A number of the big stars failed to live up to the billing, from Riyad Mahrez to Mo Salah to Sadio Mane and of course the collective disappointment that was World Cup Semi finalist, Morocco.
The Ivory Coast have hosted a tournament that has endeared it’s heart to many and as also won many hearts across the globe. Here are the standout performers at the just concluded African Cup of Nations in a 3-4-3 formation:
In goal is Ronwen Williams; South Africa’s captain won the hearts of many after his heroics in the quarter-finals against Cape Verde; where he stopped four of the five penalties he saved. Now, Ronwen is not just about saving penalties; he is also credited with arguably the save of the tournament with his last gasp save against Cape Verde.
The Mamelodi Sundowns stopper brought is brilliant club form to the continental show piece, leaving an indelible mark.
At right center bank is Mothobi Mvala; another member of the Mamelodi Sundowns’ contingent to the AFCON. A tall, capable and dependable defender; good on his feet and very useful in the air. Mvala was a resilient and competent performer for the Bafana Bafana as they got to the Semi Finals for the first time since year 2000.
My left center back is captain of the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo; Chancel Mbemba; a seasoned campaigner on the continent and a great leader to the DRC’s best performance at the AFCON in recent memory.
Nigerian Captain and CAF’s player of the tournament; William Troost Ekong had a fantastic tournament. Troost Ekong’s story at this AFCON is that of reinvention. Many had written him off and wondered why he made the final list but he put his best foot forward to lead Nigeria to a second place finish, contributing to the cause with three goals.
In Midfield, Frank ”The Tank” Onyeka was a stellar performer in Nigeria’s campaign at this AFCON and was instrumental every aspect of the game that was good for Nigeria. Teboho Mokoena takes the second place in midfield after an industrious and energetic performance for the Bafana Bafana; one of the highlights of this AFCON was his sensational freekick to knockout Morocco in the first knockout round.
On the right side of midfield is Frank Kessie; one of the unsung heroes of Ivory Coast’s unlikely AFCON victory; his pressure penalties in the game against Senegal and his equalizer against Nigeria sets him apart as one of the competitions top performers.
On the left is Gelson Dala; Angola’ top scorer and chief entertainer; had a brilliant campaign that not only entertained but won many hearts leading to a quarter final finish for the Palancas Negras.
Upfront is Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman; who finished the competition with three goals for the Super Eagles but showed a desire to be involved in other aspects of the game with his tenacity and industry.
The break out star at this AFCON, Simon Adingra was the right pick me up the hosts needed. Introduced at just the right time in this tournament with an equalizer against Mali and his Man of the man showing in the final against Nigeria
Leading the line is tournament top scorer; Emialino Nsue of the Equatorial Guinea. He may not have made it pass the first knockout round or even contrived to miss a penalty; his exploits in the group phase, separates him from other strikers at this tournament.
Manager of the AFCON is none other than Emerson Fae; the first man to win a continental title off a new manager bounce; but he must be commended for the changes and the reintroduction of the more experienced players back into the Ivorian line up.
There are other players who are worthy of mention ; Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali who emerged from no where to become Nigeria’s number 1 goalie.
Babacar Niasse of Mauritania was another that caught the eye; along with Lamine Camara of Senegal; who was a bright spark in an otherwise disappointing Senegalese team, potentially a future captain of the Teranga Lions of Senegal.
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Merci Côte d’Ivoire!
We could hear the rhythmic beats of traditional African drums and some muffled singing as we waited for our visas to be processed. It got louder the closer we got to passport control before we were hit with a carnival atmosphere as soon as the sliding doors opened and we were in the Arrivals Hall. Bienvenue a Côte d’Ivoire! We had arrived.
Our plane had landed from Brussels via Benin, and I had spotted a number of football shirts on board – the green and white of Nigeria, green and red of Cameroon, and the ubiquitous orange of our hosts for the next 10 days.
Another plane landed just after us in Abidjan – the de facto capital of the Ivory Coast – and a sea of men and women clad in the white of Guinea and waving their national flags piled into the arrivals hall behind us. But that wasn’t to prepare us for what we were about to witness.
The live music accompanied with plenty of dancing made us feel like we had entered into another world. Not since the World Cup Brazil 2014 had I received such a welcome at an airport and there was a real feeling that this was a country where football was the order of the day – or month.
It was late at night when we arrived at our neighbourhood of Koumassi but there was no sign that things were dying down.
Open-air bars were packed with punters keenly watching the post-match analysis of the earlier games that night, smoke raised from the street food stalls that served fresh fish and chicken, while shacks were set up on every corner selling an array of football shirts. Cote d’Ivoire, check. Guinea, check. Mali and Senegal? Yep, they had it.
The international media before the tournament emphasised the importance of the hosts going ‘deep’ into the tournament to ensure good crowds but the Ivory Coast – and especially the metropolis of Abidjan – is a melting pot of West African cultures.
The ‘father of the nation’, President Felix Houphouet-Boigny, invited hundreds of thousands of guest workers from neighbouring countries to Cote d’Ivoire in his attempt to build an advanced capitalist society in the 1970s and many of them have stayed, despite successive Civil Wars in the country in the 2000s. As a result, we spotted just as many shirts around the streets of Abidjan of other nations as we did the hosts.
On our way to the cool, beach-front neighbourhood of Blockhauss – overlooked by the diplomatic quarter and the imposing Sofitel (the home of AfCON’s machine for the tournament) – we dived into a local bar after we heard some cheering.
Fans gather for the match against Equatorial Guinea
Photo: Rhys Hartley
We struggled to find a seat but were quickly welcomed to share a table with a group of three, when we noticed that everyone in the bar was kitted out in matching Burkina Faso replicas.
A penalty put them ahead against heavy favourites, Algeria, and the place went wild with dancing, hugging, and a ‘Santè’ in our direction. They thought we’d brought them luck!
It wasn’t to last, as Algeria scored a last-gasp equaliser, sending our new friend across the table into tears. We quickly bade farewell, and I committed to buying a shirt of my new adopted team for the tournament.
While comments from abroad may focus on the lack of crowds in some games (a 2pm Friday kick-off of Cape Verde v Mozambique didn’t exactly capture the imagination – and we must remember that 40% of the population live below the poverty line), each game was watched with the same intensity, no matter who was playing nor the time of day.
Every TV across the country was tuned into French broadcaster Canal Plus’s dedicated channel to AfCON 24/7, and it was clear that football had gripped the nation.
