Pulsating Afcon tournament ahead

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3 About us It s time! African footballing superpowers will battle it out in Equatorial Guinea with this trophy as the ultimate prize. Editorial Johannes Masiteng Having completed his Bachelor s Degree in Communications at the North-West University Vaal Triangle Campus, Johannes is an aspiring graphic designer and sports journalist. He is versatile as he specialises in writing, video editing and content editing. However, His passion lies in magazine layout and design and is always hungry for more knowledge in the field. His considerable knowledge in magazine layout made the design of this journal possible. Johannes always strives to gain more knowledge and skills on magazine layout and design. Mangaliso Maduna Mangaliso is an aspiring sports journalist with a passion for writing and a strong command in sports. He is extremely knowledgeable and insightful and puts more effort in acquiring more journalistic skills. He is a third year B.A. Communications student at the North-West University (Vaal Triangle Campus). Mangaliso s specialties lie in writing and editing with a strong commitment to multi-tasking and managing content. To Mangaliso, writing is more than a chore, it is a contagious adventure through undiscovered worlds. Pulsating Afcon tournament ahead How did it get so late? Well, your question is as good as mine. The Afcon fever has already hit most parts of South Africa, if not the rest of Africa. There is already a great buzz and excitement about the upcoming Afcon set to be staged in Equatorial Guinea as fans across the continent eagerly wait in anticipation for the commencement of the African showpiece. I can say with high degree of confidence that we are going to witness the best version of Afcon since inception. With holders Nigeria failing to qualify, this means that by February next year we will have new champions. Patriotism aside, despite being pitted in the group of death along with African s top ten ranked teams, South Africa has emerged as worthy contenders. The acquisition of Ephraim Shakes Mashaba into the hot seat seemed to have injected life into the team which previously that lacked confidence and motivation. For far too long, the national team had been marred by controversies whenever they had to qualify for a major tournament. However, under Mashaba s tutelage the team finished at the summit of group A in the qualifying rounds notching 12 points in the process. Bafana remained unbeaten in six matches picking three wins and three draws. Their illustrious displays in the preliminaries combined with their growing self-belief have made people believe that Bafana won t be there to add numbers. With that being said, I would like to take this opportunity to wish the national team the best of luck in the competition. The nation is behind you every step of the way. You have already shown the world what you can offer, now it s your time to shine. The whole world country is counting on you. Goodluck! NOTE: We do not own the visual material used in this Preview Journal. They belong to their rightful owners (cafonline, supersport.com, allafrica.com, kickoff.co.za and skysports.com). AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 3

4 Contents Getting ready for the battle! Bafana Bafana midfielder Mandla Masango battles for the ball in the Afcon 2015 preparation match against Zambia. South Africa won the match AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

5 Contents Contents 6 Afcon history Mangaliso Maduna looks back on the history and origins of Afcon. 8 Groups A qiuck guide to the Nations Cup 2015 groups and venues. 10 Preview An in-depth preview of the Afcon 2015 Group A and Group B. 14 Fixtures Detailed Afcon 2015 fixtures from the group stages and knock-out stages to the final. 16 An in-depth preview of the Afcon 2015 Group C and Group D. 20 Preview Trivia Fun Facts about Afcon and countries involved, quizes and more fun! 22 Gallery Photos from previous Afcon tournaments. AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 5

6 Afcon History Orange AFCON: History and Origins African footballing superpowers will gather in Equatorial Guinea for the 58th edition of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations. Mangaliso Maduna looks back at the origins and history of the Africa s most prestigious national football competition. New champions to crowned: New champions will be crowned in the Afcon 2015 as the current champions Nigeria failed to qualify for the tournament. 6 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

