Global Voices » Sport

Africa: 2012 Cup Semi-Finals Put West Africa in the Spotlight

Jane Ellis — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:02:14 +0000

Three of the four teams remaining in the 2012 Cup of Nations at the time of writing [Tuesday 7 February, 2012] are from West Africa: Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Ghana are set to play in the tournament semi-finals on Wednesday 8, 2012. Games will be played in Bata, Equatorial Guinea (Ghana) and at Libreville, Gabon (Mali vs Côte d'Ivoire). They are joined by Zambia, participating in their first semi-finals for 16 years.

The 3-0 quarter-final victory of Zambia against Sudan revived the hopes of supporters. A goal from defender Stopilla Sunzu in the fifteenth minute, followed by a second after 66 minutes from Captain Chris Katongo and another four minutes from the end by James Chamanga, clinched Zambia's first semi-final place since 1996.

eggwinedu commented on www.fifa.com:

Congratulations Zambia. You deserve it :) It may have occurred at the dismay of Sudan (another well improved team), but Zambia has now really set the world stage with great finesse. Good job

silvanorsa7 in South Africa added:

We are with you all the way Zambia…. the only Southern African country still in the competition! Viva Chris Katongo

Vicente Vizo Ngobeni tweeted:

@Mahuntsu: People are undermining Zambia. #Afcon2012

And Sipho Mazibuko replied:

@msiphola: They'so focused, they got a chance. Ghana is not convincing

Meanwhile, the Elephants of Côte d'Ivoire secured their seventh semi-final place since 1970, beating Equatorial Guinea, one of the host countries, 3-0.

Equatorial Guinea fan in tears by @Noella_ELLOH

The Eagles of Mali overcame the Panthers of Gabon with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory following a full time 1-1 draw:

The Black Stars of Ghana confirmed their place in the semis with goals from John Mensah and André Ayew giving a 2-1 victory over Tunisia. Tunisia held the score at 1-1 until injury time before bowing out after a 101st minute blunder from their goalkeeper, Aymen Mathlouthi, gave Ghana their second goal.

There is a great atmosphere of celebration and interest surrounding this tournament. From Mali to Zambia, fans have shared their excitement as well as their predictions regarding the 28th Africa Cup of Nations Final, scheduled to take place on Sunday 12 February, in Stade de l'Amitié, Libreville, Gabon.

Fans of Ivory Coast by @Ceschod

Fans shared reactions on Twitter [fr]:

@Monsieur__K: Moi je dis la finale c'est Ghana/Cote d'ivoire #can2012

@Monsieur__K: I think the final will be between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire

@Ceschod: Football Africain: qui s'attend comme moi à une finale #GhanaVS #CôtedIvoire, #can2012 ? #afcon

@Ceschod: African Football: Who else is waiting for the final like me? #GhanaVS #CôtedIvoire

@aliounedia: #can2012 ça sent 1 finale Ghana Côte d'Ivoire … heureusement que yayah est la @miezanezo

@aliounedia: I think it will a Ghana Côte d'Ivoire final. Thankfully Yaya Touré is here @miezanezo

Swithin Swaray went further on Facebook, giving his opinion of some weak points of the Ghana team:

The Black Star has not got what it takes to win CAN2012….30 years down the line, we are still counting. Lacking ideas up front, no fire power, no man daring enough to shoot from around the 18.

Ghana and Mali each got the better of their respective opponents after long matches of more than 120 minutes. Will they have the necessary energy and stamina to face Zambia and the Côte d'Ivoire?

The semi-finals of Wednesday 8 February will reveal the answer.

Trinidad & Tobago: Seeing Siparia

Janine Mendes-Franco — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:24:12 +0000

MEP Publishers visits Siparia, a vibrant community that has had a fascinating part to play in the island's history.

Africa: Highs and Lows of the 2012 African Cup of Nations

Chellsy Alis Manning — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:56 +0000

Beyond their ethnic, political and regional divides, people unite together around their national football team. We saw the First Lady of Gabon dancing like an excited schoolgirl every time one of the eleven players of the ‘Azingo Nationale' scored a goal and became “the Panthers” for their country.

The people of Equatorial Guinea were ecstatic with the qualification of their national team, languishing in the midst of one of the most ferocious dictatorships. According to Human Rights Watch, journalists who have visited the country to report on the human rights situation have been detained, interrogated, censored and deported.

In the fervour surrounding the 2012 African Cup of Nations, there are two key points that attract attention. The first is the absence of some of the higher achieving teams in African football.

Michael Dodje's blog explains [fr] the unusual goings-on in this year's Cup of Nations:

Imagine a Euro competition without Germany, Spain, Holland and England. Impossible you say, even though Ukraine or Poland would not have to participate in the qualifying rounds as host nations. And yet, this is what happened in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Indeed, for the first time in ages we will not see Egypt, Cameroon, Algeria, Nigeria or even South Africa in this championship. How did this happen?