People may roll their eyes at the importance of football but it has been credited with bringing to an end the first Civil War in Cote d’Ivoire. After qualifying for the World Cup in 2006, Didier Drogba – possibly the country’s most famous export – announced that the country’s next match would be played in Bouake, the heartland of the rebellion. A shock move but one that saw opposing forces sit together in the stands and crowds flock the pitch in unison after their 5-0 victory over Madagascar.
The ‘Elephants’’ success has certainly had an impact on maintaining the peace in this divided country since then, being a symbol that everyone can unite behind. That was the impression that the government and wider population wanted to impart upon us visitors and everyone else watching from around Africa and beyond at this year’s tournement.
However, all was not well on the pitch.
In the impressive 60,000-seater stadium in Ebimpe, around 30 kilometres north of downtown Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire played their final group game against unfancied Equatorial Guinea, knowing that a point would probably be enough to get them through.
An expectant crowd grew impatient as a cagey first half an hour passed before a shock goal saw the visitors take the lead. VAR intervened to deny two goals to the boys in orange, who seemed to panic from there on in. They attacked in numbers but left holes at the back, which the experienced Equatorial Guineans used to their advantage to stun the tournament’s hosts.
They ran out 4-0 winners against all the odds, leading to plenty of unsavoury scenes in the stands, on the running tracks, and on the way back into town – we spotted a row of the shuttle buses put on for fans with their windows smashed in completely. It really was more than just a game.
Nobody believed that Côte d’Ivoire would go through, needing results in every other group to go their way for them to be among the best third-placed teams with just three points and a goal difference of minus 3.
It came down to the penultimate night of the group stages. Ghana had a worse record than them, so they just needed one other team to finish in third with a worse record. Morocco to beat Zambia. Easy, right?
In Bouake, the second-largest city, every man, woman and child was glued to the TV, urging the North Africans to do them a favour. A first-half goal eased the tension for a while but the second half dragged on with no further goals.
Cue wild celebrations, with people lifting chairs above their heads and dancing all around the bar. All of a sudden, a group of young men with their shirts off started running past the bar and onto the city’s main thoroughfare, whistling and cheering, as cars beeped their horns. The country came to a standstill as they celebrated their unlikely qualification to the next round.
With the hosts still in the competition, I bade my farewell to the tournament as part of a sell-out crowd at the smaller 30,000-seater stadium in Abidjan.
After walking for hours for two days straight in the 35-degree heat trying to find a ticket, we left it until an hour before kick-off to source a tout in the vicinity of the ground. A late second goal saw the ‘Super Eagles’ of Nigeria kill off the ‘Indomitable Lions’ of Cameroon after a spirited performance, as the Nigerians partied long into and the Cameroonians made plans to return home.
Contrary to the theme of this year’s tournament, this wasn’t a shock result – but there were plenty of those to come. Cote d’Ivoire are somehow still in the competition! They defeated tournament favourites, Senegal, in the Round of 16 before a last-minute equaliser saw them take Mali to extra time with just 10 men, going on to win the tie in the last minute of the additional 30.
Other shocks included World Cup semi-finalists Morocco, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, and heavily-fancied Algeria bowing out early in a poor tournametn for North African sides.
While a Nigeria v Cote d’Ivoire final may seem expected, a semi-final lineup including South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo was not on anyone’s mind going into the tournament – even less so following the first few rounds of group games! But, in a country where football is taken so seriously, it so fits that the product on offer has been so gripping.
This is the most exciting tournament I’ve been lucky enough to witness (personal Welsh affiliations aside) and the welcome we received from the moment we touched down to the second we left will stay in the mind even longer than the football.
Whatever happens this weekend – Merci, Cote d’Ivoire (and bon chance)!
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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The qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup are almost in the history books now as several more nations from across the globe sealed their places in November’s tournament in Qatar.
There was plenty at stake across all continents so it is time to dive straight in and see how the action unfolded on what is possibly international football’s greatest week, time after time.
AFC
Group A on the final stages in Asia had little left to be decided with Iran and South Korea having already booked their spot in the previous set of fixtures.
Instead it was all about the battle for third place and the play-off that comes with it. Iraq gave themselves a lifeline with a 1-0 victory over direct rivals the United Arab Emirates to leave the visitor’s hopes hanging in the balance.
However Rodolfo Arruabarrena’s side recovered to claim a huge 1-0 victory over South Korea in the final game while Iraq could only draw with Syria to seal their fate.
In Group B, Japan ensured they would be back for a seventh consecutive World Cup appearance after defeating Australia 2-0 in Sydney. This also meant that Saudi Arabia qualified without having to kick a ball.
The Saudis rubbed salt into the Aussie wounds by winning 1-0 in Jeddah in the final group game.
Australia will now have to settle for the play-offs. They will face the UAE in a single game shootout in Doha on June 7th with the winner facing Peru for a chance to reach the finals.
CAF
Africa had probably the most exciting games on paper with a host of big nations set to do battle. This also shows how the continent will benefit when the tournament expands in 2026. So many talented African footballers will miss out once more in Qatar.
Which brings us to Egypt and Mohamed Salah. The repeat of the AFCON final with Senegal was as tight as you might have expected with the Pharaohs winning 1-0 in Cairo before the African champions responded with a 1-0 victory of their own in Dakar.
Salah went on to miss in the penalty shootout with Sadio Mane once more scoring the winning kick to ensure it was double delight for the Lions of Teranga.
There was further late drama between Algeria and Cameroon. Once again both games finished 1-0 to either side therefore extra-time would be required. Ahmed Touba thought he had won it for Algeria only for Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi to score a crucial away goal in the fourth minute of stoppage time to send Cameroon through.
There were shocking scenes in Abuja as supporters stormed the pitch following Ghana’s away goal victory over bitter rivals Nigeria. Thomas Partey grabbed the all-important goal before William Troost-Ekong equalised with a penalty. But it was not to be for the Nigerians, who fail to qualify for the first time since 2006.
Morocco were the only side to really cut loose over the past week as they swept past DR Congo 5-2 on aggregate. It was honours even in Kinshasa for the first leg before the Atlas Lions stormed to victory in Casablanca, with Achraf Hakimi among the goalscorers.
Tunisia made it a North African double as they held their nerve to edge past Mali and deny Les Aiges a debut appearance. Moussa Sissako’s own goal was all that could separate the two sides over 180 minutes.
CONCACAF
CONCACAF is the only federation yet to conclude at the time of writing but Canada rubber stamped a first appearance since 1986 with a 4-0 victory over Jamaica in Toronto to spark joyous scenes.