7 Afcon History The Orange Africa Cup of Nations is Africa s premier national football competition. The tournament is staged every two years from January to February and is open to teams under the CAF s affiliation. Despite missing out on next year s nations cup, Nigeria are the current defending champions following their crown in 2013 after defeating Burkina Faso in Johannesburg. This will be the second time a defending champion fails to qualify after the Egyptians failed to make the Afcon 2010 which was staged in Angola. Following a pandemonium around the host nation after the initial hosts Morroco withdrew citing concerns around the Ebola outbreak, Equatorial Guinea emerged as the new hosts after an agreement was reached between the country and the Confederation of African Football. The last Afcon which was staged in South Africa proved to be a major success as far as sporting and commercial levels are concerned. History The first tournament was held in 1957, however, it was later decided that from 1987 it will be held every two years. This manoeuvre was taken to ensure that the tournament do not clash with the FIFA World Cup. The tournament involves 32 matches in which 16 teams face-off against each other over the course of 23 days in four stadiums. It is estimated that an approximately 650 million people will be glued on their screens to witness the 58th edition of Africa s glittering prize. Egypt have lifted the Nations Cup a record seven times, including their unprecedented three consecutive title wins from 2006 to Since its inception, the Nations Cup has unearthed talent, with some of the players playing in top leagues in the world. Some of these big names include Cameroonian talisman Samuel Eto o. 6 Facts about Orange Afcon 1 Egypt is the most successful team in the history of this competition having 4 won it a record seven times. Unstoppable! Egypt have won the Nations Cup a record seven times, including winning it unprecedented three consecutive times. Previous Afcon Winners 1957: Egypt 1959: Egypt 1962: Ethiopia 1963: Ghana 1965: Ghana 1968: Congo-Kinshasa 1970: Sudan 1972: Congo 1974: Zaire 1976: Morocco 1978: Ghana 1982: Ghana 1990: Algeria 1994: Ivory Coast 1996: South Africa 1998: Egypt 2000: Cameroon 2002: Cameroon 2004: Tunisia 2006: Egypt 2008: Egypt 2010: Egypt 2012: Zambia 2013: Nigeria The legitimate Afcon trophy was named the Abdelaziz Abdallah Salem Trophy which was made of silver. 2 3 The Egyptian midfielder Ahmed Hassan is the only player to have won the tournament s MVP (Most Valuable Player) more than once. The most goals scored by a single player in the tournament is nine and that feat belongs to the former Democratic Republic of Congo midfielder Ndaye Mulamba. 5 Cameroon international Samuel Eto o is the alltime leading goal scorer with eighteen goals since making his debut back in A player with most appearances in the tournament is former Cameroon captain Rigobert Song who featured in eight tournaments and went on to play with his cousin Alex Song who played for Barcelona and Arsenal. History Makers: Samuel Eto o (right) and Rigobert Song (far right). More fun facts and quizes about Orange Afcon on page 12. AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 7

8 Groups Group A Equatorial Guinea Congo Brazzaville Burkina Faso Gabon Group B Cape Verde DR Congo Tunisia Zambia Group C Algeria Ghana Senegal South Africa Group D Cameroon Ivory Coast Guinea Mali 8 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

9 Venues The Africa Cup of Nations 2015 (Afcon 2015) will be hosted by Eqoutorial Guinea. The host cities for the tournament are Malabo, Bata, Mongomo and Ebebiyin. Malabo Ebebiyin Bata Mongomo City: Malabo Stadium: Estadio de Malabo Capacity: City: Bata Stadium: Nuevo Estadio de Bata Capacity: City: Mongomo Stadium: Estadio de Mongomo Capacity: City: Ebebiyin Stadium: Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin Capacity: AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 9