Remembering that the five teams mentioned above have won 15 out of 27 previous Cup of Nations tournaments. Nicholas Mc Anally on le229.com responded [fr]:

…If these teams do not qualify then there will be others to replace them. It's a breath of fresh air seeing teams like Botswana, Niger and Equatorial Guinea making their debuts in the Cup of Nations.

Another novelty in this year's Cup is the way that the thorny issue of bonuses has been resolved. A post on the blog plat du pied explained [fr] what happened on the 15 November, 2011:

After the cancellations of the matches against China, Gabon, Salvador and Mexico, Cameroon has again cancelled a friendly match at the last minute for the fifth time since the start of the season. The players went on strike, once again, in protest against the federation over their bonuses for the match.

On the same blog, a statement issued by the Cameroon players, known as the ‘Indomitable Lions', said:

Due to the absence of attendance bonuses, the players have decided not to travel to Algiers and to not play any part in the match against Algeria scheduled for the 15 November.

Different solutions to the problem have been found by building on past negative experiences. A post [fr] on the blog marocfootball.info, concerning the Moroccan national team, the ‘Atlas Lions' stated that:

The President of the highest court in Moroccan football announced that a deal has been made with the Atlas Lions in that they accept that they will not receive any form of attendance bonus if they fail to reach the quarter finals of the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Côte d'Ivoire, not long out of a prolonged and disastrous civil war, will pay their national team the ‘Elephants' a bonus of 5 billion CFA francs (1 million US dollars) if they win the final. The blog afrik11.com states [fr]:

The 23 players in the side receive 5 million CFA francs (10,000 USD) in attendance bonuses. This amount will be paid if the team is eliminated in the first round. In the quarterfinals, the bonus of each player will rise to 8 million, rising further to 10 million in the semifinals and then to 20 million in the final (40,000 USD). The coach, Zahoui François will also enjoy his share of the pie, receiving double the bonuses of his players.

afrik11.com also comments [fr] on the bonuses paid to the Mali national team, the ‘Eagles of Mali' at the beginning of January:

Earlier this week the Malian football team received their bonuses for qualifying for the 2012 African Cup of Nations. Two hundred million CFA francs (40,000 USD) were given in cash to the players and coaching staff before the national team left Lomé (Togo) for the final stage in their preparations for the competition.

The Equatorial Guinea team in training by @FlorianK_Sport

Equatorial Guinea, co-hosts of the event, is a country unable to build a stadium capable of hosting a match due to the frequent rains. Yet abidjan.net posted a blog surrounding their first victory [fr] in the competition:

Teodorin Obiang, the Minister for Agriculture presented a cheque for 500 million CFA francs (760,000 euros) to Francisco Pascual Eyegue Obama Asué, the Minister for Sport, in the absence of the national team in Mbini (mainland Mali). He added a cheque for 20 million CFA francs (30,400 euros), 10 million that had been promised for each goal scored ; the team only won the match 1-0 but he explained that the goal disallowed by the referee deserved to be credited with a bonus.

This blog points out that the actions of Teodorin, tipped to succeed his father as president, are under scrutiny by the Americans.

The generosity of petrodollars being used for the bonuses for the Equatorial Guinea football team makes the Republic of Guinea look like a poor relation. In Conakry, the first problem was in trying to find the money to pay for the bonuses. As reported by lejourguinee.com, the country set up a National Committee for Support, led by General Mathurin Bangoura, Minister for Housing and Urban Development with the aim of raising funds for the bonuses. Notably, the first contributions came from the Indian community settled in the country.

The least well-spent money during the tournament, without doubt, has to be the bonuses awarded to the ‘Teranga Lions', the Senegalese national team, who had entered the competition as strong favourites and fell at the first hurdle. Yet, at the beginning of the competition the blog can.starafrica.com stated [fr] that:

There are some concerns surrounding the bonuses given to the Senegalese side. On Wednesday the Sports Ministry gave the squad bonuses amounting to 140, 650,000 francs in full for their qualification for the 2012 African Cup of Nations.

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Delivers Many Surprises

Jane Ellis — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:42:35 +0000

Unlike Senegal, who failed to win their opening match in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, Ghana, another competition favourite, managed to win their opener, beating Botswana, who were participating in this tournament for the first time. This, the first match in Group D, took place on Tuesday 24 January in the Stade de Franceville, Gabon.

The Black Stars of Ghana finished the match with ten men following a red card for John Mensah in the 66th minute. They did all they could to win [fr], and were not phased, according to FourFourTwo, who tweeted:

#Ghana show no remorse over Mensah red bit.ly/xkpul2 #AFCON2012

Botswana fought bravely during their first ever appearance in the Africa Cup of Nations. A video summary of the Ghana-Botswana match is available here [fr], courtesy of Direct 8 Sport.