Mexico and the USA look set the join Les Rouges barring some incredibly unlikely results on the final day.
Costa Rica look likely to take the play-off spot and they will face New Zealand as Los Ticos look to qualify for a third straight tournament.
CONMEBOL
Ecuador will be back at the World Cup despite only taking one point from their final two games. La Tri have enjoyed a good campaign and can now look forward to returning to the world stage for the first time since 2014.
They will be joined by Uruguay after Giorgian de Arrascaeta’s goal clinched a 1-0 victory over Peru to ensure a positive end to a difficult campaign.
This meant that the Peruvians were in control of fifth place going into the final game but Colombia and Chile were ready and waiting to take advantage of any slip ups.
Unfortunately for Chile it was the end of an era as they fell 2-0 at home to Uruguay while Colombia defeated Venezuela 1-0 to do their part.
It would be Peru’s day however as goals from Gianluca Lapadula and Yoshimar Yotun sealed a play-off spot against either the UAE or Australia in June.
OFC
New Zealand will once more represent Oceania in the playoffs after coming through a mini tournament in Qatar.
Vanuatu and the Cook Islands had to cancel games due to Covid which meant Tahiti and the Soloman Islands progressed to the semi-finals.
New Zealand coasted through their group and were joined in the final four by Papua New Guinea.
A Liberato Cacace goal saw the All Whites edge past Tahiti in the semi-final while the Soloman Islands saw off Papua New Guinea by three goals to two.
There would be no fairytale in the final however as Chris Wood helped Danny Hay’s side to a 5-0 victory and set up a likely play-off with Costa Rica in June.
UEFA
A brace from Gareth Bale inspired Wales to a 2-1 victory over Austria to leave Robert Page’s side just one game away from a first World Cup appearance since 1958.
They will host the winners of the Scotland and Ukraine match which will have to be rearranged for a later date.
Elsewhere Poland made the most of receiving a bye straight through to the final by defeating Sweden in Warsaw to make it back to back qualifications.
Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski scored to see off the Swedes, who edged out the Czech Republic in extra-time in Solna.
Arguably the biggest shock of the window saw North Macedonia stun European champions Italy 1-0 in Palermo to ensure the Italians missed a second consecutive World Cup.
The four times winner will have gone 20 years without a knockout match by the time the next tournament rolls around in 2026.
The reward for North Macedonia was a trip to Porto after Portugal defeated Turkey 3-1 in the semi-final.
The fairytale run would not have the ultimate conclusion however as Bruno Fernandes grabbed a brace to send the hosts through and ensure Cristiano Ronaldo will have the chance to play in a fifth World Cup.
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The third and final round of the African qualifiers will commence this week with just 10 countries left looking to ensure a place in this winters tournament in Qatar.
With the African Cup of Nations having just taken place in Cameroon earlier in the year, most of the sides will be acutely aware of what they are up against ahead of a colossal week in the continent.
There are sure to have five fascinating encounters so it is time to take a look at what is in store.
Egypt vs Senegal
This is the one everyone has been waiting for. Just 47 days removed from their penalty shoot-out in the Cup of Nations final, Egypt and Senegal will do battle once more for a place in Qatar.
Sadio Mane came out on top on that occasion with club team mate Mohamed Salah left heartbroken and Salah will be hoping the tables turn this time around.
The Egyptians cruised through a potentially difficult group in the previous round with an unbeaten record and will look to Salah to inspire once more, as he did en route to the final in Cameroon.
Senegal also came through their group unbeaten, with only a 1-1 draw in Togo preventing the Lions of Teranga from gaining a 100% record.
It will be an intriguing clash of styles once more as Carlos Queiroz’s defensive approach arguably does not help their star player but does seem to get the best results for the team.
Senegal will be on the front foot and will have the confidence gaining from February’s first-ever continental triumph.
Cameroon vs Algeria
Cameroon were the hosts of the Cup of Nations and performed admirably on home soil, reaching the semi-finals only to be knocked out on penalties against Egypt.
Vincent Aboubakar finished as the top goalscorer at the tournament and coach Rigobert Song will look to the Al-Nassr striker to provide the goals once more.
The Indomitable Lions came through one of the toughest tests in the previous round by topping a group ahead of the Ivory Coast and appear battle hardened ahead of this crucial clash.
Algeria were among the tournament favourites heading into the Cup of Nations but performed abysmally in Cameroon which does not bode well for this game.
Djamel Belmadi has kept his job and will need Riyad Mahrez to transfer his form for Manchester City over to the national team if they are to return to the world stage for the first time since 2014.
The Desert Warriors were undefeated in a tough group involving Burkina Faso in round two but will need to improve hugely here after scoring only one goal in Cameroon.
Ghana vs Nigeria
Ghana were another side that performed abysmally in January, finishing bottom of their group and failing to win a single match.
Milovan Rajevac paid for it with his job with Otto Addo installed as caretaker manager for this clash. Intriguingly, Chris Hughton has also come in as a technical advisor. How much control he has though is anyone’s guess.
The Black Stars edged South Africa into second spot in the previous round and will look mainly to the squad used at the Cup of Nations. Thomas Partey has been in excellent form for Arsenal and will need to carry that form along here.
Nigeria suffered a surprise exit in the round of 16 in Cameroon but will still surely be confident of reaching a fourth consecutive World Cup.
Augustine Eguavoen’s side will be desperate to make up for that disappointment against their West African rivals and will look to the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze for inspiration.
The Super Eagles edged past Cape Verde in the previous round but will be favourites to progress where they will no doubt run into Argentina in the group stages once again.
DR Congo vs Morocco
DR Congo were the first sub-Saharan nation to qualify for the World Cup in 1974 under their former name Zaire but have not returned to the finals since.
The Leopards have Hector Cuper at the helm who took charge of Egypt in the finals in 2018 and who can call on a wealth of club experience.
Having failed to qualify for the AFCON, Cuper’s side had one of the kinder draws in World Cup qualifying, overcoming Benin and Tanzania to reach this stage.
Morocco on the other hand reached the last eight in Cameroon before falling to neighbours Egypt after extra time.
The Atlas Lions were flawless in the previous round, winning all six games against the likes of Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.
Vahid Halihodzic’s side will fancy their chances here of reaching a second consecutive World Cup after a promising showing in Russia in 2018.
Achraf Hakimi is the star man and will be keen to showcase his ability on the biggest stage.
