Few African-based footballers for Cup

BAMAKO, Mali -- A new chapter in the his-tory of the African Cup of Nations has been written -- even before the first ball has been kicked.

The competition starts today with the opening fixture between hosts Mali and Liberia here.

The final will be played at the same venue on February 10.

Over the last few years, with more and more African players leaving their continent and signing lucrative contracts with clubs in Europe, the number of African-based players competing in the showpiece of African football has steadily decreased.

Countries such as Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana have long been using squads with a majority of players from European clubs, but they have always included a few home-based players.

But for the first time in the history of the competition, a country is competing with an entire squad of players playing club football outside of their country.

Not one of the 22 players Cameroon has nominated for the tournament plays his club football at home.

Instead of plying their trade for the likes of Union Doulo or Canon Yaounde, the Cameroon players doing duty at the Nations Cup are contracted to clubs like Extremadura in Spain, Montepellier in France, Arsenal in England and Cologne in Germany.

Even their three goalkeepers, Boukar Alioum, Idriss Carlos Kameni and Jacques Songo'o do not play their club football in Cameroon.

Alioum belongs to Turkish club Samsunspor, while Kameni and Songo'o are under contract to Le Havre and Metz, respectively.

The Cameroon squad defending the title they won two years ago in Nigeria, is like a representative side of the European Union.

Alioum and midfielder Nicolas Alnoudji play in Turkey, while a whole host of players, like Salomon Olembe and midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe belong to clubs in France.

The English league is well represented by Manchester City's Lucien Mettomo, Laurent Etame Mayer from Arsenal and Patrick Suffo, who belongs to Sheffield United.

Four of the squad play their club football in Spain, including Geremi Fotso Njitap who plays for Real Madrid.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year, Patrick Mboma plays in Italy's Serie A with Parma, while Pierre Wome plays for Bologna.

Defender Rigobert Song has just moved from the English Premiership to the German Bundesliga, while Jean Dika Dika is the lone Portuguese-based player in the squad.

The Indomitable Lions will not be the only country participating without a home-based player, as Senegal have also nominated a squad without a Senegalese-based player.

The West Africans, who caused one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history last year when they edged out favourites Morocco and Egypt for a place at the finals in South Korea and Japan, have included one African-based player though one of their two goalkeepers, Oumar Diallo, plays for Khourigba in Morocco.

With the pull of the lucrative leagues in Europe increasing and more and more African players moving north, it seems likely that Cameroon and Senegal are merely trend-setters for the future of the African Nations Cup.

lThe South African government has donated R10 million towards ensuring the success of the African Cup of Nations,

Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said yesterday the Malian government approached South Africa for help when it became clear ''there were things they could no longer provide with their resources'', the minister told reporters in Pretoria.

The South African government decided to help in the spirit of the African Renaissance.--