Mali met Guinea for the other opening day Group D game, which saw the Eagles off to a promising start in the tournament, beating Guinea 1-0. Boukary Konaté, a Global Voices author who tweets under the name @Fasokan [fr], posted reactions from the stadium in Macina, Mali:

@Fasokan: Grand bruit et applaudissement à Macina pour le but malien #can2012

@Fasokan: Loud noise and applause from Macina following Mali's goal.

and also [fr]:

@Fasokan: les supporters de Macina espèrent sur un deuxième but malien

@Fasokan: Fans from Macina are hoping for a second goal from Mali.

On Wednesday 25, the first match on Day 2 of Group A, Zambia versus Libya, resulted in the first nil-nil draw of the competition. Torrential rain caused kick-off to be delayed by an hour and a quarter with the match finally starting at 6.15pm, after some doubt as to whether it would go ahead.

Zambia were anxious to secure their place in the quarter finals against a Libyan team who seemed re-energised following their defeat on the opening Saturday of the tournament. The match was played on a waterlogged pitch, as can be seen in this photo posted by Alexandre Nakbi (@Alex_Nak), showing its condition moments before kick off [fr]:

@Alex_Nak: Voila l'état du terrain actuellement. #CAN2012 #Libye #Zambie pic.twitter.com/MSHrD1ae

@Alex_Nak: Here is the state of the pitch right now. #CAN2012 #Libye #Zambie pic.twitter.com/MSHrD1ae

Rain also delayed the Day 2 Group A match between Senegal and Equatorial Guinea. Tournament favourites Senegal were eliminated in a surprise 2-1 win for Equatorial Guinea, assuring a place for the latter in the quarter finals. The defeat of the Lions of Teranga greatly disappointed [fr] their fans:

@observateurs: Le Sénégal sort de la CAN. “On aurait dit des jeunes de centre de formation” #can2012 fb.me/10kgX5eNf

@observateurs: Senegal exit the Cup of Nations. “They looked like kids from a training camp” #can2012

@founseni_soro: Sénégal Grande nation de football, . mais aussi grande déception de la CAN2012. Allez les zelephants #civ2010

@founseni_soro: Senegal - a great footballing nation, but great disappointment in the 2012 Cup of Nations.

In Day 2 of Group B, Angola could not overcome Sudan, one of the weakest teams in the Cup, despite two goals from Manuchi on Thursday 26 January in Malabo Stadium, Equatorial Guinea. If they had won, Angola would have qualified for the quarter finals. The four goals from the match can be seen in the following video [fr]:

Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso met at Malabo later that day for the second match in Day 2 of Group B. The Elephants of Ivory Coast beat the Stallions 2-0, qualifying for the quarter finals while Burkina Faso were eliminated.

Fans of Ivory Coast watching the match against Sudan by @FlorianK_Sport

Day 2 of Group C on the Friday saw Gabon beat Morocco 3-2 and Tunisia beat Nigeria 2-1, securing quarter final places for the Panthers of Gabon and the Eagles of Carthage.

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations can be followed on the BBC website and on Twitter using the hashtags #CAN2012 and #AFCON2012.

India: A Disastrous Tour Of Australia

Rezwan — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 23:27:08 +0000

In the context of the Indian cricket team's recent bad performance Amreekandeshi has some suggestions how to improve India's fortunes in Australia.

Brazil: Watchdog of 2016 Olympics Reports on Suspended Bid

Thiana Biondo — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:55:54 +0000

An injunction has suspended bid for 2016 Rio Olympic Park, reported the organization RioOnWatch. The court considered that the concerned Public-Private Partnership contract is not clear on whether or not the Olympic development to be constructed on the Vila Autódromo neighbourhood would imply the eviction of 900 families from the area.

Equatorial Guinea: A Story Idea for Journalists Covering the Africa Cup of Nations

Ndesanjo Macha — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 11:31:12 +0000

Shelby Grossman shares a story idea for journalists covering the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea: ” There is a fear among those who have been in the country for a while that after the tournament the government will conduct raids and crack down on illegal immigration. The harassment of foreign West Africans is already awful.”

Africa: 2012 Cup of Nations Kicks Off!

Dan Horlor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:47:12 +0000

[All links to external content are in French]

The Africa Cup of Nations began in Bata, Equatorial Guinea this Saturday January 21, 2012, kicking off three weeks of fierce competition. The Cup of Nations, the most important international football competition in Africa, is taking place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea between January 21 and 12 February.

Supporters in Africa and around the world have been enjoying the build-up to the two opening matches; dancing, light and sound were all part of the spectacle:

GaGuie the Mascot! With GAGUIE : GA as in Gabon, GUI as in Guinea and E as in Equatorial! Image from fr.cafonline.com with permission

Here is a round up of the first three days of the tournament.

