Bagzi Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Sunday 10 January 2010 Home Draw Away BPP Angola v Mali (19:00 GMT) 2.37 3.2 3 106.69 % Monday 11 January 2010 Home Draw Away BPP Malawi v Algeria (13:45 GMT) 6.5 3.55 1.69 102.73 % Côte d'Ivoire v Burkina Faso (16:00 GMT) 1.36 4.6 10 105.07 % Ghana v Togo (18:30 GMT) 1.55 4 7 103.80 % Tuesday 12 January 2010 Home Draw Away BPP Egypt v Nigeria (16:00 GMT) 2.83 3.25 2.62 104.20 % Mozambique v Benin (18:30 GMT) 3.2 3.25 2.39 103.86 % Wednesday 13 January 2010 Home Draw Away BPP Cameroon v Gabon (16:00 GMT) 1.48 4 8.5 104.33 % Zambia v Tunisia (18:30 GMT) 5 3.5 1.79 104.44 % Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bagzi Posted January 4, 2010 Author Share Posted January 4, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-13 jan 10) Ghana (-1)AH looking realy good at these odds @2.02 (canbet), but will wait for team info :ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tulenos Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-13 jan 10) Odds to win the whole thing Côte d'Ivoire3.253.53.53.33.53.253.253.253.43.253.253.43.53.43.53.252.873.43.3 Cameroon5.55.55.56.466.55.56.566.54.56.56.56.56666.86.4 Ghana65.55.56.656665.566555.54.55.5676.6 Egypt99109.2108.5999910108959109.610 Nigeria9889.210999109997.59111089.69.4 Algeria15111112.51213151311111313131513121314.514 Tunisia1515916121715151515111313151313171720 Angola21212122202121171721212117212121172419.5 Mali21212120202621232121262321172929212222 Gabon34262533403434343434343441343429513544 Burkina Faso67414162606767515141515167676734677065 Togo51415170606751676741674151676751677875 Benin81414184606781815141515167811014110110095 Zambia10167677260811016751676751676781511018065 Malawi151101101160150101151101101151101126101151151101126200180 Mozambique151101101160150151151101101151101101151151201101201200180Place terms (Highlight E/W)2 1/22 1/2 2 1/22 1/22 1/2 2 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/22 1/2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vilamoura04 Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Watched the last couple of these and they are really great to watch - looking forward to this one. I havent had time to look into this in depth but I read in an old Kevin Pullein article that this is another tournament where the host nation usually does much better than expectations. Also that there is regional advantage - West african nations have a good record when the tournament is held in West Africa etc. However this time - and please excuse my embarassing lack of knowledge of the tournament and geography - I understand Angola is in Southern Africa and that the tournament has only been held in that region once (south africa). So we dont really have much to go on other than favouring the host nation...but 20/1 outright looks a little short on a team that are 95th in the world rankings and 20th in the african rankings? Can we see them beating the likes of Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Egypt? Will investigate further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sir_tubbs Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Top goalscorer Samuel Etoo 5/1 @ stanjames Etoo is a world class striker and has won this the last few times. Drogba is fravoutie and is probably the best african player but ivory coast dont have the easiest group whereas cameroon should score plenty of goals with etoo getting a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ra1nmaker Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) I’m strangely excited by this tourney, despite the odd start (1st , only one, game on Sunday and 3 games on the Monday), the poor KO times, for a working uk stiff, and rubbish tv coverage. Here is the Fifa rankings. Rank Zonal Rank Team Pts Odds 11 1 Cameroon 1035 6.50 16 2 Côte d'Ivoire 934 3.25 22 3 Nigeria 848 10.00 24 4 Egypt 832 9.00 26 5 Algeria 823 13.00 34 6 Ghana 747 5.50 47 7 Mali 662 26.00 48 8 Gabon 660 34.00 49 9 Burkina Faso 650 67.00 53 10 Tunisia 614 17.00 59 11 Benin 532 67.00 71 13 Togo 467 67.00 72 14 Mozambique 462 151.00 84 17 Zambia 380 81.00 95 20 Angola 337 21.00 99 23 Malawi 326 101.00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ra1nmaker Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) My impression is that there is a big difference from top 6 to the rest. However more interesting I think is the difference in the squad make ups, even amongst the big 6. Cameroon– Top Fifa ranked. They get out their group. Multiple previous winners and runners up last time. Top flight players in N’Guemo (Celt), Song (Ars), Kameni (Esp) with class acts Makoun (Lyon) and Eto’o (Inter). Also look out for Webo (Mallorca) Côte d'Ivoire– Favs but no WC experience since 1992, but have become a force in AFN with a runner up and 4th in the last two comps. Wow an impressive squad form the Euro leagues. But what about their mentality? With Toure (MC), Toure (Barca), Eboue (Ars),Kone (Mon) added to arguably the best player in the competition and England Drogba (Che) they have the most talented and proffesional squad. Nigeria– Usually make last 4 in ANC. Players from all round the shop. Yobo (Eve), Martins (Wolf), Mikel (Che), Obinna (Mal). This might be a good together squad. Watch out for the Gk, Enyeama, he can’t be left in Israel for much longer, Egypt– Mostly home based squad who I know nothing about. But they are an experience squad and Egypt have wone the last two ANC. Algeria– A mixed home and abroad squad. I’m interested to see more of them. Bougherra (Ran), Yebda (Port) and Belhadj (Port) are decent players. The squad is full of mid 20s players, could be an exciting team to watch in a potentially soft group. Ghana- Any team that has Essien (Che) must be worth watching. But this is a squad in transition and need some youngster to step up. Look out for Adiyiah ( Mil) a goal scorer and Asamoah (Udi) athletic with an eye for a pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) I've