Nations Cup 2012: Is it the year of underdogs?

There were editions that numbed fans, thanks to draws when all we needed were wins. But the 28th edition of the African Cup of Nations chose to deliver us eight wins in the first eight games.
That, more than else, has compensated for an otherwise dull showing, especially in the final third of the pitch.

But that wasn’t until the Tuesday night game between Guinea and Mali. Not that we received the first hat-trick of the edition or more than two goals seeing as the teams have been restricted to no more than two goals—thanks in part to obdurate defending, but largely, to tamely attacking potential so far exhibited, but the display of soccer was like watching Barcelona against Bayern Munich or Arsenal.

Mali vs Guinea was in its own league. It was the kind of beautiful football many a fan loved record champions Egypt for.
The passing was sublime, and defending resolute, despite both sides exhibiting some good attacking football.

Shots flew here and there but finding their targets often proved elusive to the strikers and whenever they did, the goalkeepers on either side were not out to disappoint.

Bakaye Traore’s 30th-minute sizzler that won the beautiful display had to take a deflection to get past Naby Yattara on the other end of the sticks. Soumaila Diakite’s athletic saves for Mali kept the parity for the Alain Giresse side for the most of the time.

And on resumption, Michel Dussuyer (Guinea) and Giresse both rung changes to their sides, temporarily halting the flair, before the teams shot back to life again. They exhibited the kind of football we should have expected from fancied bulls such as Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal, who, for some reason, have not had their feet roving. Ghana’s largely young side did well against ‘rookies’ Botswana but by grounding out a paltry 1-0, theirs, like Cote d’Ivoire’s, was largely a case of huff-and-puff. What is choking giants? But the big disappointment was from Senegal, highly fancied to win their first Nations Cup title. The Lions of Teranga, riding on the back of stellar qualification in which they swept aside African giants and their 2002 finals conquerors Cameroon to qualify.

Demba Ba and Moussa Sow could have been on fire for their league sides Newcastle and Lille, respectively, but they lacked the cutting edge on the bumpy Estadio de Bata pitch in the opening game. The inaccurate long passes Senegal relied on against a resurgent Chimpolopolo side left a bad taste. It is as though none of Amara Traore charges can fit in the starting line-up of Bruno Metsu’s heralded 2002 side that lost to Cameroon in the ANC finals shoot-out and shocked then champions France in the following World Cup before losing to Turkey in the quarterfinals. The team of Tony Sylva, Omar Daf, Pape Sarr, Papa Malick Diop, Aliou Cissé, Henri Camara, Khalilou Fadiga, El Hadji Diouf, Salif Diao, Ferdinand Coly and Papa Bouba Diop averaged 26-plus years to the current team’s 23 but the former side would take the latter to an academy if they played today. Senegal has a lot to prove than sail through group stages.

But Senegal’s abysmal showing that hit the rocky patch with a reality-checking 2-1 defeat to co-hosts Equitorial Guinea is just a spanner in already busy mechanical workshop featuring record champions Egypt, who failed to qualify to defend the trophy they have won in the last three editions, South Africa, Cameroon and Nigeria.

Granted, it will be difficult for many to explain how Senegal found itself down the ladder considering that they arguably play the most beautiful game-passing in the content.

Passing game
It is game-passing that is fast proving the difference in performances of most teams. In Europe, giants like Germany, Spain and the Netherlands have all cut it through beautiful game-passing rather than the kick-and-run style. This is the game Mali, Guinea, Libya, Zambia and Botswana have all exuded to wear down their opponents. Unfortunately, Amara Traore seems to have missed this menu at his dining table, leaving his highly fancied ensemble of otherwise energetic players to rely more on power and pace, ingredients that even in Rugby no longer looks viable. Senegal have struggled to contain the ball and maintain possession, just like Ghana found themselves in the second half when a resilient Botswana side kept to fluid movement and ball-passing.

Black Stars striker Asomoah Gyan has admitted they were lucky to emerge with all three points in the tie, which leaves a huge burden hanging on Coach Goran Stevanovic if he is to avoid the kind of inquest that awaits Senegal in Dakar.

Yet, already, the 28th edition is looking like a theme for beauty to outlive the beasts where the likes of Tunisia and Morocco could easily join the tournament flyweights who have proved their worth so far. It is still ‘too soon’ to call as the knock-out stages often define the mettle in eventual winners.

jodongo@ug.nationmedia.com