Matchday One

Libya took on Equatorial Guinea in the curtain raiser on 21 January, and it was co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, making their tournament debut, who took a surprise 1-0 win.

With just six minutes remaining, Balboa, the Equatorial Guinea number 11 finally opened the scoring after a one-on-one with the Libyan goalkeeper. The score stayed 1-0 until the final whistle, to the delight of the Equatorial Guinea fans who had packed the stadium.

The Senegalese fluffed their entry to the competition with a 2-1 defeat inflicted by Zambia on the same day. Senegal fans took to the web to place the blame on coach of the national team.

Touy wrote on Seneweb News [fr]:

le souci avec un entraîneur local c'est que même s'il se rend compte que le capitaine par exemple Niang n'est pas au niveau il aura la crainte la peur ou la pudeur de le faire sortir au détriment de la victoire bien sur!!

The problem with having a local coach is that even if he realises that the captain, let's say Niang, is not good enough he'll either be afraid or too modest to take him off, to the detriment of getting the win of course!

Amara Traoré [fr] on RFI sheds some light on the subject for us:

Tout le monde savait avant même le début de la CAN que les zambiens sont très vifs et utiliseraient cette vivacité pour gérer les sénégalais beaucoup plus costauds. Alors lui l’entraîneur et son staff devraient trouver un bon système pour les contenir avant de les attaquer.Donc je trouve kil n'a pas fais son boulot qui était de voir les choses venir et de jouer avec des joueurs rapides mais surtout de ne pas trop bourrer cette attaque ou personne ne se retrouve .

Everyone knew, even before the Cup of Nations began, that the Zambians are very energetic and would use that energy to combat the much bigger and stronger Sengalese. So the coach and his staff should find a system to contain thembefore going on the attack. He hasn't done his job which is to anticipate and play fast players but above all not to throw men forward who then can't find each other.

Matchday Two

The second matchday saw the entry of one of the competition favourites: the ‘Elephants' of Côte d'Ivoire. A magnificent strike by Didier Drogba in the 39th minute secured the victory for Côte d'Ivoire over Sudan. The win for the Elephants wasn't enough for every Ivorian fan on the net however. Many felt that they could have done better.

Phox Hermann [fr] said:

la vérité est bonne à dire heinnn. ELEPHANT ke moi jai vu là c N'IMPORTE KOI

Good to tell the truth, riiight. That was no ELEPHANT that I saw

Bi Tia Vincent Toh [fr] added:

la conservation d'un unique but nous a donné des sueurs froides.
Que Mr Gervino soit un peu plus réaliste devant les buts,
Que Mr Yaya Touré regagne sa place au milieu et joue effectivement comme à city
Que la defense cesse d etre trop permeable,

keeping hold of a one goal lead brought us out in a cold sweat.
If only Mr Gervino [sic] was more realistic in front of goal,
If only Mr Yaya Touré could get his place back in the middle and play as well as he does at city
If only the defence stopped leaking,

Angola also played their first game and overpowered Burkina Faso with a 2-1 victory.

Matchday Three

Gabon, the second co-host team of the 2012 Cup of Nations showed their strength with a 2-0 win over Niger, the opening Group C match of the tournament played in a fantastic atmosphere in the Stade de l'Amitié in Libreville.

Rodrigue Magaya [fr] commented on Aubameyang's goal on Facebook:

que dire?!!!merci aux gars, il fallait ça pour la beauté du spetacle et naturelement monter a tt nos adversaires que nous sommes la!!bien en place et on a pas peur!!!vive la can, et vive encore plus nos pantheres;que Dieu benisse le gabon!!!!!!

what can I say?!!!thanks to the lads, we needed that for the beauty of the contest and naturally to show all our opponents that we're here!!right on the spot and with no fear!!long live the cup of nations, and may our panthers live even longer;God bless Gabon!!!!!!

The 2012 Cup of Nations can be followed on TV5 Monde, Canal+ Afrique and on Twitter and Google+ via the hashtags #CAN2012 (in French) et #ACN2012 (in English).

Ethiopia: How Netizens Reacted to Suspension of Athletes

Endalk — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:03:25 +0000

Did online reactions from Ethiopian netizens contributed to the move by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation to lift the suspension of Ethiopian athletes banned for not reporting for an early pre-Olympic camp? On Friday January 20, 2012 Ethiopian State Television (ETV) broke the news that the Ethiopian Athletics Federation has banned 35 athletes for an indefinite period - including double Olympic champions Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba from the London Games in a dispute over training. The suspension was lifted Tuesday January 24, 2012.

As the London Olympic championship is looming and resentment is fermenting amongst the public over deteriorating results of Ethiopian athletes in the past few years, the news of their suspension captured the interest of netizens.