Mali vs Tunisia
Mali represent probably the best chance of seeing a debutant at this year’s tournament but will be wary following their defeat to Equatorial Guinea on penalties in Cameroon.
Les Aigles were unbeaten in the previous round and will be hopeful that this is finally their time after watching on as their rivals qualified for decades.
Amadou Haidara will be the key in midfield for coach Mohamed Magassouba ahead of two of the biggest games in the country’s history.
Tunisia pulled off a surprise win over Nigeria in Cameroon but came unstuck at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Burkina Faso.
The Eagles of Carthage have qualified for the World Cup five teams but have never progressed past the group stages but did achieve a first victory since 1978 against Panama in Russia.
Tunisia came through a difficult group involving Equatorial Guinea and Zambia to get this far and coach Jalel Kadri will look to former Sunderland man Wahbi Khazri.
The first leg of all of these ties will take place on Friday with the return leg on the following Tuesday.
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Mohamed Salah was silenced in a shocker from the Pharoahs, and Nigeria top Group D.
The match began cagily for both sides, with neither keeper tested early on.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, who was often isolated in the first half, dropped deeper to attempt to influence the play but failed to challenge the Super Eagles backline in the opening period.
Moses Simon’s mazy run produced the game’s first chance, beating three Egypt defenders before blasting into Mohamed El Shanawy’s side netting.
Pressure mounted, and finally wilted for Egypt when Kelechi Iheanacho found the top corner.
Simon’s cross was poorly cleared by Ahmed Hegazy, allowing Joe Aribo to find the Leicester City striker on the edge of the box. His half-volley was unstoppable, sending Nigeria fans into raptures.
It was his first international goal since September, when he struck twice in a two-nil win over Liberia in World Cup qualifying.
In the second half, the same themes continued, with Nigeria capitalising on Egypt defensive frailties. They very nearly made it two when Mahmoud Hamdy’s tackle fell into the path of Iheanacho. Luckily for Carlos Queiroz’s side, he scuffed his touch.
Egypt began to look more encouraged as the half went on, but they failed to test Watford’s new signing Maduka Okoye in the Super Eagles net until Mohamed Salah scrambled an effort into his midriff.
Nigeria then suffered a setback with Kenneth Omeruo, stricken by an injury, was replaced by Semi Ajayi. The former Chelsea defender fell awkwardly after a corner, and could be a big miss for Augustine Eguavoen.
A late wave of Egypt pressure nearly resulted in another Nigeria goal, but a fine stop from El-Shanawy denied substitute Chidera Ejuke.
Nigeria deservedly won, and top Group D. Sudan and Guinea-Buissau face off later on in the remaining fixture.
Nigeria: Okoye; Aina, Troost-Ekong, Omeruo, Sanusi; Aribo, Ndidi, Simon; Chukwueze, Awoniyi, Iheanacho
Egypt: El Shenawy; Hegazy, Hamdy, Fathi; Tawfik, Trezeguet, Elneny, Fattoh; Marmoush, Mohamed; Salah
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Is there a more maligned International football tournament than the African Cup of Nations? Africa’s showpiece tournament has been battered and bruised but is still here to take its pride of place on the world’s footballing landscape.
Finally, Cameroon will showcase its people, culture and lifestyle by hosting the tournament this year. Politics, deficits, intrigues, egos, vendetta and a small matter of a pandemic are some of the issues that the country has faced after being confirmed as hosts four years ago.
It may well be the longest protracted hosting saga in tournament history, but here we are now, and come Sunday 9th January 2022, the 33rd edition of the AFCON will kick off in front of a worldwide audience.
As with every football tournament, there will be favourites, minnows, underdogs, and dark horses.
The hosts
The Indomitable Lions host this tournament on the back of the election of a football legend, Samuel Eto’o as President of the Cameroonian Football Federation. An organisation that has been embroiled and embattled with different controversies.
With Eto’o comes a new direction, a breath of fresh year, and an opportunity for Cameroonian football to begin a new era with a success, by winning the tournament for the sixth time in their history.
With home advantage, you cannot write them off, although, this current team is not as star-studded as previous sides. The likes of Zambo Anguissa, Andre Onana, and Karl Toko Ekambi are standout stars and carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders to emulate their predecessors.
The underdogs
Every tournament needs an underdog, a team that can throw a spanner in the works of the established order. In this case, Cape Verde, Gambia, and Guinea.
Cape Verde have ruffled feathers over the last few years across Africa, last month they could have stolen a World Cup play-off place from Nigeria in the dying minutes of their final group game. The island nation also qualified undefeated in a group including Cameroon.
Gambia should not be underestimated either, having finished top of their qualification group which consisted of illustrious names like DR Congo and Angola. Finishing ahead of Gabon on goals scored, they have a huge point to prove that their qualification was no fluke.
Guinea complete the underdogs’ selection, with a wealth of quality in the form of midfielders, Naby Keita, Amadou Diawara and upcoming RB Leipzig star Ilaix Moriba, and a qualification run that saw them finish second behind Mali.
The dark horses
Burkina Faso had an incredible run to the 2013 final where they lost to the Super Eagles of Nigeria, but, they have not relented on that achievement with an unbeaten run through the qualifiers and look like a team with an outside chance of making a run for Africa’s Premier Football trophy.
Mali too, are previous finalists however, that was back in 1972. This current generation holds the huge burden of emulating their predecessors. Mohamed Magassouba’s men find themselves in a wide-open group with Tunisia the only major force.
Morocco have traditionally been a major underachiever, having have explored different avenues and tried different managers the outcome remained the same. However, this year, the talent available on the playing and coaching front places them as one of those to keep an eye on. The Atlas Lions might just fulfil their potential.
Tunisia are another North African outfit that have also underachieved over the years since their triumph in 2004. Qualifying comfortably from a group that comprised of Libya, Tanzania, and Equatorial Guinea, Tunisia, just like Morocco, participated in the recently concluded FIFA Arab Cup, hence they have had competitive match practice to prepare for this AFCON.
The contenders
Three of West Africa’s footballing superpowers fall under this category. With a combined nine AFCON titles between them, you do not know what to expect from Ghana, Nigeria, and the Ivory Coast.
Talent-wise, all three are in a good place, although Nigeria have suffered the huge blow of losing the top scorer from the qualifying rounds in Victor Osimhen, while Ghana are yet to find a goal-scoring hero since the departure of Asamoah Gyan from the international stage.