written up a preview of each team involved in the tournament..please feel free to add to any of the info i've stated or correct any information that is wrong..one thing i am lacking is knowledge of how well different African sides play in different areas of the country, i imagine that as this tournament is being played in Angola the climate will suit some teams more than others..:ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) GROUP A: ANGOLA, MALI, MALAWI, ALGERIA 01-10-2010 Angola v Mali 01-11-2010 Malawi v Algeria 01-14-2010 Mali v Algeria 01-14-2010 Angola v Malawi 01-18-2010 Angola v Algeria 01-18-2010 Mali v Malawi This is the first time Angola is hosting the continent’s flagship football event, the three week tourney will be held in the Angolan cities of Luanda, Benguela, Lubango and Cabinda.. Angola: Angola made an appearance in the in the quarterfinals in 2008, and they’ll be expected to go at least that far as hosts. Former Man United striker Manucho was one of the tournament’s stars in Ghana with his four goals, but his indiscipline may cost him a starting place with coach Manuel Jose (won the ACL 4 times with Al Ahly, also coached Sporting Lisbon and Benfica) keen to inject some discipline.. They have a couple of players that will be familiar to us in Manucho and Mantorras who is at Benfica..Most of their squad is based in Portugal, Romania and the Middle East..key players will be striker Flavio and winger Gilberto, they play largely on the counter attack but are a strong solid side that wont concede many.. You may remember they qualified for the world cup in 2006 only losing 1-0 to Portugal and with home advantage they will be confident of qualifying for the next round in what is a fairly open group.. Recent results: Friendly 10/10/09 Malta 1-2 Angola Friendly 14/10/09 Angola 0-0 Cameroon Friendly 14/11/09 Angola 1-1 Congo Friendly 18/11/09 Angola 0-0 Ghana Friendly 29/12/09 Angola 1-1 Estonia Win the Group: 3.25 To Qualify: 1.5 Win the Competition: 22 Mali Could be a surprise qualifier from the group, they have a team littered with talented individuals but the problems may lie in the differences between these players and the rest of the team.. In Kanoute (Seville), captain Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid, only recently returned after a year out) and Keita (Barcelona) they have some of the best individuals in the competition..Sissoko (Juventus) has been working up to full fitness but im not sure whether hes going to be in the squad or not.. Defender Coulibaly plays for Auxerre but goalkeeper Sidibe is considered a weak link..if the defensive midfielders Diarra and Sissoko can provide the needed protection for the back four and get the ball to the pacy forwards based around main man Kanoute they could do some damage and get through to the next round, may struggle to beat a well organised team that can nullify their threats, could be involved in some high scoring games though.. Recent Results WC Qual 15/11/09 Ghana 2-2 Mali Friendly 27/12/09 Mali 0-1 Korea DPR Friendly 30/12/09 Iran 1-2 Mali Friendly 02/01/10 Qatar 0-0 Mali Friendly 04/01/09 Egypt 1-0 Mali Win the Group: 3.75 To Qualify: 1.61 Win the Competition: 26 Malawi The weakest team in the group, this is only the second time they have qualified for the finals, the other time being in 1984..they are known to be an attacking side who lack discipline and tactical knowledge, I think they will see this as a good opportunity to gain some experience against a good quality opposition.. To be honest there is little information around about most of their players, main striker Mwafulirwa plays for Norrkoping in Sweden, coach Phiri has coached in the South African Prem League.. Recent Results: WC Qual 05/09/09 Malawi 2-1 Guinea WC Qual 10/10/09 Malawi 1-1 Ivory Coast Friendly 24/10/09 Malawi 0-1 Mozambique WC Qual 14/11/09 Burkina Faso 1-0 Malawi Friendly 05/01/09 Ghana 0-0 Malawi Win the Group: 34 To Qualify: 8 Win the Competition: 160 Algeria Recently qualified for the World Cup in dramatic circumstances after losing 2-0 in Egypt in the 95th minute, a result that left them in a play-off with Egypt again as both had identical records in qualifying, they won the play-off 1-0 and went through..they actually missed out on the last two African Nations finals tournaments but this is a good chance to get the team gelling before the World Cup starts.. Changes to the FIFA statutes have allowed them to get some more quality in their side, notably Meghni (Lazio) and Yebda (Portsmouth), Bougherra (Rangers) and Belhadj (Portsmouth) also ply their trade in the UK..striker Ghezzal plays for Siena in Italy.. They are a side based on strength, power and discipline which could prove an interesting contrast with the styles of some of the other teams in the group, they don’t concede many goals and are tough to beat, the coach has though raised concerns about the climate which he doesn’t think will suit his side.. Recent Results: Friendly 12/08/09 Algeria 1-0 Uruguay WC Qual 06/09/09 Algeria 1-0 Zambia WC Qual 11/10/09 Algeria 3-1 Rwanda WC Qual 14/11/09 Egypt 2-0 Algeria WC Qual 18/11/09 Algeria 1-0 Egypt Win the Group: 2.5 To Qualify: 1.33 Win the Competition: 15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) GROUP B: COTE D'IVOIRE, BURKINA FASO, GHANA, TOGO 01-11-2010 Cote d'Ivoire v Burkina Faso 01-11-2010 Ghana v Togo 01-15-2010 Burkina Faso v Togo 01-15-2010 Cote d'Ivoire v Ghana 01-19-2010 Burkina Faso v Ghana 01-19-2010 Cote d'Ivoire v Togo Cote D’Ivoire The country that most of us will know about, they have a host of premiership players and in terms of star names, the best team in the tournament. They were runners-up in 2006 and prob the best side in 2008 until they imploded against eventual winners Egypt in the semi’s. They were unbeaten in their 10 qualifiers, and with Drogba particularly in such strong form currently they will be considered favourites for the crown..although Kalou is often favoured