The decision ignited hullabaloo and mixed reactions online. On January 20 journalist Ermias Amare responded in Amharic to the decision of the athletics governing body on his Facebook page:

Kenenisa Bekele at the World Championship Athletics 2009 in Berlin. Photo courtesy of Erik van Leeuwen.

የፍፃሜው መጀመሪያ እንዳይሆን፡፡ ቀነኒሳ፣ ጥሩነሽ፣ ስለሺ እና ሌሎች 13 ዕውቅ አትሌቶች በኢትዮጵያ አትሌቲክስ ፌዴሬሽን የቅጣት መዝገብ ላይ ሰፈሩ፡፡ ቅጣቱ ከማንኛውም ዓለምአቀፍ እና የሀገር ውስጥ ውድድር አትሌቶቹን ማገድ ነው፡፡ ቀጪውም ሆነ ተቀጪዎቹ ጋር ሥር የሰደደ ችግር እንዳለ በደንብ አውቃለሁ፡፡ የቀጪው አካሄድ ካልደፈረሰ አይጠራም ይመስላል፡፡ ጣጣው ግን ደፍርሶ ያልጠራ ዕለት ነው፡፡ እኔ በግሌ ማንን “ሃይ” እንደምል ጨንቆኛል፡፡

I am afraid this could be the beginning of the end. Kenenisa Bekele ,Tirunesh Dibaba ,Seleshi Sehen and other 13 prominent athletes are banned from taking part in any local and international competitions. I know that both the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and the banned athletes have deep rooted problems. It appears the Federation approached the crisis with shake it to get right state of mind but the hitch will be even worse when the Federation fails to get it right. Personally, I find myself in a deadlock whom to address.

Addis Neger’s Facebook page linked to an article quoting Kenenisa Bekele's agent Jos Hermens:

It's good for forthcoming new athletes, but for people like (double Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba) Dibaba or Kenenisa or (long distance great) Haile Gebrselassie, they have their individual programmes so you cannot just put them in a general programme from the federation.

Kiflu Hussain asked:

I wonder how much of this is politics & how much of it is pure matters of sport.

Tirunesh Dibaba at June 2008(2008-06-07), 21:13 Source Exxon Mobil ÅF Golden League Bislett Games 2008. Photo courtesy of Ragnar Singsaas (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The story took another turn when Kenenisa allegedly asked to run for another country after he learnt that he is banned. An anonymous commentator from Eretria wrote:

Eritrea would kill to have him run under its flag. If he is really considering running for another country, who else could be more Ethiopian than Eritrea? Let him run for us and we will give him a thousand soldiers march in as Asmara when he come back victorious. And, Weyanes would learn how to treat a hero.

Another commentator wrote:

It's shame to hear this news from the federation. It's amazing all management staff members are politicians they do everything for the benefit of a leading party in the country. Kennenisa for Abyssinia

Sola said:

Ban is a last resort measure .I don't think the EAF is serious banning all those great athletes ,it just want to give a harsh notice .I believe they can sort out a solution.

Jean larque argued that the problem is mixing politics with sports:

It's shame to hear this news from the federation. It's amazing all management staff members are politicians they do everything for the benefit of a leading party in the country. Kennenisa for Abyssinia

This is Micky's analysis of the problem:

Anyone who has ever dealt with officials in Ethiopia knows that the little power they have tends to go to their head.

The Ethiopian Athletics Federation (EAF) said that the suspension was lifted after the athletes apologized. Ethiopia has been a major participant in the Olympic Games since 1956.

Africa: Sex, Love and Magic at the Africa Cup of Nations 2012

Richard Wanjohi — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:52:25 +0000

2012 is undoubtedly a significant year for football lovers in Africa as Gabon and Equatorial Guinea host the main football competition in Africa, the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). The tournament has been held every two years since 1968. However, the tournament will now move to odd-numbered years from 2013.

Writing about the tournament on FourFourTwo, Jonathan Fadugba (@JustFootball) shows how Africa's 41st best footballing nation, Equatorial Guinea, came to host the AFCON:

As one of the smallest countries in continental Africa, what do you do if you cannot play your way to a major international tournament? In Equatorial Guinea's case the answer was simple. You buy your way in.

Aided by the discovery of vast oil and gas reserves that prompted huge economic growth in the mid-1990s, Equatorial Guinea found the resources possible to mount a joint bid with neighbours Gabon. After seeing off competition from Nigeria, in 2006 they were named joint hosts for what will be their first ever African Cup of Nations.

In a sense, therefore, the challenge is already won for the Nzalang Nacional. As a nation with just 2,300 registered players merely competing on such a stage is impressive enough.

