CAN 2006 Thrills Bubble Up

THE AFRICAN Nations Cup finals begins this week, with an all-star cast, promising to produce a compelling three-week soccer thriller. All the top national teams are in Egypt, and all the top players bar injured Ghanaian midfielder, Michael Essien, as Tunisia defend a title won on home soil, two years ago.

Former African Footballer of the Year, Kalusha Bwalya, from Zambia says any one of 10 countries could win a 16-nation tournament, which has grown immensely from humble roots, 49 years ago.

Egypt was the first winner with host Sudan, and Ethiopia, the only other contenders, after South Africa was barred, for refusing to field a multiracial team.

This week, 16 teams packed with Europe-based professionals, led by striker Samuel Eto?o of Barcelona and Didier Drogba of Chelsea challenge for a trophy, which symbolises continental supremacy.

And while Bwalya may be a trifle optimistic with his number of potential champions, there is no doubt Egypt, Cameroon, Cote d?Ivoire, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia can go all the way.

Shock 2006 World Cup qualifiers, Angola and Togo, are not good enough to reach the summit, but can cause upsets, while DR Congo, Guinea, South Africa and Zambia, have been so bad, they are overdue a change of fortune.

That leaves Libya, the only qualifier not in the top 16 of the African rankings, and Zimbabwe as the only no-hoper in a competition, which begins, on Friday, at Cairo Stadium, and ends, on February 10, at the same venue.

And as Egypt prepared to host the strongest field assembled for the African showcase came further proof of the growth of the game on a continent, where sport serves as an antidote to the daily grind, for social survival. A decade ago, one could count the number of Africans performing in England on a hand.

Now Monaco striker, Emmanuel Adebayor, whose 11 goals were crucial to the qualification of Togo, has swelled a mini-army by joining Arsenal. In Cairo-based Group A, four-time winner, Egypt, and former champions, Cote d?Ivoire and Morocco must battle for two places in the knockout phase, while hyper-cautious Libya is dangerous, because it has nothing to lose.

Egypt can parade star striker, Ahmed ?Mido? Hossam, Cote d?Ivoire boast the deadliest attack on the continent in Drogba, and Aruna Dindane, and will there be a more polished defender on view than veteran Moroccan, Noureddine Naybet? Eto?o-inspired Cameroon is the obvious choice to top Cairo-based Group B, but who finishes second? Amazing Angola, led by Fabrice ?Akwa? Maieco, tigerish Togo, led by Adebayor, or troubled DR Congo, led by Lomana LuaLua. Apart from possessing proven match-winners, Angola and Togo boast mean defences, and that will always provide hope in a tournament, where calculators may be needed to separate a number of contenders.

DR Congo is a dark horse. Everyone outside the vast central Africa country expects it to fare poorly, and the last time it was dismissed as a whipping team, the Lions came third in 1998, by scoring three goals in four minutes. Tunisia, finely tuned and settled under meticulous French coach, Roger Lemerre, are favoured to win Alexandria-based Group C, leaving skilful Guinea, struggling South Africa and unpredictable Zambia, fighting for second spot. And what a scrap it promises to be, with the opening-round showdown between former champions, South Africa and 2004 quarter-finalist, Guinea, potentially critical to the final outcome.

Bwalya-coached Zambia must be concerned by the form of talisman, Collins Mbesuma, who has been a flop at English Premiership struggler, Portsmouth, after scoring bags of goals, for Kaizer Chiefs, in South Africa. Every soccer tournament has a Group of Death, but this Nations Cup has two with Group D, rivalling Group A, as four-time champion, Ghana, twice winner, Nigeria, and talented Senegal lock horns in Port Said.

Spirited but limited Zimbabwe must fear the worst, after 5-1 and 3-0 hidings from Nigeria, during the 10-round qualifying process, while the southern Africa champion can expect no mercy from World Cup qualifier, Ghana, or 2002 World Cup quarter-finalist, Senegal.

A glance at the 23-man Nigeria squad, with midfielder, Jay-Jay Okocha, making his international swansong suggests the Super Eagles can not only top the table, but lift the trophy, and the Ghana-Senegal clash should decide who finishes runner-up.

Egypt and Libya launch the 32-game programme, with group matches, daily, until the end of January, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, the third-place play-off, and a final poised to match the best in Nations Cup history.