Ivory Coast are still in search of the cohesion and team spirit that existed in previous Elephant sides. They appear to be a balanced team on paper which may just be aided by the continuity they have from a coaching perspective.
The favourites
Without a shadow of a doubt, the favourites come from North Africa. Record holders, Egypt and defending Champions, Algeria are well prepared for the onslaught on Cameroon.
It is difficult to look beyond both teams, especially with their exploits at the FIFA Arab Cup. Algeria won that tournament defeating Tunisia, whilst Egypt lost the third-place playoff to Qatar.
With their AFCON squads only consisting of a few changes from the Arab Cup, both teams are playing at a level far and above the rest of Africa and have two players in their ranks that you can describe as Africa’s finest, Mohammed Salah and Riyad Mahrez.
Senegal complete the favourites conversation, in Aliou Cisse, they have a man who has the desire and the know-how to take them on another run to the summit backed by quality personnel in every area of the pitch.
A squad consisting of the likes of Sadio Mane, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly and Idrissa Gana Gueye have a great chance of helping the Taranga Lions to be crowned African champions following years of wait and anguish.
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In football’s continued evolution especially in the area of tactics, no formation has suffered more scrutiny and adaptation than the 4-4-2 formation.
Whenever I find myself having to discuss or write about tactics and it always takes me back to the beginning where my relationship and education on tactics began.
In primary school discussing with the likes of Uyi Edebiri and Emmanuel Oke on why the Dutch looked destined to win the World Cup after their exploits at Euro 1988.
Of course, back then we were trained and taught to play the 4-4-2 and it was the only way to go. It was the formation that provided the best balance for any team especially at that level and I am talking about a bunch of 10 and 11-year-old kids.
The Dutch were amazing and with them came the 4-3-3, total football and all that good stuff, until Segun Taylor and his merry men romped my team 3-0 in the first game of our prestigious inter-class match competition.
The defeat remains entrenched in my memory. It was such a bad performance that I lost my captaincy to Adefolu Sonde which then led to a change of roles and the introduction to the 3-5-2 formation courtesy of our Ghanaian maths teacher, Mr Boivie.
The 3-5-2 changed my entire perspective to preparing for a match. My team did not lose another match after that switch was made and were incredibly difficult to break down and so I embraced tactics and its conversation forthwith.
High school changed this as it was clearly demonstrated that we are a 4-4-2 playing nation and by default a 4-4-2 playing school as well. Conversations with Godwin Osometa and Lekan Kehinde shaped the return to accepting the formation back into my heart.
The interpretation and execution of the 4-4-2 formation remains simplistic, hence the reason why it has had adaptations and modifications in different forms.
The balance and comfort of the back four provides the bedrock of the success over the years. From Sir Alex Ferguson’s Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke inspired 4-4-2, to Conte’s adaptation at Juventus in his early days as a 4-2-2-2 to Milan’s 4-3-1-2 at different times or even coming closer to home with the Super Eagles in the mid-1990s under Clemens Westerhof with flying wingers in Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke.
Over the years, many had scrutinised this formation. Some have called it outdated and embraced more fanciful and aesthetically pleasing formations.
You could attribute this to the successes of Barcelona from the Cryuff era to the Guardiola era as well as the overall Dutch influence spread across Europe and the world in general. 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formations gradually became the order of the day. Of course, there were still an odd few who stuck with the 4-4-2 or in some cases the 3-5-2 or it’s other variants like the 3-4-3 or 3-3-1-3 formations.
Over the years, one manager has stayed true to the 4-4-2 formation and with it, he has continued a successful career at a club that is ordinarily considered Spain’s number three club.
Diego Simeone’s reign at Atletico Madrid has been built on his ability to combine two varieties of the 4-4-2 formation.
On one hand, is the variety that showcases purely central midfielders lining up across midfield from Gabi, Saul, Koke, Thomas Partey and Rodri. Utilising a combination of high energy, industry and hardwork as tools to ensure what Simeone’s side is renowned for defensive and organisational solidity.
Also, he had the option of playing with more orthodox wingers in Thomas Lemar, Yannick Carrasco, Angel Correa and most recently the ability of Joao Felix to drop into midfield to avoid being outnumbered in the middle of the park.
Love him or loathe him, Simeone along with Christophe Galtier have just demonstrated both at Atletico Madrid and Lille that the 4-4-2 formation remains alive and not extinct. Its use in this modern, finicky, agenda fueled era remains as before but is also dependent on the type of personnel at the disposal of the coach and the interpretation of his instructions and shape at every given scenario.
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Bienvenu au Cameroun!
Cameroon will host the eagerly anticipated 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations from the 9th of January 2022 to the 6th of February 2022.
The tournament was delayed by a whole year due to the COVID 19 pandemic.
The opening game will be greeted by a wave of the West African tradition and pride, which will take place in the newly built 60,000-seater at the Paul Biya Stadium in Yaoundé.
Algeria, the reigning champions of the 2019 competition will be aiming to retain the trophy, but the quality of African teams has vastly improved, so it’s not a done deal for the “Desert Foxes”.
The draw for the main competition will take place on the 25th June, where there will be 24 teams made up of six groups of four.
Eight teams took part in a competitive a preliminary round, the winner over two legs advanced to the final round and the group stage of qualifying. Chad, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe and The Gambia were the winners and joined the group stages thereafter.
44 teams contested, qualifying from 12 groups of four, where the top two advanced gleefully into the main tournament.
The host stadiums
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- Paul Biya Stadium
- Japoma Stadium
- Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo
- Roumde Adjia Stadium
- Limbe Stadium
- Kouekong Stadium
Group A
Team – How they qualified
Mali
Qualifying early from group A as the winners, Mali finished at the summit with 13 points.
Fun fact
Ex Barcelona midfielder Seydou Keita is their most capped player (102) and goal scorer (25) respectively.
Capital
The Capital of Mali is Bamako.
Key Player
Yves Bissouma of Brighton and Hove Albion will be key in the centre of midfield for “Les Aigles” (The Eagles).
Manager
Mohamed Magassouba is the head coach of Mali.
Guinea
Runners up in group A was Guinea who boasted eight goals and 11 points.
Fun fact
Guineas’ nickname is interestingly the “Syli National” which translates into National Elephants.
Capital
The Capital of Guinea is Conakry.
Key Player
Naby Keita has been capped 40 times for his country and has chipped with eight goals and is their most dangerous attacking player.
Manager
Famous French National team player Didier Six is the manager of Guinea.