He continues to describe what Equatorial Guinea’s Head of State is expecting:

2012 Africa Cup of Nations logo. Image source: cafonline.com

President Obiang has boldly declared that he expects Equatorial Guinea to go all the way at this Cup of Nations. “Not only do we want the national team to display attractive football and sporting values, we also want them to win the Cup. The trophy must remain in Equatorial Guinea,” he stated. But really this is a pipe dream. The squad is arguably the weakest in the competition

Krobea D’Bee (@kwame_amoh), a Ghananian sports columnist, roots for his team the Black Stars – the nickname for Ghana’s national team. He starts by saying:

The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations will be one of the keenly contested continental showpieces irrespective of opinions making rounds that it will not live up to the billing as a result of the absence of nations like Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria

He goes on to say:

Truly, the joint-favourites tag carried by Ghana and Ivory Coast is deserving though it puts pressure on the two West African neighbours. For Ghana’s Black Stars, the pressure is doubled some sort because of their performance at the global showpiece before this tournament

Erick E. Cleves, a blogger based in Venezuela, predicts a Ghana-Ivory Coast final:

Although the tournament has many interesting and powerful sides, the favourites are surely the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Both teams have a strong base of experienced European-based players, and both have experience of international tournaments at the highest level.
My support and heart is with the Black Stars! And I hope to be able to watch some African football from here in South America!

A 15-year-old blogger (@NathSalt1) notes the ‘headache’ that teams in the English Premier League have to undergo while losing their players for a month or so to the continental competition:

Every Premier League manager’s nightmare, but spectators and a scouts dream. With some of the best and hottest worldwide talents on display the African Nations Cup is always a delight to watch. The tournament illustrates the strength of talent Africa can offer top clubs around the world. With competition in the tournament improving hugely every two years that it’s staged a lot of teams will feel they can make a push to win it.

Mark (@twoht) has quite a detailed preview of the 2012 showcase:

Sudan are no longer a nation, after partition in July 2011, although the fledgling South Sudan national side still has international affiliations to sort out. While Libya are a very different nation indeed after the bloodiest of cabinet reshuffles last spring… Libyan football was hugely complicated by the fact that Colonel Gaddafi’s son Saadi could play the game properly – even if his career was boosted by the predictable “helping hands.” So “politicised” was almost a euphemism.

Libya’s pre-uprising captain, Tariq Ibrahim Al-Tayib, openly declared his and his team’s support for Gaddafi. But that was probably why he was captain. Others thought differently as they metaphorically battled on at neutral venues while real battles were fought at home (never were metaphors of war to describe football more inappropriate)….

Gabon’s qualification as co-hosts comes two years after they were squeaked out of a quarter-final place in the Angolan tournament’s tightest group. However, Equatorial Guinea have no such competition tradition and are internationally-ranked lower than the earth’s core – the lowest Fifa-ranked team (and by some distance too, at 151) in the tournament

He also discusses an article that looks at the relationship between the tournament and ‘oil-rich” nations:

A thought-provoking article by Sam Wallace in the Independent newspaper likened Equatorial Guinea to Qatar – in the “lots of lovely oil” sense, as much as “the only way Equatorial Guinea were going to play in the African Nations was by hosting it”. But this blazed no trail, as Austria and Switzerland showed in Euro 2008. Wallace was also scathing of the African Confederation (CAF) for selecting politically “unsuitable” tournament hosts (Libya were due to be 2013 hosts until their “regime change”)… Wallace’s basic point was a good one, well-made. The event has become “the target of oil-rich nations with dubious track records and in need of a PR-stunt.”

Finally, a popular sports analyst, Gary Al-Smith (@garyalsmith) looks at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations through Sex, Love and Magic:

AFCON trophy is the most coveted trophy in African soccer. Image released under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Shasta

The sex tales are applicable to Botswana as well. First-timers at the tournament, they reek of naiveté.

Why else would the team have to order (not suggest) grown men not to ‘boink’?

The Zebras [the Botswana national team] have been warned to stay away from sexual activities, with boss Stanley Tshosane warning that “sex drains energy from a player and I expect my players to abstain till end of the tournament”. He’s also issued drug abuse warnings, touting “face-to-face and group talks with the players.”
—

While some of the methods were based in medical science, rumour mongers accused Ghana of jinxing their Group D opponents by using ‘charms.’
Magic is not new to the African Cup. From the failure of South Africa to qualify being blamed on non-payment of a sangoma to the assertion that Michael Essien’s injury at Angola 2010 was caused by psychic powers, there are countless stories.

Ask players with Cameroon why there never seems to be peace between their star-studded lineup, and you may get whispers of how there are “too many marabouts working for the same team”, thereby cancelling out the efficacy of their powers. Is there any truth to these stories? That is certainly open to question.

—

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, the hosts, will use every trick in the book – fair or foul – to get as far as they can. After all, it’s what hosts do. Equatorial Guinea have offered $1 million USD to the team for every victory, in addition to $20,000 for every goal.