10 Preview Group A: The Avengers Equatorial Guinea Africa Cup of Nations 2015 (Afcon 2015) will be Equatorial Guinea s second appearance in the competition. Their first appearance was back in 2012 when they won the rights to co-host the biennial tournament with their neighbours, Gabon. The Central African nation played its match in a major international competition in the opening match of Afcon 2012, which resulted in a historic 1-0 victory over Libya. The Nzalang Nacional, as they are affectionately known, finished second in their group following a 2-1 victory over Senegal and a 1-0 loss to Zambia. Equatorial Guinea was eliminated in the quarterfinals by runners-up Ivory Coast. Morocco s Refusal to host AFCON 2015 granted Equatorial Guinea a back door re-entry to the tournament as they were announced as new hosts despite being disqualified in the qualifying round for fielding an ineligible player. With a great start to their first ever major international tournament, Burkina Faso Javier Balbao (right) helped Equatorial Guinea reach the last 16 in the Africa Cup of Nations Equatorial Guinea will be looking to maintain their record with a better finish in front of their fans again. They might have appeared nine times in the Africa s premier national team competition but the Burkinabe do not have much success in the competition as they were eliminated in the group stages in the seven of nine tournaments they qualified for. Their first appearance in the tournament dates back to 1978 and from 1996 they qualified for five consecutive tournaments. They reached the semi-finals in 1998 when they hosted the tournament. The West African nation continued their poor performance in the Afcon in both 2010 and 2012 as they were knocked out in the group stages in both tournaments. In the 2012 edition, they lost all their Jonathan Pitriopa (left) and Aristede Bance will be key in the Burkinabe attack at the Afcon Afcon appearances: 1 (2012) CAF Ranking: 37 Best finish: Quarterfinals (2012) Coach: Estaben Becker Players to Watch: Rui, Ben Konate, Javier Balbao and Randy. group matches and this resulted in the firing of the then coach Paulo Duarte. However, the Burkinabe redeemed themselves in the next edition in South Africa as they finished second under the mentorship of the Belgian coach Paul Put. Burkina Faso lost 1-0 to the reigning Afcon champions Nigeria and overcame on their way to the final. Will Etalons can emulate the heroic class and claim the title or will they face an early exit as they did in the previous editions? Afcon appearances: 9 (first 1978) CAF Ranking: 17 Best finish: Runners-up (2013) Coach: Paul Put Players to Watch: Jonathan Pitriopa, Aristide Bance and Prejuce Nakoulma. 10 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

11 Preview Match to watch Burkina Faso v Gabon Congo Brazzaville Judging by the way preliminaries unfolded, this fulfills the prophecy of an old adage that If size mattered, the elephant would be the king of the jungle. If history is anything to go by, Congo-Brazzaville is one of the fairytale stories of the 2015 Afcon qualifying rounds. The Red Devils, as the Congolese team is affectionately known in the football fraternity, did win the tournament in The team made its international debut back in February 1960 in a friendly against Ivory Coast which they lost 4-2. They have also won the All Africa Games tournament in The team sprung to prominence after defeating defending champions Nigeria and finished second to South Africa in Group A. The Congolese technical team has assembled a youthful squad with 70% of their squad under-21. One of the catalysts of the Congo s success is their welltravelled mentor Claude Leroy. The French-man s tactics and influence has brought stability, calmness and redefined their style of play. The Congolese nation will look to their young UD Almeria sensation Thiery Guivane Bifouna who bragged a brace against Nigeria during preliminaries. Leroy s faith in the young forward has paid fruitful dividends. Should they stick to their game plan and bold approach, the team could be in for a big showdown in Equatorial Guinea. They have the players, the motivation and the passion to defy all odds and leave their mark in the tournament. Francis Nganga scored the goal which sent Claude Leroy s men to the Afcon Afcon appearances: 6 (first 1968) CAF Ranking: 15 Best finish: Winners (1972) Coach: Claude Leroy Players to Watch: Thierry Boifuma, Francis Nganga and... Gabon Nicknamed Les Panthers (The Panthers), the Gabonese senior national team made its international debut in the April of 1960 after participating in the L Amitie tournament which only featured French-speaking nations, held in Madagascar. Despite having never qualified for the World Cup finals, the Gabonese national team has qualified five times for the Africa Cup of Nations. However, they have not had much success in the tournament. Their best showing in the tournament can be traced back in 2012 where they co-hosted the tournament with Equatorial Guinea and reached the quarter-final in the process. The Gabon nation will pin its hopes on their mercurial midfielder and captain Piere-Emrike Aubameyang. At 6 1, Aubemiyang is unequivocally in his prime years. Blessed with extraordinary skill Afcon appearances: 5 (first 1994) CAF Ranking: 18 Best finish: Quarterfinals (1996 & 2012) Coach: Jorge Costa Players to Watch: Levy Madinda, Aubameyang and Malick Evouna and pace, Aubameyang possesses all the attributes of a complete forward. His variety of moves and quickness will keep defenders high on their heels. His sublime performances led Gabon into quarter-final in 2012 and will certainly be hoping to replicate that feat or surpass Gabon midfielder and skipper Aubameyang will be hoping to lead his side to Afcon 2015 glory. AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 11