up front alongside him but they have options with Kone and Lille frontman Gervinho..Drogba is likely to play a bit deeper than he does for Chelsea, in midfield they have Zakora who has impressed in Spain since his move from Spurs and Yaya Toure who is at Barca who is likely to play in a more offensive role..Romaric at Seville has been left out the squad due to his poor discipline..in short they have a strong side in all areas of the pitch probably bar the goalkeeper Barry who may prove to be a handicap in the latter rounds of the comp. It has been said that they play as a team of individuals but there is no doubt that the Ivory Coast have the strongest team on paper and they should win the group but from a betting point of view they will be poorly priced in the early games certainly, the supporters have become used to them letting them down on the big stage but they have an opportunity to warm up for the World Cup here with a strong showing. Recent Results: WC Qual 05/09/09 Ivory Coast 5-0 Burkina Faso WC Qual 10/10/09 Malawi 1-1 Ivory Coast WC Qual 14/11/09 Ivory Coast 3-0 Guinea Friendly 18/11/09 Germany 2-2 Ivory Coast Friendly 04/01/09 Tanzania 0-1 Ivory Coast Win the Group: 1.72 To Qualify: 1.06 Win the Competition: 3.6 Burkina Faso Surprise Package of the first round of Qualifiers, they emerged with an unbeaten record including an away win over Tunisia they were expected to run Ivory Coast close in the second round of matches but lost disappointingly 5-0 in June. Coach Duarte took up a coaching position at Le Mans at the start of the season, which didn’t please the local press, and although he will be solely coaching Burkina during the tournament you wonder what impact his dual coaching rules have had on the side..Striker Dagano was a flop in France and is now with Al Khor in Qatar finished as the top scorer in the qualifiers with 12 in as many games..Charles Kabore of Marseille and Pitroipa of Hamburg are also key players..they have had a good set of results over the last two years generally but will struggle against Ghana and Ivory Coast as their defence has a big question mark hanging over it, they are likely to be fairly cautious but it’s a question of whether they have the players and tactics to carry it off.. Recent Results: WC Qual 20/06/09 Burkina Faso 2-3 Ivory Coast Friendly 11/08/09 Mali 3-0 Burkina Faso WC Qual 05/09/09 Ivory Coast 5-0 Burkina Faso WC Qual 11/10/09 Guinea 1-2 Burkina Faso WC Qual 14/11/09 Burkina Faso 1-0 Malawi Win the Group: 21 To Qualify: 4.5 Win the Competition: 67 Ghana Despite being shy in front of goal Ghana were the first African side to qualify for the World Cup..Asamoah Gyan’s return to fitness after injury and his goals for Rennes since his return have been a big plus, another bonus is that Stephen Appiah who played in the qualifiers despite not having a club has joined Bologna (now going to miss thefinals through injury)..Essien has recently been injured for Chelsea and although he should be ready for the start of the tournament he may not be in prime physical condition..they had one of the tournaments best midfields, they will be a solid side that will be hard to break down although it may be the lack of sufficient attacking threat that will be their undoing..Muntari of Inter has been excluded from the squad for indiscipline and despite the best efforts of Essien who wrote to the FA to try and secure his inclusion.. The defense has suffered two big blows with captain John Mensah (Sunderland) and Paintsil (Fulham) both going to miss the tournament through injury, they are both first choice players and are a big loss..in these two players Muntari and Appiah they have 4 important players missing which will prob have a big bearing on how far they go in the competition, it puts a lot of pressure on Essien..they should qualify but could be the first big name side to fall in my eyes.. Recent Results: Friendly 01/10/09 Argentina 2-0 Ghana WC Qual 11/10/09 Benin 1-0 Ghana WC Qual 15/11/09 Ghana 2-2 Mali Friendly 18/11/09 Angola 0-0 Ghana Friendly 05/01/10 Ghana 0-0 Malawi Win the Group: 2.9 To Qualify: 1.22 Win the Competition: 7 Togo One of the weakest teams in the comp for me, they only scraped through qualifying and the team, both on and off the pitch, seems to be controlled way too much by Adebayor..Togo used 4 different coaches during qualification, among the casualties was Belgium Jean Thissen who was bizarrely sidelined after feeling unwell before a qualification game, despite him saying he would still be able to prepare the team, why they didn’t just fire him is prob best answered by speculation that they did not want to pay out the remaining length of his contract..Little known French coach Hubert Velud is now at the helm, but depending on what you read and believe, its Adebayor who is calling most of the shots..they are likely to be weak at the back, but have better players going forward, in all honesty they will need a fully fit Adebayor to have a great tournament if they are to get beyond the first round..they wont in my opinion, and have looked very weak whenever I’ve watched them.. Recent Results: WC Qual 06/09/09 Togo 1-1 Morocco WC Qual 10/10/09 Cameroon 3-0 Togo Friendly 14/10/09 Japan 5-0 Togo Friendly 05/11/09 Bahrain 5-1 Togo WC Qual 14/11/09 Togo 1-0 Gabon Win the Group: 23 To Qualify: 5.5 Win the Competition: 70 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) GROUP C: EGYPT, NIGERIA, MOZAMBIQUE, BENIN 01-12-2010 Egypt v Nigeria 01-12-2010 Mozambique v Benin 01-16-2010 Nigeria v Benin 01-16-2010 Egypt v Mozambique 01-20-2010 Egypt v Benin 01-20-2010 Nigeria v Mozambique Egypt They have won the last 2 tournaments, but there doesn’t seem to be a great deal of optimism that Egypt can get the hat trick either from the press or their own supporters..the loss to Algeria in the highly charged WC qualifiers will either give the Egyptians a hangover they cant come back from or spur them on to have a real go at the tournament, most