Outrageous amounts of money have been splashed before but not like this.

He ends the post by saying:

As ever, there are bound to be many subplots in the tournament which starts (on January 21st) and ends on February 12. Here’s hoping there isn’t too much boinking in obscure places

Russia: “Mikhail Dmitrievich Prokhorov: An Unpredictable Kremlin Project”

Donna Welles — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:07:44 +0000

Mikhail Prokhorov will oppose Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in the March 2012 Russian presidential election. Although some believe the election's outcome to be pre-scripted, the complexities surrounding Mr. Prokhorov's candidacy - such as the degree of his wealth as well as the origins of it, his relationship with PM Putin as well as Mikail Khodorkovsky, and the comprehensive political programme he released last week - should not be overlooked.

Global Voices analyzed the complexities of modern US-Russia relations in an article entitled, “Obama's McFaul Sworn in as US Ambassador.”

The Washington Post Blog provided insight into the American perception of Mr. Prokhorov through its announcement of his candidacy:

First Brooklyn, then… the world.

In a move more shocking than any rumored trade involving Dwight Howard or Chris Paul, New Jersey Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov has announced his intention to challenge Vladimir Putin for the Russian presidency.

The 46-year-old policital newcomer was elected to lead Russia’s Right Cause party in late June, and at the time made minor waves with his statements about the country’s need for a multi-party system.

The tens of thousands of protesters on the streets in Russia are also looking for change — but the difficult task facing Prokhorov is earning their support.

For what he lacks in experience, Prokhorov makes up for in fortune. With an estimated worth of $18 billion, Prokhorov has financial means to build a large-scale campaign, but uniting the masses crying out for clean elections and an end to corruption is a daunting task.

Mr. Prokhorov's official website, which is available in both English and Russian, provides readers and/or potential voters with excerpts of speeches, commentaries, news updates, and details of his background:

Mikhail Prokhorov was born in Moscow on May 3, 1965. His father worked as Head of the International Relations Department of the Soviet State Sports Committee; his mother did scientific research work at the Moscow Chemical Materials Institute. Mikhail has an elder sister, Irina.

Upon completion of secondary education with a focus on English studies, Mikhail studied at the Moscow Finance Institute (currently known as the Finance Academy under the RF Government), from which he graduated magna cum laude.

Ian Bremmer wrote in Reuters Blog soon after Mr. Prokhorov's candidacy was announced that the 2012 Russian presidential election had already been scripted:

Prokhorov has not forgotten that he owes his fortune and therefore his allegiance to Putin. As he already stated in his press conference, he doesn’t plan to dwell on attacking Putin (no more than 10% of his platform will be anti-Putin), but rather would like to talk about his plans for Russia. Kudrin has all but ignored Putin in laying out his case for a new party. Imagine if Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney came out tomorrow and said they were done attacking President Obama and wanted to focus solely on their plans for the U.S. Both Kudrin and Prokhorov represent ‘acceptable opposition’ to Moscow. That’s a recipe for a gracious but certain defeat. Kudrin owes his allegiance to Putin for slightly different reasons, but the result is the same: both candidates exist to draw off votes and appease the intellectual classes who are disenchanted with Putin’s leadership. But they will do nothing to keep Putin from a third term as President.

Putin will run a campaign — he will go to a supermarket, complain that prices are too high, and prices will be lowered. He will find some way to distribute a token amount of the natural resource wealth to the public, such as ordering a price cap on gasoline. He will spend the money it takes to make a noticeable impact for his base. He’ll make the gestures to the public and the media that he deserves a third term. And he’ll get it.

Russian businessman Mikhail Prokhorov carries a box containing signatures to support his presidential candidacy before handing them in to the Central Election Commission. Photo by RFE/RL, copyright © Demotix (18/01/12).

Stephen Weil assessed in a post entitled, “Mikhail Dmitrievich Prokhorov: An Unpredictable Kremlin Project” for the Center for Strategic and International Studies Blog the validity of Prokhorov's candidacy:

It is possible that Prokhorov has simply decided to take advantage of a political opening to rejuvenate his political project, but many Russian observers seem convinced that his campaign is actually a Kremlin-backed ploy designed to lure the support of urban, middle class voters away from more viable opposition candidates while simultaneously providing more competition, and thus more legitimacy, for Putin’s inevitable inauguration. The evidence seems to stack up in favor of this more cynical view, although the potential remains for Prokhorov to stray outside of his Kremlin-approved agenda, prompting a re-run of his conflict with the authorities over Right Cause.