12 Preview Cape Verde Regarded by many as one of the trickier sides on the continent, the Blue Sharks will be hoping to make it past the group stages in Equatorial Guinea. A feat they have managed only once in the history of the competition. Dubbed by many as a not so passionate footballing nation, the majority of Cape Verde s players play in some of Europe s elite leagues such as Ligue 1 (France) and Premeira Liga (Portugal). The team star player is Ryan Mendes who plays for the French outfit Lille. Mendes will be expected to carry the team s fortunes to greater heights with his sublime skills and quick play. The team s best finish in the tournament was in South Africa two years back where they crashed out in the round of 16. Afcon appearances:1 (2013) CAF Ranking: 7 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Quarterfinals (2013 Coach: Rui Aguas Players to Watch: Heldon, ze Luis and Ryan Mendes. DR Congo Formerly known as Zaire, the team was the first Sub-Saharan African team to qualify for the FIFA World in Congo used to be one of the continent s prominent teams in the early editions of the tournament. They managed to win two titles between 1965 and Since 1997, they have fallen down in the Group B: The Titans Ryan Mendes (far right). pecking order and will be hoping to put a better showing this year in Equatorial Guinea. Florent Ibenge will be hoping to overcome the likes of Zambia, Tunisia and Cape Verde for a place in the knockout stages. This promises to be a difficult task pondering the quality of the opposition. The team s last continental success was in 2009 where they won the African Championships of Nations, a competition reserved for locally based players. Congo will heavily rely on the likes of Youssuf Mulumbu, Tresor Mputu as well as Eric Bokanga to lead them to Afcon 2015 glory. With these players, Ibenge will be hoping to lead The Leopards to their third continental title. Afcon appearances: 15 (first 1965) CAF Ranking: 13 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winners (1968 & 1974) Coach: Florent Ibenge Players to Watch: Tresor Mputu, Youssuf Mulumbu and Eric Bokanga. Youssuf Mulumbu is one of the players from DR Congo to watch out for. 12 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

13 Preview Tunisia The Eagles of Carthage are currently ranked 5th in the CAF rankings. Since their crown in 2004, the team has undergone a frustrating spell riddled with setbacks and lackluster. However, with a new coach at the helm Georges Leekens, the 2004 champions have a slightly different objective all together. The Belgian-born mentor will largely depend on the scintillating form of his African powerhouse in C.S.Sfaxien and Esperance. Wahbi Khazi. Match to watch Zambia v Tunisia The coach has been tasked with the responsibility of rebuilding the team and bringing back the glory days. The team has qualified for AFCON for a record 18 times. Nevertheless, since 2008 the team has never made it through to the knockout stages. This has become a trend Tunisians have become accustomed to. The retirement of their Brazilian-born striker Francileudo Santos has impacted the team negatively and has left George Leekens men with a big void to fill. Zambia The 2012 Afcon Champions will be hoping for a better showing this time around following their failure to defend their crown in South Africa two years back. Having romped to victory in 2012 against Ivory Coast in a memorable penalty shoot-out, the team will be hoping to cement its place and put their 2013 AFCON disappointment behind them. Chipolopolo (The Bullets) has qualified for the Nations Cup on 16 occasions; however, their brightest moments can be traced back in 1973 where they were finalists and in 2012 where they were the champions. To show their crown was not a fluke, they will have to defy all odds and overcome Tunisia, Cape Verde and their old nemesis D.R.Congo. Given the amount of talent and the pedigree of the team holistically, a place in the last 16 does not seem far-fetched. Afcon appearances: 16 (first 1994) CAF Ranking: 10 Best finish: Winners (2012) Coach: Honour Janza Players to Watch: Ronald Kapamba, Emmanuel Mayuka and Rainford Kalaba. Rainford Kalaba (above) and Emmanuel Mayuka. Ben Youssef is one of the Tunisian star players in the Afcon Afcon appearances: 1 (2005) CAF Ranking: 2 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winnes (2004) Coach: George Leekens Players to Watch: Sabr Khalifa, Fakhraddine Ben Youssef and Wahbi Khazhri. AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 13