Group B
Burkina Faso
Topping group B without losing a game was Burkina Faso ending the group stage with 12 points.
Fun fact
This will be the “Stallion’s” 13th appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Capital
The Capital of Burkina Faso is Ouagadougou.
Key Player
Betrand Traore who plays for Aston Villa will be a tricky customer for any defender in the tournament, with a wand of a left foot, he will be looking to make a mark for his country.
Manager
Kamou Malo is the head coach of Burkina Faso and his son Patrick Malo also plays as left-back for the country for your trivia knowledge.
Malawi
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Malawi finished second in group B with 10 points whilst only scoring four goals in the group stage.
Fun fact
Young Chimodzi played for “The Flames” 159 times and managed the country twice.
Capital
The Capital of Malawi is Lilongwe.
Key Player
Midfielder John Banda will be pulling strings in midfield for Malawi.
Manager
The manager is Meke Mwase.
Group C
Ghana
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Ghana edged out Sudan for the top spot in Group C by one point as both nations scored nine goals each and letting in six goals in their respective nets.
Fun fact
Ghana had the youngest team at the 2006 world cup in Germany with an average of 23 years and 352 days.
Capital
The Capital of Ghana is Accra.
Key Player
The talisman of the team is the ever-present Andre Ayew, the Swansea forward, who will be looking to add the Africa Cup of Nations to his honours.
Manager
The manager is Charles Akonnor who captained the “Black stars” National team in the 90s.
Sudan
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Sudan finished as runners up in Group C to Ghana, which was a fiercely contested battle, where South Africa were edged out by two points in third.
Fun fact
Sudan won the competition in 1970 whilst beating Ghana one goal to nil, Ghana at the time were known as the “Brazil of Africa”.
Capital
The Capital of Sudan is Khartoum.
Key Player
Nasr Eldin is the talisman for the “Falcons of Jediane”.
Manager
Hubert Velud is the manager of Sudan; he was involved in the incident with the Togo national football team when their team bus was attacked by rebels.
Group D
The Gambia
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The Gambia did the unthinkable as they qualified for their first edition of the Africa Cup of Nations and did it in spectacular fashion. Whilst ending on the same points as rivals Gabon, it took 6 tiebreakers to separate the two nations. As The Gambia scored nine goals to Gabon’s eight, they qualified as group winners and Gabon runners up.
Fun fact
“The Scorpions” won their first-ever away match in an African Cup of Nations or FIFA World Cup qualifier vs Angola on their 40th attempt on the 13th of November 2019.
Capital
The Capital of The Gambia is Banjul.
Key Player
Musa Barrow, the pacey winger on the books of Atalanta but on loan with Bologna is ready to show the world what all the hype is about.
Manager
Having coached nine other national teams, Tom Saintfiet has now been at the helm for three years with The Gambia.
Gabon
Runners up Gabon were made to wait, whilst a tiebreak was needed to separate themselves from Sudan at the top by goals scored. But they qualified in second place, nevertheless.
Fun fact
Gabon have reached the quarter-finals on two separate occasions in 1996 and when they were co-hosts in the 2012 edition.
Capital
The Capital of Gabon is Libreville.
Key Player
The Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who has scored a high of 27 goals for his country, will be looking to shine his premier league light on “The Panthers” in Cameroon as he leads the line for his country.
Manager
Patrice Neveu will be managing his first Nations Cup with Gabon in 2022.
Group E
Morocco
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Scoring 10 goals and only conceding one, it’s safe to say Morocco cruised to the 2021 Africa Cup of nations in style while grabbing the top spot without shifting too many gears.
Fun fact
Surprisingly Morocco has only won the competition once at the 1976 edition in Ethiopia and were runners up in 2004.
Capital
The Capital of Morocco is Rabat.
Key Player
The key player of this enigmatic side is the recent Chelsea capture, winger Hakim Ziyech who scored 3 goals in the qualification stages to progress the “Atlas Lions” in group E.
Manager
The man who has previously coached Ivory Coast and fierce North African rivals and neighbours Algeria, Vahid Halilhodzic is the man looking to guide Morocco to their second title in Yaoundé.
Mauritania
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The “Lions of Chinguetti” were runners up to Morocco in group E and deservedly made it into the hat for the competition.
Fun fact
This will be the second time Mauritania have qualified the main draw of any Africa Cup of Nations.
Capital
The Capital of Mauritania is Nouakchott.
Key Player
On-loan Fulham player Aboubakar Kamara is looking to fight for his place as a newly capped player for the National side.
Manager
The French National Corentin Martins is the manager of Mauritania, he once played alongside the wizardly Zinedine Zidane.
Group F
Cameroon
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As hosts of the 2021 edition, Cameroon qualified automatically but still took part in the qualification process.
Fun fact
Cameroon has won the Coupe d’Afrique des Nations a whopping five times and will be looking to add another with the backing of the fans at home.
Capital
The Capital of Cameroon is Yaoundé.
Key Player
Besiktas forward Vincent Aboubakar is the man looking to provide the firepower as he looks to lift the trophy for a second time.
Manager
Toni Conceicao took over the reign of “The Indomitable Lions” in September of 2019 when Clarence Seedorf was sacked as manager.
Cape Verde
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Runners up in a group where the host was already qualified might have been a strange one, but Cape Verde stuck to their task and ended up a point behind the host nation Cameroon.
Fun fact
The “Blue Sharks” were not even a member of CAF (Confederation of African Football) until 1992 and were still under Portuguese governance until 1974.
Capital
The Capital of Cape Verde is Praia.
Key Player
Heldon, of Shabab Al-Ahli, is the countries, all-time top goalscorer, with 15 goals to his name and he will be itching to add more to his tally.
Manager
Former Captain of Cape Verde, Pedro Leitao Brito, formerly known as “Bubista” is the manager of the National side.
Group G
Egypt
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Three wins and three draws made qualifying for their 25th Nations Cup a walk in the park as Egypt topped the group with 12 points.
Fun fact
With seven wins to their name “The Pharaohs” are the all-time leading record holders of the Africa Cup of Nations. Ahmed Hassan also has 184 caps to his name which makes him the most capped international male footballer of all time.
Capital
The Capital of Egypt is Cairo.
Key Player
Liverpool striker, Mohamed Salah only had two goals to his name in qualifying, but he will be ready to add this elusive trophy to his ever-growing cabinet.
Manager
The current manager of Egypt is former national team player Hossam El Badry, who sustained a cruciate ligament knee injury early in his career at age 25 and had to retire.