seem to think the former..they are an ageing side, so for some this may be their last AN finals tourn but as we’ve seen before at World Cup tournaments this isn’t necessarily a negative thing, and experience can count for a lot when Finals tournaments come along.. Coach Shehata has won the last two AN tournaments with Egypt so he knows whats required..Mohamed Aboutrika is a key player who has been ruled out through injury but another key player is Zidan (Dortmund) who has overcome a few disciplinary problems to become a fixture in the side..Zaki and Mido have not made the squad..do they have the ability to win it? Sure, but if you go along with popular opinion they don’t have it in the locker..it will be interesting to see how they fare in the opening games as they are in a winnable group and may be able to gain strength as the tournament progresses, which as we’ve seen in the past is all important.. Recent Results: Friendly 01/10/09 Egypt 4-0 Mauritius WC Qual 10/10/09 Zambia 0-1 Egypt Friendly 04/11/09 Egypt 5-1 Tanzania WC Qual 14/11/09 Egypt 2-0 Algeria WC Qual 18/11/09 Algeria 1-0 Egypt Win the Group: 2.35 To Qualify: 1.12 Win the Competition: 10 Nigeria Another side that is not particularly fancied to do well in the tournament, coach Shaibu Amodu knows a bad tournament will cost him his job, despite the fact he has led them to the WC in the summer..Nigeria haven’t won the trophy since 1994 though they have been consistent campaigners, and given their large playing resources they are usually amongst the realistic challengers..the aura around the Eagles seems less than it was years ago and they are not expected to go far in the tournament.. Nigeria have shuffled their starting line-up consistently and that is part of the criticism of the coach, that and being too defensive..this may be because he has no real midfield playmaker to go with Mikel (Chelsea) and Olofinjana (Hull), expect Martins (Wolfsburg) to start up-front if hes fit which im not sure about, possibly alongside Yakubu (Everton), been unable to find a final squad list..they will expect to get out of this group but will probably struggle to get far beyond that.. Recent Results: WC Qual 07/06/09 Nigeria 3-0 Kenya WC Qual 20/06/09 Tunisia 0-0 Nigeria WC Qual 06/09/09 Nigeria 2-2 Tunisia WC Qual 11/10/09 Nigeria 1-0 Mozambique WC Qual 14/11/09 Kenya 2-3 Nigeria Win the Group: 2.1 To Qualify: 1.06 Win the Competition: 11 Mozambique Mozambique’s qualification for the finals was largely built on an unbeaten home record and they finished third in their group behind Nigeria and Tunisia, they have a Dutch coach Mart Nooij who became a bit of a folk hero after a 1-0 win over Tunisia in their last group game ensured their qualification and knocked Tunisia out of the WC..most of their players play in the South African league, one of their key men is Tico Tico who is playing in his third finals and is retiring after the tournament, centre back Simao has Champions League experience with Panathinaikos and midfielder Domingues was voted the best player in the South African league in 2008, but in truth they are not expected to do much in the tournament and I would expect them to finish bottom of the group.. Recent Results WC Qual 06/09/09 Mozambique 1-0 Kenya WC Qual 11/10/09 Nigeria 1-0 Mozambique Friendly 24/10/09 Malawi 0-1 Mozambique Friendly 28/10/09 Mozambique 0-2 Zambia WC Qual 14/11/09 Mozambique 1-0 Tunisia Win the Group: 26 To Qualify: 9 Win the Competition: 201 Benin The smallest nation to qualify in terms of player resourses and land mass, Benin’s close proximity to Nigeria means many players have ‘jumped the border’ and gone on to play for the national team, making Benin far more competitive in recent times..Razak Omotoyossi who has been their more consistent recent goalscorer in recent years is one example, although since he left Sweden his form has apparently dipped, Benin’s best known and most talented player is Stephane Sessegnon (Paris St Germain paid £7mill for him in 2008 from Le Mans) although he is not the most popular player due to his perceived lack of dedication to the cause (he is originally Ivorian which may play a part in this)..French coach Michel Dussuyer has good experience of African football and is a good asset, striker Omotoyossi is a pacey outlet and their game plan will prob involve a tight backline and midfield playing through Sessegnon, they are a reasonably decent side that are most likely to trouble Egypt and Nigeria for a qualifying place.. Recent Results WC Qual 21/06/09 Mali 3-1 Benin Friendly 10/08/09 Benin 1-1 Gabon WC Qual 06/09/09 Benin 1-1 Mali WC Qual 11/10/09 Benin 1-0 Ghana WC Qual 14/11/09 Sudan 1-2 Benin Win the Group: 15 To Qualify: 4.5 Win the Competition: 101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) GROUP D: CAMEROON, GABON, ZAMBIA, TUNISIA 01-13-2010 Cameroon v Gabon 01-13-2010 Zambia v Tunisia 01-17-2010 Gabon v Tunisia 01-17-2010 Cameroon v Zambia 01-21-2010 Cameroon v Tunisia 01-21-2010 Gabon v Zambia Cameroon Definitely one of the favourites for the crown, Cameroon may well have come good at the right time having won their final 4 fixtures of the qualifying campaign..Paul Le Guen was appointed in June and is credited with being the mastermind being this turnaround after Cameroon previously looked uncertain of qualification, one thing he did was promote Samuel Eto’o to captain and he responded well to the added responsibility..one thing that Cameroon have in their favour is a solid goalkeeper (which cannot be said for many of their rivals) Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol) is possibly the best African goalkeeper around, the stage also seems set for Stephane M’bia to become one of the outstanding performers in the Cameroon team he is hard running and along with Song (Arsenal) they will be getting plenty of possession to playmaker Emana (Betis)..we all know what Eto’o can do upfront.. For me they are one of the contenders for the crown, they