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Africa Cup of Nations 2019


Toon Hoser

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OH YEAH.    :)

 

 

Egypt hosts, 21 June to 19 July.

 

GROUP A

Egypt

DR Congo

Uganda

Zimbabwe

 

GROUP B

Nigeria

Guinea

Madagascar

Burundi

 

GROUP C

Senegal

Algeria

Kenya

Tanzania

 

GROUP D

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

South Africa

Namibia

 

GROUP E

Tunisia

Mali

Mauritania

Angola

 

GROUP F

Cameroon

Ghana

Benin

Guinea-Bissau

 

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Looking forward to this. It should be an interesting tournament, and I'll be watching as much as I can. We have expanded to 24 for some reason and some real minnows have made it. Nigeria's groups has two first time entrants in Madagascar (The surnames of this team will ruin some poor commentator) and Burundi (They will feature Saido Berahino and former NUFC player Bigirimana). It is a positive things for the smaller nations, and for Nigeria who have failed to qualify for 4 of the past 5 tournaments and won the only one in which they appeared. :lol: I'm not sure how it will affect the quality/organisation both of which are serious problems already.

 

This is the first one being held in the European summer to placate the clubs and players abroad, and the climate is going to be an issue in some countries for this thing going forward I think. It will be 40+ for some of the matches in Cairo, Suez, and Ismaila, so we may get a sample of what a summer World Cup in Qatar may have been. The rains would be a problem this time of year in other places.

 

Egypt are 100% the favourites, you have to favour the North Africans generally when the tournament is in that part of the continent. I'll be supporting Naija and DRC as per usual, not particularly confident in either though. Nigeria should be a certainty to go far, but not sure if they have it to actually win. DRC are always a wildcard and could finish last in the group or get to the final. They have the talent.

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Looking forward to this. It should be an interesting tournament, and I'll be watching as much as I can. We have expanded to 24 for some reason and some real minnows have made it. Nigeria's groups has two first time entrants in Madagascar (The surnames of this team will ruin some poor commentator) and Burundi (They will feature Saido Berahino and former NUFC player Bigirimana). It is a positive things for the smaller nations, and for Nigeria who have failed to qualify for 4 of the past 5 tournaments and won the only one in which they appeared. :lol: I'm not sure how it will affect the quality/organisation both of which are serious problems already.

 

This is the first one being held in the European summer to placate the clubs and players abroad, and the climate is going to be an issue in some countries for this thing going forward I think. It will be 40+ for some of the matches in Cairo, Suez, and Ismaila, so we may get a sample of what a summer World Cup in Qatar may have been. The rains would be a problem this time of year in other places.

 

Egypt are 100% the favourites, you have to favour the North Africans generally when the tournament is in that part of the continent. I'll be supporting Naija and DRC as per usual, not particularly confident in either though. Nigeria should be a certainty to go far, but not sure if they have it to actually win. DRC are always a wildcard and could finish last in the group or get to the final. They have the talent.

 

Canny preview, cheers! 👍

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Madagascar beating Guinea. Guinea left Naby Keita on their bench

He was injured toward the end of the end of the European season and isn't fit. Poor result for Guinea tbh, but they still have a good chance with four third place sides going through. The minnows have been resolute thus far.

I don't think its right teams having to play in that heat. Players are surely going to get heat stroke running around in those temperatures.

Samuel Kalu for Nigeria collapsed from dehydration in training and was taken to hospital already. The matches at 16:30 local time are terrible for the players and the quality of the football. All of matches need to be in the evening. Of course, this is the first tournament with 24 teams as well as the first in June, so probably not possible.

I'll be supporting Naija and DRC as per usual, not particularly confident in either though. Nigeria should be a certainty to go far, but not sure if they have it to actually win. DRC are always a wildcard and could finish last in the group or get to the final. They have the talent.

Both teams were disappointing today. DRC were atrocious and play Egypt next. The tournament could be over before it starts. I am not surprised Uganda played well, though. They pushed Egypt and Ghana hard in the last World Cup qualifiers, good side. Nigeria won 1-0 after a brilliant backheel assist from Ola Aina, but the problems persist. Ighalo is probably the best option upfront, which is disheartening despite his goal today, and the keepers are very poor. I'm not sure you can fit Mikel, Etebo, and Ndidi into one midfield against the sides that will bunker. Bigirimana was the best player on the pitch today, fwiw. Unfortunate his career didn't progress when he was here.

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Another boring 1-0 victory for Nigeria against a markedly inferior opponent, especially since Naby Keita is clearly not fit. Easily through and job done.

 

This tournament is atrocious thus far. Boring and poor quality. Seems like most matches have been workmanlike wins to nil for a "big" side against a lesser opponent. On paper, it should pick up with big clashes the next three days, Senegal-Algeria, Morocco-CIV, and Ghana-Cameroon. The bigger problem is that almost every match is in a stadium that is 80 percent empty, it is too hot for the teams to leave first gear in half the matches (all decent matches have been at night), and third place teams going through means low stakes in the group stages generally.

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Shock result for Madagascar.

We do not talk about this.

 

Praise god the group stage is over. It was rubbish. A glut of boring, low-stakes football matches in scorching heat to arrive us at the tournament we should have had from the start.

 

Anway, the matches are now set for the round of 16, and the fixtures look much more interesting:

 

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Nigeria-Cameroon derby is the big match of the round, this game is always a war, so I am expecting the same on Saturday. Morocco (best team) and Egypt (hosts) should be the favourites, imo. I favour the North Africans in Egypt, generally (though Algeria have looked fragile, imo and Tunisia have been horrible). All of the typical West African giants (+Cameroon) have the talent to beat these teams and have advanced, but to me these sides have all either laboured through the group or been poor. It will be interesting to see which ones wake up now that the real tournament has started. Of the outsiders, Uganda have looked strong and could be a threat.

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Morocco are out and Benin through on penalties, 1-1. Crazy match and big upset. Ziyech had a penalty to win at the end of normal time, but Gyan'd it off the left post and one of the Benin players received a red card in extra time for no apparent reason. :lol: Benin were well organised, but Morocco have wasted a big chance here.

 

Fennecs were my pick to win, but I was born and raised not even 100 miles from Benin, so I don't begrudge them going through at all.

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South Africa knock out Egypt. Everyone who had a clue about this seemed to think it was between Egypt, Morocco and Algeria and now two of those are gone before the quarter finals

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South Africa knock out Egypt. Everyone who had a clue about this seemed to think it was between Egypt, Morocco and Algeria and now two of those are gone before the quarter finals

 

Watched that game tonight. Was horrendous. So many miss placed passes and ball kicked out of play under no pressure.

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