The Comoros
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Only losing one match in Group G Comoros were runners up with nine points whilst scoring four goals.
Fun fact
Named after a rare order of fish called “Coelacanths”, and this is The Comoros first time qualifying for the Africa Cup of nations.
Capital
The Capital of The Comoros is Moroni.
Key Player
El Fardou Nabouhane, the tricky forward from Red Star Belgrade is the country’s top all-time goal scorer and will be looking to unlock the doors for The Comoros at next year’s tournament.
Manager
Born in Marseille, Amir Abdou started his coaching career as a youth coach at Golfech Saint Paul, he is now the longest-serving manager for The Comoros and the first to guide the country to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Group H
Algeria
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Unbeaten in Group H Algeria won four matches and drew the other two whilst topping the group with 14 points. Algeria scored 19 goals in the process, the most in qualifying.
Fun fact
This is “The desert Foxes” 19th time to qualify for the tournament. They have won the competition twice.
Capital
The Capital of Algeria is Algiers.
Key Player
Riyad Mahrez, of Manchester City, is still the one to watch for Algeria as the spritely winger scored three goals for his nation in qualification.
Manager
Once on the books of Manchester City and Southampton the maverick Djamel Belamdi is the coach of Algeria.
Zimbabwe
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Zimbabwe, who were runners up to runaway leaders Algeria, qualified for their fifth tournament.
Fun fact
Zimbabwe’s highest ever FIFA ranking was 40th in the world.
Capital
The Capital of Zimbabwe is Harare.
Key Player
Tino Kadeware, of Lyon, will be running the forward line and should be looking to add goals to his game if “The Warriors” stand to have any chance in the competition.
Manager
Zdravko Logarusic, the manager of Zimbabwe has guided his side to their third successive tournament.
Group I
Senegal
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Easily winning Group I “The lions of Teranga” claimed 14 out of a possible 18 points.
Fun fact
Sadio Mane is sixth on the list of appearances for the Senegalese National team with 71, and third on the list for goal scoring with 21, eight behind Henri Camara.
Capital
The Capital of Senegal is Dakar.
Key Player
Sadio Mane, the dazzling forward for Liverpool is looking to add this trophy and will battle out his teammate Mo Salah in the quest for the trophy.
Manager
Aliou Cisse has been in the manager hot seat with Senegal for six years and he boasts a good record in bringing up his national talent. Having come close as a player and a manager, twice coming runner up. Cisse will be looking to pass this hurdle and claim the trophy for his nation.
Guinea-Bissau
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Despite losing three games in the group stages Guinea-Bissau qualified for the 33rd edition of the competition as runners up scoring nine goals.
Fun fact
Guinea-Bissau was still a part of Portugal in the early 1990s, so didn’t enter qualifying for CAF until 1994.
Capital
The Capital of Guinea-Bissau is Bissau.
Key Player
Nanu, of Porto, will be marshalling the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho in next Summer’s competition.
Manager
Former player of the National side, Baciro Cande has managed the “Djurtus” twice and will have guided them to their 3rd successive Nations Cup.
Group J
Tunisia
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Collecting five wins out of a possible six, Tunisia steam-rolled their opposition in joining the other 23 teams in Cameroon.
Fun fact
Tunisia won the trophy once at the 2004 edition when they held the tournament as the host nation.
Capital
The Capital of Tunisia is Tunis.
Key Player
Seifeddine Jaziri, of Zamalek in Egypt, is the main goal threat for the “Eagles of Carthage”.
Manager
Mondher Kebaier is currently on a three-year contract with Tunisia which is due to expire next year after the tournament, so a good performance next year is a must for his players.
Equatorial Guinea
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Winning three matches in Group J allowed the “National Thunder” to progress as runners up at the expense of Tanzania by one solitary point.
Fun fact
Equatorial Guinea came 4th place in their second-ever appearance in the main competition when they hosted the tournament for the first time in 2015.
Capital
The Capital of Equatorial Guinea is currently Malabo.
Key Player
Pedro Obiang once of West Ham is the midfield general in the side, he will be hoping to screen the defence and keep the backline steady.
Manager
Juan Micha is both the Manager of the senior side and the U-17 National Team of Equatorial Guinea.
Group K
Ivory Coast
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Ivory Coast finished top of Group K with four wins and scoring eleven in the process.
Fun fact
Ivory Coast has picked up the prestigious African award two times in 1992 and 2012.
Capital
The Capital of Ivory Coast is Yamoussoukro.
Key Player
Wilfried Zaha, the Crystal Palace match-winner is going to have to put his premier league struggles away and lead his nation to glory.
Manager
The relatively unknown assistant under Rene Renard, Patrice Beaumelle has now turned his hand as the National team manager of “The Elephants”.
Ethiopia
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Scoring 10 goals and being able to edge out Madagascar by one point was the only difference between qualifying and despair. The “Walia Ibex” were runners up and made the dream another reality.
Fun fact
Ethiopia won the third edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1962, this was their first and their only win to date.
Capital
The Capital of Ethiopia is Addis Abada.
Key Player
Getaneh Kebede scored three goals in qualifying which guided his team to a second-place finish and a spot in the competition next year. He also has the bragging rights of being the top goal scorer for his country with 30 goals.
Manager
Wubetu Abate is in his second year of management of Ethiopia and he takes charge of his first Africa Cup of Nations.
Group L*
Nigeria
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The “Super Eagles” qualified in style of Group L with four wins and zero losses, scoring 14 goals in the process topping the group. Victor Osimhen with five goals, made him the top joint scorer of the qualification process with Zambia’s Patson Daka.
Fun fact
This is Nigeria’s 19th time in the main draw, and they have three wins to their name. The last of those wins coming in 2013. Is this the year the Eagles finally take flight?
Capital
The Capital of Nigeria is Abuja.
Key Player
Wilfried Ndidi, the swashbuckling midfielder and Leicester City protagonist has finally emerged out of the shadow of N’golo Kante and is going to show his worth in the competition which is less than a year away now.
Manager
Gernot Rohr has been with the Eagles for five years now and has a win percentage of 56% with the Nigerian National team winning 31 games out of 55.
*Benin or Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone vs Benin was the final match in Group L to decide who would book the last spot in Cameroon. The match was called off on the 30th March 2021 as Benin refused to play the match as some of their players returned positive COVID 19 results before kick-off. CAF has ordered the game to be played in the next international window in June.
As the tournament draws closer, we await the draw as Africa’s best takes the main stage once again to show the world and continent what it has to offer.
