Egypt celebrate while Ivory Coast ponder the future

Egypt chalked up their seventh Africa Cup of Nations triumph here just as the ‘Golden Generation’ of the Ivory Coast again departed the continent’s biggest football stage empty-handed.

The Pharaohs 1-0 win over a youthful Ghana in Sunday’s final made it the 19th match they have gone unbeaten since 2004. It was also their third successive continental title.

Just as it was two years ago in Ghana, the Elephants from the Ivory Coast were again the popular choice to win their second Nations Cup crown, with such stars as Didier Drogba, Yaya and Kolo Toure in their lineup.

But not many reckoned that a suspect defence would cave in almost too easily against Algeria in the knockout stage of Angola 2010.

After a rather indifferent start, the Desert Foxes of Algeria would now have assured many they will not be making up the numbers at the World Cup in South Africa even after a 4-0 thrashing by fierce rivals Egypt. Egyptians dance in streets for African Cup football triumph

“People did not expect us to be in the semi-finals. We have not reached this stage for a very long time,” said Glasgow Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra.

“We’re a young team who have made a lot of progress.”

Skipper Yazid Mansouri added: “We will move ahead and learn from the mistakes we made at this tournament.

“We have to work very hard to get ready for the World Cup especially in the midfield and attack.

“The Nations Cup has afforded us a chance to know where we have to improve.”

Hosts Angola showed a lot of promise two years ago in Ghana reaching the last eight for the first time.

Cheered on by their noisy home fans in Luanda, the Palancas Negras bounced back from an opening day 4-4 draw with Mali in one of the most unforgettable matches of Angola 2010 to again equal their quarter-final finish in the previous tournament.

Most probably their run was cut short by their over dependence for goals on striker Flavio, who battled on despite suffering an injury.

He netted a brace against Mali and was also on target against shock troopers Malawi, who caused one of the biggest upsets by putting three unreplied goals past Algeria.

Part of the magic of this Nations Cup evaporated following the exit of the home team, but before then, it was football fever at its best across this oil-rich country of about 15 million people with long-serving President Eduardo do Santos at all their four games.

Gabon, who will co-host the next tournament with neighbours Equatorial Guinea, promised a lot only to capitulate on the final hurdle in their final Group D match against Zambia and thus miss out on a place in the quarterfinal. The price of this disappointment is that French coach, Alain Giresse, who has been with the Azingo since 2006, will most likely not have his contract renewed when it runs out later this month.

Giresse would be just the latest coach to lose his job following failure at the Cup of Nations.

Already Mali have fired their Nigerian-born coach, Stephen Keshi, and Nigeria, who again failed to live up to their huge potential, will decide this week to do away with coach Shuaibu Amodu.

This would be the second time Amodu will miss out on leading his country to a World Cup after qualifying the team.

He was also sacked when his team stumbled in the semi-final of the Nations Cup eight years ago and his place on the bench at the 2002 World Cup was taken by compatriot Adeboye Onigbinde.

There has been a public uproar back in Nigeria against the performance of the Eagles in Angola with an entire nation apprehensive of how such a team would fare at the World Cup in June against first round foes Argentina, Greece and South Korea.

Skipper Joseph Yobo has blamed Nigeria’s underachievement on a lack of continuity in the team.

“We often have different players in and out of the team when we need enough time to train and play together, if we are ever to reach great heights,” he argued.

There are now strong indications that his replacement would be the young Frenchman, Herve Renard, who guided Zambia to the quarterfinals for the first time in 14 years.

“I know what I want, I’m very ambitious and I’m not scared to say so. I said even before this tournament, that I wish to be coach of a very top team one day. I’m young but I’m not scared about anything,” said the 41-year-old Renard, whose contract with Zambia ends in May.