surprisingly left Bassong (Tottenham) out of the squad and teammate Assou-Ekotto is going to miss the tournament through injury but they have a very good side and anything less than the semi-finals will be a big disappointment.. Recent Results WC Qual 05/09/09 Gabon 0-2 Cameroon WC Qual 09/09/09 Cameroon 2-1 Gabon WC Qual 10/10/09 Cameroon 3-0 Togo Friendly 14/10/09 Angola 0-0 Cameroon WC Qual 14/11/09 Morocco 0-2 Cameroon Win the Group: 1.7 To Qualify: 1.07 Win the Competition: 6.5 Gabon Gabon were still in with a shout of WC Qualification with 3 games to go which was no small achievement for a country of under 2 million, coach Alain Giresse has built the team but they face an uphill task to qualify..they co-host the tournament in 2012 and with a little patience they could have a competitive side for the tournament but it is thought that this tournament may come a little soon for them.. The skillful Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was a consistently good performer during the qualifying stages and will be looking to keep that going into the finals, Hull striker Daniel Cousins has also returned to the international fold after ignoring call-ups for a few years, expect him to be one of their better players..a problem they may have is that many of their players have been without club football recently, expect them to struggle.. Recent Results Friendly 10/08/09 Benin 1-1 Gabon WC Qual 05/09/09 Gabon 0-2 Cameroon WC Qual 09/09/09 Cameroon 2-1 Gabon WC Qual 10/10/09 Gabon 3-1 Morocco WC Qual 14/11/09 Togo 1-0 Gabon Win the Group: 10.5 To Qualify: 3.4 Win the Competition: 51 Zambia They play more international football than most other countries, a benefit of having only a few players playing abroad, which therefore makes it easier to set aside more dates for potential fixtures, but any advantage seems to be lost with their high turnover of players..Coach Herve Renard foolishly made his target of the quarter finals public before the draw was made and will probably have regretted it when they were drawn with Cameroon and Tunisia..Zambia are very consistent in qualifying for the finals but it has been 14 years since they last made it out of the group stage and that is unlikely to change this time around.. In terms of the players, the pace of the Katongo brothers is a weapon going forward but they are likely to be poor at the back again and lightweight in midfield, goalkeeper Mweene is fairly highly thought of though.. Recent Results Friendly 28/10/09 Mozambique 0-2 Zambia Friendly 31/10/09 Zimbabwe 3-1 Zambia WC Qual 14/11/09 Rwanda 0-0 Zambia Friendly 20/11/09 Zambia 4-1 Korea DPR Friendly 27/11/09 Kenya 0-2 Zambia Win the Group: 17 To Qualify: 5 Win the Competition: 101 Tunisia Tunisia surprisingly lost out on WC qualification after a hugely disappointing 1-0 loss away to Mozambique, a result that cost coach Humberto Coelho and his entire backroom staff their jobs..they secured their African Nations finals place with ease but it is almost an afterthought after the WC failure..Coach Faouzi Benzarti has replaced Coelho, and he has arrived in similar circumstances before in 1994 when Tunisia lost the opening game of the Nations Cup they were hosting, and it looks like he has again inherited a team in transition.. Many of the Tunisia national squad is now based in Europe and the production line of players is good, however they never travel well outside of North Africa and there is a chance they will struggle to progress too far in Angola..midefielder Ousemma Darragi has attracted interest from Europe and will be looking to put himself in the shop window during the tournament, Ben Saada is another exciting talent in the side.. Tunisia are an interesting team in that they are quite solid and conservative (which probably cost them WC qualification) but have players that could get them into at least the semi’s, but it will depend on how they recover from the WC disappointment..they should qualify from what is a difficult and tight group, and if they gather some momentum they could go far, they certainly have the talent.. Recent Results Friendly 12/08/2009 Tunisia 0-0 Ivory Coast WC Qual 06/09/09 Nigeria 2-2 Tunisia WC Qual 11/10/09 Tunisia 1-0 Kenya Friendly 14/10/09 Tunisia 0-1 Saudi Arabia WC Qual 14/11/09 Mozambique 1-0 Tunisia Win the Group: 4 To Qualify: 1.36 Win the Competition: 20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ra1nmaker Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Côte d'Ivoire – Drogba, Eboue, (they could start a fight in an empty house ) and their chums to win the whole thing. I think I would rather be a layer at 3.4, but I’ll think on it a bit more. 1st bet - Algeria to beat Malawi @ 1.62 betfair. Algeria a country that produces talented players, sometimes for France (Zidane), over the years. With a home based\abroad mix verses a country with little football pedigree, only home and Sth Aftica base squad. Add poor form away from Malawi and I’ll take Algeria to win handsomely. Tourney bank 100 pts Algeria to beat Malawi @ 1.62 4 pts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr onemore Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) That's a good write up Magenta - useful and acurate info imo - thanks for taking the time. I don't think anyone is going to argue with Ivory Coast as favourites - should give a run for the money even at those short odds... I feel Ghana and Cameroon are too short and have less chance than the bookies suggest... I've really not been impressed by Ghana at all for a while now, though if they can birth a new striker they will have a chance as always difficult to beat...4 'derby' games for Ghana - and a lot of scores to settle for each of these teams...Ghana may not even get out of this group with a string of draws Cameroon were hopeless a year or so ago when Togo beat them here in Accra, but as you say, they have been resurgent in recent games - a lot of credit has gone to LeGuen, but all he did was the