14 Fin Estadio de Sun, 8 Feb 2 AFCON 2015 Eq A1 Equa. Guinea A2 Bukina Faso Group A Congo Gabon A3 A4 B1 Cape Verde B2 DR Congo Group B Tunisia Zamibia B3 B4 Estadio de Bata, Bata Sat, 17 Jan 2015, 18h00 Equa. Guinea Congo Estadio de Bata, Bata Sat, 17 Jan 2015, 21h00 Gabon Burkina Faso Estadio de Bata, Bata Wed, 21 Jan 2015, 18h00 Congo Gabon Estadio de Bata, Bata Wed, 21 Jan 2015, 21h00 Burkina Faso Equa. Guinea Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Sun, 25 Jan 2015, 20h00 Burkina Faso Congo Estadio de Bata, Bata Sun, 25 Jan 2015, 20h00 Equa. Guinea Gabon P Team P W D L GD PTS Group A Table P Team P W D L GD PTS Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Sun, 18 Jan 2015, 17h00 Zambia DR Congo Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Sun, 18 Jan 2015, 19h00 Cape Verde Tunisia Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Thu, 22 Jan 2015, 17h00 DR Congo Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Thu, 22 Jan 2015, 19h00 Tunisia Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Mon, 26 Jan 2015, 20h00 Zambia Group B Table Cape Verde Zambia Cape Verde Estadio de Bata, Bata Mon, 26 Jan 2015, 20h00 Tunisia DR Congo Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyin, Ebebiyin Sat, 31 Jan 2015, 20h00 Winner Group A Quarterfinal 1 Quarterfinal 2 Runner-up Group B Winner Group B Estadio de Bata, Bata Sat, 31 Jan 2015, 20h00 Runner-up Group A Semifinal 1 Estadio de Bata, Bata Wed, 4 Feb 2015, 20h00 3rd Place P Nuevo Estadio de Sat, 7 Feb 20 Winner QF 1 Winner QF 2 Loser SF 1 Winner SF 1

15 uatorial Guinea Group C Group D C1 Algeria C2 Ghana Senegal C3 South Africa C4 D1 Cameroon D2 Ivory Coast Guinea Mali D3 D4 Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Mon, 19 Jan 2015, 18h00 Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Tue, 20 Jan 2015, 18h00 Ghana Senegal Cameroon Mali Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Sat, 19 Jan 2015, 21h00 South Africa Algeria Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Fri, 23 Jan 2015, 18h00 Senegal South Africa Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Tue, 20 Jan 2015, 21h00 Ivory Coast Guinea Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Sat, 24 Jan 2015, 18h00 Mali Ivory Coast P Team P W D L GD PTS Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Fri, 23 Jan 2015, 21h00 Algeria Group C Table Ghana Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Tue, 27 Jan 2015, 20h00 Algeria Senegal Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Tue, 27 Jan 2015, 20h00 Ghana South Africa P Team P W D L GD PTS Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Sat, 24 Jan 2015, 21h00 Guinea Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Wed, 28 Jan 2015, 20h00 Ivory Coast Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Wed, 28 Jan 2015, 20h00 Mali Group D Table Cameroon Cameroon Guinea lace Off Malabo, Malabo 15, 20h00 Quarterfinal 3 Quarterfinal 4 Estadio de Mongomo, Mongomo Sun, 1 Feb 2015, 20h00 Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Thu, 5 Feb 2015, 20h00 Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo Sun, 1 Feb 2015, 20h00 Winner Group C Runner-up Group D Winner Group D Runner-up Group C Semifinal 2 Loser SF 2 Winner QF 3 Winner QF 4 al Bata, Bata 015, 20h00 Winner SF 2 All times in Central African Time (GMT +2)

