S.Africans warm to Nations Cup and fancy Angola

South Africa are shock absentees from the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola, but interest in the competition remains high around the World Cup host nation.

Pay channel SuperSport is screening all 29 fixtures live while public broadcaster SABC shows most long after they finished to the great annoyance of football viewers.

Soap operas rule the roost at three-channel SABC and even the South African national team Bafana Bafana (The Boys) often have to accept late kick-offs to fit programme schedules.

SuperSport have provided a 30-minute build-up to each game, hired three-time African Footballer of the Year Abedi Pele as an analyst, and allow their continent-wide audience to air views soon after full-time.

Johannesburg newspapers did not send reporters to the three-week tournament, but there is a large daily dose of news agency copy in all titles to satisfy even the most avid African football follower.

Business Day, a title with little appetite for African football a few years ago, led their main sports page with a report and picture of the thrilling climax to Group D that saw Zambia and Cameroon squeeze through.

Where South Africans differ from most of Africa is the likely outcome with current star Steven Pienaar and 1996 Nations Cup-winning midfielder Innocent Buthelezi backing Angola rather than Ivory Coast for the title.

Everton midfielder Pienaar, the slightly built star on whom so much will hinge come June 11 and the opening World Cup fixture against Mexico, told the Sowetan Angola can become the second Nations Cup champions from the region.

“Angola have been the most impressive team since the tournament started, working as a unit with an incredible appetite for goals. I choose them to emulate 1996 champions Bafana Bafana.”

Buthelezi, who created international headlines for an Old Trafford tackle on Paul Gascoigne that led to the England midfielder being carried off during a friendly, backs Pienaar.

“Most matches are won or lost in midfield and this is where Angola are so powerful. They are aggressive, creative, agile and communicate well,” 40-year-old Johannesburg company owner Buthelezi told AFP.

“I am most impressed with how positive Angola have been and they just need to avoid the common African football pitfall of losing concentration in the closing minutes as happened against Mali when they gave away four goals.”

Buthelezi said Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba, fellow striker Flavio Amado of Angola and Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel were individuals who caught his eye.

“Being a former midfielder I really enjoy Mikel. He has an arrogance on the ball and lack of respect for opponents that I appreciate. I never respected opponents – how can you respect the enemy?”

Multi-award-winning football analyst Matshelane Mamabolo of the Johannesburg Star said the number of early upsets in the tournament caught him by surprise, but believes title holders Egypt remain the team to beat.

“The ‘Pharaohs’ lack so many stars like Mohamed Aboutraika, Mohamed Barakat, Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam and Amr Zaki, fall behind to Nigeria in their opening match and still cruise to victory. That is the stamp of a great team.

“I also believe Ghana will benefit a lot from the Nations Cup. With so many first choices injured they are blooding stars of the youth team that won the world championship last year and this could pay off come the World Cup.”

South Africa were eliminated in the second of three qualifying rounds for Angola, finishing second behind Nigeria in one of four groups where the runners-up did not make the cut.

Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists Senegal were other notable omissions from the line-up for the biennial African football showpiece.