obvious and axed an ageing Rigobert Song (Cmr always seem to hang onto their stars for too long) I'm going to oppose Egypt and Algeria - with hindsight, Egypt were simply fantastic last ANC, but even going through to the final I just didn't fancy them - I don;t know why - anyway I was dead wrong - surely they can;t reproduce again - I have yet to look at this closely, Aboutrika was such a talisman and he's out - and so I feel are Egypt;s chances. The value bet for me is Nigeria - I think 10.00 is a good price - this team is strangled when playing at home by fanatical pressure, and now they have delivered and found themselves in the WC I think some of the pressure is off - and this team can certainly play when it is relaxed - they were too relaxed at home to Tunisia and it nearly cost them their WC place - they will definitely have learnt from that - my money is here - yes Ivory Coast are favourites, but a good price for Nigeria. Anyone looking for value in the rest could have fun with Angola at 21.00 - hosts always have a chance in the ANC and Angola do as well as any when at home...and a small punt on Burkina Faso at 67.00 and Zambia at 81.00 could be laid off at a profit should they surprise and reach the quarters - both these teams can play and I was very impressed at how easily BF dispatched Guinea in the qualifiers. Can't wait for this to start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatman Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) good to see you Mr O ;) The last CAN served me very well, but I sense that this one might be slightly trickier. They may be favourites and a tad short, but I think Ivory Coast look the team to beat here. Thus is a great chance for them to make a mark, especially in WC year, it will take a great effort by anyone to beat them IMO. As for the rest, well I initially liked Egypt, but overall I think they will struggle without some missed players and tougher climatic conditions. For an outright, I might opt for Cameroon again, but I am still considering. As for Nigeria, well they are really dark horses aren't they (quite literally ;)) But until I see them play then I couldn't back them. All too often their team structure is all wrong and politics get in the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) I certainly think Cameroon would be my outright tip, they seem to have everything in place now after coming through a sticky spell..i think the 1.7 on offer on them to win group D is a better bet as i cant see them having any problems winning that group at a canter!..obviously that will be a bit of a skinny price for most though..i fancy Ghana to struggle in this tourn although they are widely fancied elsewhere, they should get through the group but i fancy them to come unstuck in the knockout stage.. Cameroon - Gabon will prob be my first big bet of the tourn, i fancy Cameroon to knock in at least 2 against them and beat the handicap, although i will try and take in as much of the rest of the games as possible first to gauge how the favourites are doing in general..:ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Well, the Togo team bus has been attacked by machine gun fire in Angola, with at least a few players in hospital along with the bus driver..God only knows what its all about, but it looks likely that Togo will now pull out of the tournament, Man City are trying to contact Adebayor to establish if he's alright..this will have to be sorted out fairly quickly with Togo due to play on Monday away to Ghana, just have to wait and see what the fallout is.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Togo team bus shot at in ambush. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8449319.stm Anyone think this may put the tournament in doubt? Apparently unconfirmed reports state that the driver has been killed and four people have been injured, 2 of which are squad members, there has been no information about the severity of the injuries Surely this will have a major impact on the tournament as a whole? You beat me to it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) What a bloody shambles..The armed front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) have claimed responsibility for the attack (whoever the hell they are), and it looks as though the tournament will go ahead as planned although a few clubs in England are seeking assurances that the players security can be guaranteed.. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have put some of the blame on Togo as apparently it was agreed that all countries would travel to the tournament by air and Togo chose to go by bus (cost cutting obviously)..I await news on whether Togo will be competing in the tourn, they may drop out but im hoping they wont.. Dont get this in the World Cup do you! Difficult to get any money on the game now.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrasdica Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Togo likely to pull out of the tournament after today's attack they did it :cry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fezzik Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) togo definitely pulled out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrasdica Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) What a bloody shambles..The armed front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) have claimed responsibility for the attack (whoever the hell they are), and it looks as though the tournament will go ahead as planned although a few clubs in England are seeking assurances that the players security can be guaranteed.. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have put some of the blame on Togo as apparently it was agreed that all countries would travel to the tournament by air and Togo chose to go by bus (cost cutting obviously)..I await news on whether Togo will be competing in the tourn, they may drop out but im hoping they wont.. Dont get this in the World Cup do you! Difficult to get any money on the game now.. it's sad this happened. shouldn't chosen such way.:wall Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mucmer Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) hi,:gimme i can a little speak english, sorry.:$ i think angola-mali 2.5 under. :hope because, first match in international cup, gol sound comes less than other international matches what do u think about first match? :unsure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatman Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) CAN winner - Cameroon @ 6.50 (3pts ew) Cameroon were actually an outright for me in the previous CAN and they served me well by reaching the final. Now 2 years on from that, I’m willing to back them again and think they have every chance. We all know that on paper Paul Le Guen’s men have a good squad, and the manager himself must be given some credit for turning around their World Cup campaign. I think in Carlos Kemeni they have one of the best goalkeepers in the competition, something which could prove pivotal. In the last CAN he was vital in getting them to the final and makes a big difference. Of course the big key with Cameroon is Samuel Eto’o, if he fires then they usually do well, if he doesn’t then it could be a struggle. The captain is so inspirational but usually thrives in these sort of big competitions. So overall I think they could beat anyone on their day, even Ivory Coast, although that would be a difficult test. Cameroon look to have an easy group and should realistically win it with ease. In the QFs I wouldn’t have too many concerns about them facing either Nigeria or Egypt, but the big problem could come in the semis against the Ivories. However, there is a long way to go until then and the way the draw works out it could suit the Indomitable Lion. Overall, I think they have the quality to win the event and are my main pick. CAN winner - Mali @ 22/1 (1pt ew) Group A winner - Mali @ 3.50 2/10 I must say I do like the look of Mali here and I think their price offers some decent value. Looking at their squad on paper there are some good individuals and if they could perform well as a team then we could see them go a long way IMO. These sort of climatic conditions should suit them too and they appear to have strong physicality which could be important. I firmly believe the winner of group A has a big chance of making it to at least the semi finals of the competition. My prediction is that Ivory Coast will win group B, leaving the runner up of this group a tough challenge, but the winner is capable of beating Ghana IMO. I don’t see why Mali cant first qualify, and then finish top of the group. For sure, Angola and Algeria have every chance too, but for a long run in the event I would rather have my money on the Malians. Odds of 22/1 seem quite big, for me they are possibly the best team in this group in these sort of climatic conditions. Also 3.50 to top the standings is worth a bit of a punt IMO. Top goalscorer Samuel Eto'o @ 6.0 (3pts ew) Sammy Eto’o has won this golden boot in both of the last couple of CAN’s and he’ll be my bet again this year. He served me very well in Ghana 2008 and I’m willing to have faith again. On the face of it, it looks as though he should have a few good chances to hit the back of the net. He’s the captain and the main man, likely to take all penalties and a lot of dangerous free kicks. That, in addition to his natural goalscoring touch makes him an ideal candidate. Cameroon’s group is as easy as it could’ve been IMO and he has the potential to fill his boots against some of the poorer nations such as Gabon. We all know the man likes to put on a bit of a show and his quest for goals is always relentless. He’s 2nd favourite in the top goalscoring market behind Drogba, but I’m actually very confident he will at least outscore him. For me, Drogba isn’t so bothered about scoring masses of goals, he sometimes goes quiet and just raises his game for key moments scoring vital goals. With Ivory Coast also now playing one less group game, it gives Eto’o an advantage, and you know that he will be on the pitch for pretty much all of the 90 mins. Drogba is the sort of guy who is sometimes wrapped in cotton wool and substituted if the match is in the bag for the Ivories. If Eto’o is to be beaten, then I expect the challenge to come elsewhere and not Drogba, I think the Cameroonian should be outright favourite in this market instead. Top goalscorer - Frederic Kanoute @ 17/1 (1pt ew) Well of course as you have seen, Mali are one of my outright picks and I’m hoping they can go a long way in this tournament. If that’s the case, then it would give Kanoute some good chances to score goals. But also I think group A looks pretty weak and Mali are fortunate not to be facing any ‘star’ teams until the KO phase. He will have better chances scoring goals against the likes of Angola and Malawi than teams such as Ivory Coast or Cameroon. We all know Kanoute is a strong goalscorer in many departments, and will probably take penalties and some free kicks. I have some decent belief in Mali for this tournament so I like taking Kanoute as a bet to run along side. I’m taking him each way at SJ, but they only payout the top two positions. Only some small stakes here, but overall I think it’s a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meatman Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Mali +0.25 AH @ 1.87 (4/10) Well I’m taking on the hosts here today in what should be a tight match. I cant see this being much of a classic and it’ll likely be a close affair. The hosts Angola will be well supported but also under plenty of pressure to perform, and this might be a disadvantage. Overall I think this group will be close right until the finish, even Malawi might prove to be awkward opponents in a group like this one. I have backed Mali outright and I think they could have a decent tournament, the squad has