16 Preview Algeria Beyond any doubt Algeria is the team to beat in Africa at the moment. Currently ranked first in Africa, Algeria finished the tournament at the summit of a group that had the likes of Malawi, Mali and Ethiopia. The team is now under the tutelage of the French tactician Christian Gourcuff. The former Le Mans and Stade Rennais mentor is renowned for his strong commitment to attacking football and an eye for young talent. Algeria was the only team with an immaculate record after all four group games. They will also be hoping to build on to their scintillating form they showed in Brazil when they became the first African nation to score four goals in a World-Cup. A feat no African country has achieved before. As far as the skills and speed are concerned, Algeria can go toe to toe with the best in the world. They have the skills, passion, talent and the motivation to overcome adversity when trouble commences. The Desert foxes will rely Ghana Group C: The Expendables Afcon appearances: 1 (1980) CAF Ranking: 1 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winners (1990) Coach: Christian Goufouff Players to Watch: Yacine Brahimi, Ismal Slamini and Sofian Feghouli. on the experience of Sofiane Fegbouli (Valencia) and Islam Slimani (Philadelphia Union) to rekindle the memories of the past when Algeria used to be a powerhouse in the continent. With no doubt, the north African nation are favourites to finish top of group C ahead of Ghana and the underdogs, Senegal and South Africa. Yacine Brahimi (left), Sofia Feghouli and Islam Slimani will be deadly for Algeria. The Black Stars approach any African tournament as the favourates to win it. Although winning the tournament may be out of reach for now, Ghana looks set to join Algeria in the last 16. The team s record in the Nations Cup is nothing short of exceptional. They have won the tournament on four occasions and have also been runners up on four occasions. The Black Stars have also announced the appointment of former Chelsea and West Ham manager Avram Grant six weeks before the tournament commences. Upon his appointment, Grant has created a healthy competition within the team giving debut call ups to five European-based players Ghana striker and skipper Asamoah Gyan (left) will lead the Ghanian attack, alongside Jordan Ayew. and recalling back former U20 midfielder Franch Acheampong and defender Samuel Inkoom. The team s hopes lies in the shoulders of their talismanic striker and Captain AsamoahGyan (Al-Ain). If there is anything that draws a distinction between Ghana and other African nations is their BMT (Big Match Temperature) in big games. Gyan will lead Ghana in Equatorial Guinea alongside Fatau Dauda (Ashanti Gold) Emmanuel Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Andre Ayew (Marseille) and his brother Jordan Ayew. Afcon appearances: 19 (first 1963) CAF Ranking: 5 (Dec 2012) Best finish: Winners (1963, 1965, 1978 & 1982) Coach: Avram Grant Players to Watch: Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew and Jordan Ayew. 16 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

17 Preview Senegal Ranked fourth in Africa, the Lions of Teranga, as the Senegalese national team is fondly known in the football circles, finished second in their group with 13 points, one point behind group winners Tunisia. Alain Giresse s men would want to prove a point to their detractors and upset all odds because they have been widely regarded as outside favourates. Their best showing in the tournament was in 2002 where they finished as runners up after losing to Cameroon in a tense penalty shoot-out in Mali. It was the same tournament that unearthed the talents of El-Hadji Diouf and Henri Camara. On paper, the team is blessed with enormous talent such as Papiss Cisse (Newcastle United), Mohammed Diame (West Ham) and Saido Mane (Southhampton). With such quality at their disposal, surely Senegal have a reason to believe that indeed they do stand a chance to progress to the last 16 or even go further and claim their first ever continental silverware. South Africa Bafana Bafana is undoubtedly the surprise package of the 2015 AFCON qualifying campaign. They kick-started their qualifying campaign with a win against Sudan and went on to make a statement against holders Nigeria following back to back draws. Bafana defied all odds and finished top of their group and are wholly responsible for eliminating defending champions Nigeria. Ephraim Mashaba s side has shown a great deal of cohesion and character as well as playing the most sophisticated style of play throughout the preliminaries. South Africa is also blessed with enormous talent which can be seen in the likes of Dean Furman (Doncaster Rovers), Andile Jali (K.V. Oostende) and Eric Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs). Be that as it may, the question may be can Bafana Bafana defy all odds and display their talents Match to watch Algeira v Ghana Afcon appearances: 12 (first 1965) CAF Ranking: 4 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Second place (2002) Coach: Alian Girrese Players to Watch: Demba- Papiss Cisse, Sadio Mane and Dame N Doye. Afcon appearances: 8 (first 1996) CAF Ranking: 12 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winners (1996) Coach: Ephraim Mahsaba Players to Watch: Andile Jali, Dean Furman and Tokelo Rantie. toe to toe against Africa s elite footballers. Owing to their inability to score goals consistently, many pundits have dubbed them as the dark horses of group C alongside Senegal. They first need to rectify this area if they are to repeat the feats of their 1996 success.after seeing off Nigeria in the qualifiers, Mashaba s men can overcome their difficult group. Andile Jali. With Demba Ba dropped, Sadio Mane (left) and Demba-Papiss Cisse (right) will be the key players for Senegal at the Afcon AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 17