Au revoir.
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What kind of excuse or reasoning is good enough for a national team coach to drop a striker with 25 goals in 29 games?
The Super Eagles are the biggest sports brand in Nigeria and one of Africa’s most popular football teams. Nigeria is a football powerhouse in Africa and has achieved big things on the global stage especially in age-grade competitions. It is, however, interesting how the nation has failed on the world stage at the senior level.
The purpose of the piece is not to review the performances of the Super Eagles over time but to take a stab at the recent exclusion of one of the most lethal strikers on the European football scene at the moment. When you take a look at the scorers chart for the big leagues in Europe; the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku, Ciro Immobile, Lionel Messi, Luis Saurez, Kylian Mbappe, and Mohamed Salah take center stage as the pre-eminent goalscorers across the European landscape.
A look at the next tier of leagues outside the big five will have you consider the Jupiler Pro League as one of such leagues; competitive enough to be ranked in the top 10 by UEFA. This season a Nigerian has lit up the league with goals; he is currently the highest-scoring African anywhere. Ideally, this should give him all the necessary recognition he deserves; he should be in the conversation for Player of the Year domestically in Belgium; a nomination for the top prize for African footballers; you could go on and on.
So you ask, who is this individual and why isn’t he getting the recognition he deserves? Well, standing at 201cm should be intimidating and imposing enough for Paul Onuachu to get recognition anywhere. His sheer size makes it hard for you to miss him; so why isn’t the young man getting the attention he deserves. In saner countries; a 25 goals striker would be the first on any list, but Nigeria and the people that run its football are far from sane.
It even gets more complicated when someone who is clubless and hasn’t actively kicked a ball in close to six months gets a call-up. How do you even begin to defend this decision? The Super Eagles coach was put to task as to why Super Eagles’ club-less team captain; Ahmed Musa got a call up into the main squad against a prolific Onuauchu; the manager could be clearly heard clutching and lacking a valid response or defense for this ridiculous decision.
Paul Onuachu is a player that has divided many Super Eagles fans and observers. He announced himself to national prominence by scoring one of the fastest goals in the national team’s history on his debut in a friendly. However, subsequent inclusions and performances have resulted in less than impressive performances. Whilst, the Genk striker has not been able to translate his superb club form on the international stage; many believe this is due to the coach not playing to his strengths.
Onuachu has scored all kinds of goals this season; headers, tap-ins, long-range efforts; you name it. You can’t have a varied resume and compilation of goals and not be good enough to make the main selection. His hold-up play and ability to bring others into the game have contributed to the success Genk has achieved this season as they aim for qualification into the Champions League playoff rounds.
It is time for Gernot Rohr to get down to work to fashion out a style and gameplay that suits the lanky striker. The German has to get off his couch and comfort zone; it is high time the Super Eagles became more flexible and less predictable with different attacking options to work with.
A striker like Paul Onuachu cannot continue to be ignored especially considering that his closest rival for goals scored this season amongst the invitees has 14 league goals to his name. Continued exclusion could leave the young man disillusioned and unwilling to further his International career; thereby eventually making him an international football outcast.
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It’s not every day you get the privilege of interviewing a man who has won the FA Cup and Ligue 1 in his career.
Nigerian winger John Utaka is a footballer who was played on some of Football’s biggest stages and it was a great honour to ask him some questions for this article recently, as we discussed his time with Portsmouth and winning the French title with Montpellier.
I started the interview by asking Utaka about the start of his career which came with spells in his native Nigeria, Egypt and Qatar respectively, this could be perceived as an unorthodox start to a career but it clearly put Utaka in good stead for his future experiences in Europe, I asked him how much of an impact these spells had on his career.
“It had a huge impact because I learned the fundamentals, things that would later come natural to me like dribbling, ball control and scoring goals.
After an impressive start to his career, Utaka made his first appearance on the worldwide stage by earning a place in the Nigeria team for the world cup in 2002. Utaka explains how this played a part in his first move to Europe, signing for RC Lens in France, how the move came about and why France was the best option.
“The move to Lens came after my performances with Nigerian national team at the World Cup in Korea/Japan 2002. France was the best option because they found me, that’s where I earned the most interest.
After three years with RC Lens, Utaka made the move to fellow French side Stade Rennes in 2005, his time in Brittany was mightily impressive with the Nigerian boasting an excellent goal record during his spell there. I asked him how he reflects on his time with the Breton side.
“I had great time with Rennes and two brilliant seasons there.
“I scored some memorable goals and it proved to be a good moment for the club.
In 2007 Utaka made his move to England signing for Portsmouth, he explains how that move came about and the part manager at the time Harry Redknapp played in the deal.
“I’ve always wanted to play in the Premier League so I was interested in the move.
“The Portsmouth manager at the time (Harry Redknapp) came over to Rennes and watched couple of my games he was very keen to sign me.
Utaka featured for Porstmouth in the best moment of their modern history as they proved to be a competitive outfit in the Premier League and won the FA Cup for only the second time in their existence. The Pompey side at the time was littered with quality with the likes of Lassana Diarra, Sulley Muntari and Sol Campbell all part of the ranks. Utaka explained the quality of the squad and the memory of winning the FA Cup.
“Yes, we had great players in the team our whole squad was strong and we played well together.
“Winning the FA cup with Portsmouth was for sure a special memory and one of the best moments of my career “as it was a remarkable achievement.
In 2011, Utaka returned to France signing for Montpellier and was a key part of the team that took a shock triumph winning the Ligue 1 title for the first time in their existence, this proved to be another excellent moment in his career, the 39-year-old explained how special it was to take the title.
“Winning the league title with Montpellier is another unforgettable moment for me. I’m forever grateful for my experience there, and it was amazing to contribute to the teams success.
A prominent figure internationally as well, Utaka would represent Nigeria 49 times in an international career that spanned over a decade from 2001 to 2012. I asked him what it was like to represent his nation internationally.
“Representing Nigeria on the international stage was a wonderful feeling.
“It was my childhood dream that came true and I thank God that I had that experience in my career.”
Now a youth coach with his former club Montpellier I wrapped up the interview by asking John about the possibility of a coaching role in England in the future, he refused to rule out the possibility in the future stating “We will see how things unfold”.
John Utaka had an illustrious career both for club and country and played his part in some excellent team performances in his career. I’d like to take him for taking the time to answer these questions, and it was excellent to hear his insight on some of the best moments of his career, including his time in England with Portsmouth.
Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt
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