plenty of potential in it. Whether or not they can win today remains to be seen, but I don’t think they’ll lose, so taking them on a +0.25 AH could be decent value. Each of the last 3 CAN hosts have all won their opening group game, but I think maybe its time that run came to an end. From a footballing sense, I believe Mali to be better, so despite the home advantage, I think Angola could have a tough start to the competition. Key midfielder, Keita is a slight doubt with a thigh injury but the rest of the squad is in good condition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HastGill1 Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Agree with this bet meatman, could only get 1.77 mind..small stakes bearing in mind its the first game and going against the hosts..:ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youssef Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) I am sorry I could not be of help earlier. You know, my 'insight' usually stems from better exposure to insider news, but Angola seems a bit lagging in their infrastructure that resulted in me having a limited ability to get news outside what the internet already has! Even our local TV channels seem to rely on the internet, and while each of them (channels) has a reporter with our delegation, all they seem to actually report is what has already been reported elsewhere!! LOSERS! Anyway, as for today's game: Mali certainly will get my vote on level ball. I do acknowledge Angola can be a serious side on occasion, but the fact of the matter is they are irreliable and inconsistent at best. Mali played us without their stars in Dubai a few days ago. They seemed to be the same old Mali I know though. With or without Kanoute, Mali always struggle to produce goals. Now with that said, they did manage to beat Angola in particular by a staggering 4-0 scoreline just 11 months ago (friendly). I'd make it a 45% chance Mali should win, 30% a draw, and 25% that Angola should win Obviously at these odds Mali to win is the value bet, but I woul rather put my money on the DNB market and settle for less profit to secure my stake. P.S. These two will probably be the duo tyo advance, but I will wait on this one until I see Angola play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevshat Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Couple of outrights for me. 1.5pts ew Nigeria to win African Nations Cup 8/1 Sportingbet (1/2 1,2) I've just got a hunch that we're going to see Nigeria perform to their abilities in this tournament. They have an excellent squad of personnel to choose from but they never seem to produce it on the African big stage. However they sneaked into the world cup and that alone should give them the confidence to lord it up in this event. This is a chance to send out a message ahead of the world cup with a few solid performances and in a section of the draw which I think is pretty nice I can see the Super Eagles having a decent tournament. They have an excellent array of attacking talent and some solid defenders and I think 8/1 is a fair price on Nigeria. 1pt ew Mali to win African Nations Cup 22/1 Totesport (1/2 1,2) Mali look a really good side. Although they generally all like to play in the centre of midfield, any side with a midfield 3 of Seydou Keita, Diarra and Sissoko in it is going to be in with a chance. Then add in the goal power of Fredi Kanoute and this side are in with a good shout. Qualification from their group isn't a gimme but if they play well they could well win the group which would open up a fairly nice bit of the draw. Mali aren't always a reliable side which is why we get the odds we're getting but if it does click for them in this event then the price will look pretty big, pretty quickly. At the price I'm happy to take the risk that this talented Mali side fire in this tournament. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bahnhof Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) Interesting read: Both the Malawi and Algerian camps were hit by controversies ahead of their Group A Africa Cup of Nations opener at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda on Monday. Flames boss Kinnah Phiri dropped Fischer Kondowe for disciplanary reasons - sending out a strong message to the rest of the squad. A newspaper report claimed that the South African-based midfielder was omitted because he was allegedly dating Phiri's daughter, but the coach and player reportedly said the issue was over a curfew. Despite off-field issues, the southeast Africans have enjoyed a good pre-tournament programme on the pitch. A friendly win over Mozambique and a draws to continental superpowers Egypt and Ghana suggest that Malawi will be a difficult unit to beat in Angola. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bahnhof Posted January 10, 2010 Share Posted January 10, 2010 Re: Africa » MTN Africa Cup of Nations (10-31 jan 2010) cont: The Angolan nation is ready for the spectacle that is the Africa Cup of Nations but the national team are concerned about the fitness of their key forward Flavio ahead of the showpiece opener against Mali. Some 50,000 people are expected to cram into the newly-built Estádio 11 de Novembro stadium in Luanda on Sunday to watch the opening fixture of the 27th edition of the continental cup. But coach Manuel Jose could be without Flavio, who is an injury doubt due to a leg injury he picked up in a friendly match last week. The 30-year-old played under Jose at Al-Ahly and is expected to partner Manucho up front if fit. The Portuguese boss also has problems in midfield as Stelvio also faces a late fitness test. "It is my big concern that Flavio recovers and is available to play against Mali," Jose said. "He and Stelvio are important to our starting line-up. This is because we don't have any stars in our team and need everyone to be fit." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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