18 Preview Cameroon Cameroon endured a catastrophic World Cup campaign after crashing out in the group stages and failing to register a single win. However, their fortunes have taken a different direction following their impressive Afcon qualifying campaign where they went invincible and registered four wins and two draws. Following a shock retirement of their midfield maestro Alex Song and their ever-dependable marksman Samuel Eto o, the Indomitable Lions will rely on the experience of Maxin-Choupo Moting (Schalke), Vincent Aboubakar (F.C. Porto) and Benjamin Moukandijo (Reims) to inspire the nation to their first major tournament since Cameroon has previously won the Nations Cup on four occasions which automatically makes them the favourates to win to clinch the African crown. Both Cameroon and Ivory Coast are touted as the favourates to progress into the last 16 whereas Mali and Guinea are the little horses but let us not forget that after all it is 11vs 11. Guinea Guinea is one of the unfancied sides in this year s Afcon tournament. They caused a major upset when they rose above expectations during the qualifiers by defeating both Uganda and Togo to book a second place in group E finishing one point behind group winners Ghana with three wins, a stalemate and two defeats. Head coach Michel Dussuyer will rely on the likes of Ibrahima Traore and Mohammed Lamine Yattara to replicate their qualification heroics in Africa s grandest stage of them all. Group D: The Royals Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting. Afcon appearances: 2 (first 2001) CAF Ranking: 8 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winners (2000 & 2002) Coach: Volke Finke Players to Watch: Landry N Guemo, Maxim Choupo- Moting and Stephane Mbia. Mohamed Yattara (left). Afcon appearances: 10 (first 1970) CAF Ranking: 6 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Second place (1976) Coach: Michel Dussuyer Players to Watch: Abdoul Camara, Mohamed Yattara and Ibrahima Traore. 18 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

19 Preview Ivory Coast Since their disgraceful exit at the World Cup in Brazil, The Elephants will be hoping to grace the occasion with majestic displays and put their World Cup disappointment behind them. Like Algeria and Ghana, Ivory Coast is perceived as one of the candidates to clinch the famous AFCON trophy. They are brimming Match to watch Ivory Coast v Cameroon with some of the great individual talents in the continent with the likes of Yaya Toure (Manchester City), Cheik Tiote (Newcastle United) and Gervinho (ASw Roma). Following the retirement of their experienced stalwarts in Didier Drogba and Didier Zokora, pundits have regarded the 2015 Afcon as Ivory Coast s last chance to shine on international stage. They finished four points behind Cameroon in the preliminaries with three wins, a draw and two losses. Herve Renard will literally be spoiled for choice in his star-studded team. Honestly, how do you choose between world class players such as Wilfried Bony, Seydou Doumbia and Lacina Traore? Yaya Toure Mali Mali is one of the continent s premier teams. Having finished third in the last two Afcon instalments, the Eagles have a score to settle in Equatorial Guinea. They come into the tournament having finished as runners up in Group B qualification behind Algeria. Mali s best showing at the tournament was in 1972 after going down 3-2 in the final against Congo. With their talismanic veteran midfielder Seydou Keita likely to call time on his international career, head coach Henryk Kasperczak will rely on Modibo Maiga and Abdou Traore to do the nation proud. Afcon appearances: 8 (first 1972) CAF Ranking: 11 Best finish: Second place (1972) Coach: Henryk Kasperczak Players to Watch: Bakary Sako and Abdoul Traore. Afcon appearances: 1 (1992) CAF Ranking: 3 (Dec 2014) Best finish: Winners (1994) Coach: Herve Renard Players to Watch: Wilfred Bony, Gervinho and Yaya Toure. Abdou Traore Wilfred Bony AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 19

