striker Gervinho. The Zambia substitute Emmanuel Mayuka, who plays for Young Boys in Bern, Switzerland, scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute.

 

“There’s something written that we have to go to play to honor the memories of the Zambia national team that died in 1993,” Zambia’s French Coach Hervé Renard told The Associated Press. “It was catastrophic for the nation. The 12 million people of Zambia are waiting for us to go back to Libreville. Immediately [after] we arrive, we will go to the place. We just have to think of them and play for them and play for Zambia because it’s a fantastic country.”

 

The match in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, was played before a mostly empty national stadium because one of the co-hosts (actually both) had been eliminated earlier in the tournament. The Black Stars of Ghana (No. 26 in the FIFA rankings) who advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, were poised to take the lead in the eighth minute of the game, but a penalty kick by Asamoah Gyan was saved by the Chipolopolo (the Copper Bullets) goalkeeper, Kennedy Mweene. Gyan also missed a spot kick in overtime against Uruguay in the World Cup, a miss that eventually cost Ghana a possible spot in the semifinals after losing in a penalty-kick shootout.

Full Story

 

http://www.zambian.com/assets/images/football-association-of-zambia-faz-logo01.gif vs http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0c/FIF_NewCrest.png/105px-FIF_NewCrest.png

 

Another good read:

Zambia Vs. Cote D'Ivoire: Copper Bullets Try To Shoot Down 'Les Éléphants'

Edited February 12, 2012 by Šhãłïq

[Sħãlïq™]

We're going into Extra Time.

[Cobb]

We're going into Extra Time.

It is in penalties now.

 

All tied at 5 though, so now it is time for sudden death.

[Sħãlïq™]

Underdogs Zambia - champions against all odds:

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/30u8gzs.png

[Cobb]

Sucks for Ivory Coast, but you have to feel happy for Zambia.

 

Terrible showing for all the "stars" today. Gervinho and Kolo Touré both miss penalties. Didier Drogba made his, but missed one in regular time.

[Sħãlïq™]

^ That's the second time in the last 3 editions of the Nations Cup that 'The Elefants' reach the final and can't take the trophy. In other news:

 

Spotlight suits rising co-hosts

 

http://www.fifa.com/mm//Photo/WorldFootball/NationalTeams/01/57/96/08/1579608_FULL-LND.jpg

 

Although Zambia flew home with the gold trophy, there were many winners after three weeks of exhilarating action at the recently concluded CAF Africa Cup of Nations. A first-ever title for the underdog Chipolopolo is being celebrated with gusto, but it was generally a tournament of surprises and unlikely advancement - for none more than co-hosts Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

 

The concept of co-hosting itself was a risk taken so that smaller countries could step into the spotlight, and the two Atlantic-bordering nations passed the off-pitch tests with excellent marks. “This is the first time we have had two countries co-bidding to host the finals and putting together the tournament together,” said Confederation of African Football President Issa Hayatou. “And it proved a great success. We think both have done a wonderful job.”

http://www.fifa.com/worldranking/news/newsid=1584692/index.html