Africa Cup of Nations rolls into the quarterfinal stage this week with critical qualifiers, as officials hope to see an elevated level of play and put security concerns to rest, while the European clubs follow the action nervously hoping to see their star players return unscathed to club duty.
Last Friday’s mega clash between Ghana and Ivory Coast, the tournament’s favorites, was an enjoyable affair with Ghana’s performance more subdued than potential. Ivory Coast was at full strength, its victory pleasing but also necessary to ensure passage to the next stage, a situation Ghana finds itself now in its final Group 2 match against Burkina Faso. Ghana will have to reach the quarterfinal without its captain, Michael Essien, who picked up an injury in training and might have made the long trek from London to Africa to play only one half in the tournament. It would be unfortunate for Ghana to exit at this stage.
In Group 1 all four teams still have a chance to qualify, with the host team Angola best positioned and needing only a tie in its final match against Algeria to move on. But it will not be easy, as World Cup bound Algeria is a potent force that will play for all three points. Anything can happen in this group, even Mali having a chance with a win and help from Angola. However, group leader Angola can be knocked out of the tournament with Algeria and Malawi wins, a development that would likely raise the security concerns further.
Egypt secured the first place in Group 3 with a match to spare, improving the prospects of a motivated Benin who must win against Egypt and hope that Nigeria will be held by Mozambique. The Nigerians appear to have regained their confidence after squeezing a deserved 1-0 win against Benin last week and gaining control of their own fate. They should take care of business against Mozambique and take second place in the group.
Group 4 is likewise wide open with all four teams able to progress. Cameroon bounced back from the loss against Gabon with an exciting 3-2 come-from-behind win against a surprisingly competitive Zambia. Gabon is in pole position to advance, needing only one point in its last group match against Zambia. The clash between Cameroon and Tunisia promises to be fierce, with the Lions needing only a point to finish ahead of the North Africans, but with passage uncertain should Zambia run up a heavy victory on Gabon.
The tournament appears to have stabilized after a volatile start, hopefully with the best action yet to come. African football remains entertaining and unpredictable, with any team able to win on any given day.