20 Trivia Africa Cup of Nations Fun Facts Egypt and Ghana hosted the Africa Cup of Naitions more the any other county. They hosted the biennial tournament 4 times, followed by Ethiopia and Tunisia who hosted a total of 3 editions each. 2 The longest penalty session came in the Ivory Coast v Cameroon match (12-11) in AFCON The teams went to the penalty shoot-out all square at 1-1. Africa Cup of Nations trophy evolution 1957: Abdelahziz Abdallah Salem Trophy The orinigal Africa Cup of Nations trophy was named after its donor and the first CAF president Abdelahziz Abdallah Salem.The trophy, made of silver, resembled in shape the trophy awarded to the winners of the English League Cup. Ghana are the permanent holders of the trophy. Afcon 2015 in numbers The number of times the Southern African natition has won the Africa Cup of Nations. (South Africa in 1996 and Zambia in AFCON 2015 Preview Journal The fastest goal ever in the tournament was scored by Ayman Mansour of Egypt after 23 seconds against Mozambique in The youngest ever player to have played in the AFCON is Chiva Star Nzighou. The Gabonese made his appearance in the tournament just 16 years, 2 months and days in the year : Trophy of African Unity or African Unity Cup The second trophy was named the Trophy of African Unity and it was awarded from The trophy had cylindrical piece with olympic rings and a map of the continet engraved over it. It tha a squared base and stylised triangular handles.cameroon became the first nation to win this trophy three times. Ivory Coast is the only team to have won the tournament without conceding a single goal in their six matches. Marhaba- The Official Matchball Marhaba is the Official Matchball for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, Equatorial Guinea. Marhaba s technology incorporated into the bladder and carcass is identical to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Matchball, Brazuca. The design of the ball was inspired by the turnament s history its passionate fans. The blue and gold colorings on the ball represents varying landscapes of the continent, from the Sahara desert to the blue sky of both the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. Did you Know? Marhaba is an Arabic word for welcome R10.1m The record number of goals scored in a single Africa Cup of Nationas tournament. This record can be traced from the 2008 finals in Ghana. 2001: Africa Cup of Nations Trophy The Africa Cup of Nations Trophy, a gold-plated cup made in Itlay, was revealed in Egypt became the first team to win the new trophy three times (Unlike other teams, they won it three consecutive times). They were presented with a special full size replica that they got to keep. The tournament prize money set for Africa Cup of Nations 2015.

21 1. Which 2 countries hosted Afcon in 2012? A. Guinea & Gabon B. Equatorial Guinea & Gabon C. Guinea & Equatorial Guinea D. Zambia and Guinea 2. The Afcon 2015 is the edition of the tournament. A. 25 B. 28 C. 30 D The first Afcon tournament was held in A B C D Which country was initially selected as the hosts of Afcon 2015? A. Libya B. Seychelles C. Gambia D. Morocco Quiz Trivia How much do you know about Afcon? Answer the following questions. 5. How many stadiums will be used during the Afcon 2015? A. 6 B. 4 C. 7 D Which country participating in the Afcon 2015 is the lowest in the latest CAF rankings? A. F B. F C. F D. F 7. team(s) will make their first appearance in the Afcon in Equatorial Huinea. A. 0 B. 1 C. 3 D Who holds the record for the most appearances in Afcon? A. Benni McCarthy B. Roger Milla C. Samuel Eto o D. Mohammed Salah Spot the ball Ths picture was taken during the Afcon 2013 final between Nigeria and Burkina Faso. Spot the correct ball in this picture. Flag Quiz Answers Spot the ball The correct ball is ball B. Quiz 1. B 2. C 3. C 4. D 5. B 6. 7.A 8. C Flag Quiz 1. Guinea 2. Cape Verde 3. Gabon 4. Senegal 5. Equatorial Guinea 6. Mali 7. Tunisia AFCON 2015 Preview Journal 21

22 Gallery Above: Current champions Nigeria celebrate winning the Africa Cup of Nations 2013 in South Africa. Below: Egypt have won the Nations Cup a record seven times, with their last triumph in the Africa Cuop of Nations AFCON 2015 Preview Journal

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24 AFCON 2015 Preview Journal Copyright 2015 By Johannes Masiteng & Mangaliso Maduna