One indication that Mr. Prokhorov is, perhaps, acting independently is his promise to release Mikhail Khodorkovsky from prison if he's elected, as illustrated in a Global Voices article entitled, “Mikhail Khodorkovsky and the 2012 Presidential Election”:

Formerly Russia's richest man, jailed oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky is once again in the political spotlight, as Russian presidential candidate Mikhail Prokhorov vows to pardon Mr. Khodorkovsky if he's elected next spring. Mr. Khodorkovsky has been incarcerated since 2003, when he was arrested for non-payment of back-taxes as part of the “Yukos Affair“. Many have doubted the validity of the charges against him and view his prosecution as part of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's political agenda.

Mr. Prokhorov released a political programme [ru] last week, which outlines in detail his plans on how to ensure Russia lives up to its potential. Some of his opening remarks were:

We choose a cool, fashionable, modern country, where every person is responsible for [his/her] actions, has access to education, work opportunities, growth and constantly strives for the best. We choose a country where everyone is equal before the law - regardless of position and privilege - [a country] which does not accept overbearing tyranny, a country where the judiciary is independent. We choose a real future because we want to live and be happy in our own country, we want to work, build, make discoveries and breakthroughs in science and art for [Russia's] benefit. I am convinced that the main treasure of Russia is its human potential, and a major strategic investment is an investment in people. I want us all to remember that we are the heirs of the greatest world culture, an integral part of the European civilization, and it is our great responsibility. Russia must cease to be an outsider of the world process, but must instead serve as a model, [a leader] for the civilized world, the most educated, cultured, free and prosperous country of the third millennium. Only a free man in a free country has the ability to create and build in the public interest! I believe that together we can make a difference and change for the better. I want to build a real future of Russia together with you.

RiaNovosti discussed some of the specifics of the program including plans for fighting corruption and monopolies as well as improving Russia's infrastructure, healthcare system, and social services. The comments that followed displayed skepticism.

gunshipdemocracy:

Mr Prokhorov how did you earn your 1rst billion? please refresh my memory. As for rest of your plan getting rid of RF independence and making Russia a colony is best way to protect your billions Euro transferred in 90s/2000s? or am I wrong?

rochefortfrancois:

This guy is only trying to corrupt the [elite] to better gain means of control and gain more power, To say short he is a criminal.

Finally, Los That Sports Blog noted that if Mr. Prokhorov does run a successful campaign and is elected to the Russian Presidency, such a post could affect his responsibilities to the NBA:

It will be interesting to see, if elected, how his political responsibilities impact Prokhorov’s involvement with the Nets. Prokhorov purchased the Nets in May 2010 and holds an 80% stake in the franchise, as well as 45% in the new Barclay Center, where the Nets will be moving to in 2012. Prokhorov is the first non-American NBA owner and tallest at 6’8″ (random).

Zambia: Netizens Abuzz Over Senegal's Loss at AFCON 2012

Gershom Ndhlovu — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 17:16:05 +0000

When Zambia beat Senegal at one of the two opening games of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) co-hosted by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon on January 21, 2012, Zambian netizens went abuzz on Facebook and Twitter to celebrate the victory even asking “Demba who?” referring to the much touted Senegalese player, Demba Ba, who plays for Newcastle United in the English Premier League. Demba Ba is the second top goal scorer in the Barclays Premier League.

Before the game Zambians wanted to get #Chipolopolo, or bullet, the Zambia national soccer team nickname, to trend:

@ntheyelungu: Let's get #Chipolopolo trending today @itawa_bovi @tha_jayman @zonefam @slapdee @missbwalya @mz_obika @GNdhlovu @ChiluLemba @Deejaylbc

2012 Africa Cup of Nations logo. Image source: cafonline.com

Impressed with Zambia’s performance, one tweep describe the players thus:

@ilfabiano: Zambia are the more athletic and oozing with verve and versatility. That's the direction African football has taken #SSAFCON

A tweet by one radio station ticked off the doubters:

@rphoenixzambia: Well done chipolopolo the doubters and commentators didn't give us a chance,we truly are a great nation

Wondering where the EPL Newcastle superstar, Demba Ba was during the game, one tweep @kamateso had this to say:

@kamateso: #CanSomeoneExplainToMeWhy Demba was not even on target against #Zambia? Chipolopolo woyeee. Football is played on the pitch and not on paper

Another tweep posted a YouTube video of the goals:

@missbwalya: Senegal 1-2 Zambia - Watch the goals: youtu.be/TerHEqJc-fY

@mwiingason reproduced a quote attributed to the Zambian captain:

@mwiingason: “Nobody expected us to beat Senegal, but our history speaks for itself. We need to carry on like this” ~ Christopher Katongo #Zambia

Zambian netizens were more expressive on Facebook. Remembering the 1993 Zambia national football team air disaster in Gabon on their way to play Senegal in 1993, John Ziba wrote:

Angela Chishimba simply stated in her post:

Demba who? Its Mayuka…[Emmanuel Mayuka scored first goal for Zambia]

Durban Kambaki injected some humour in his post:

What a nice feeling waking up to find Zambia won last night. Good boy that I am, I slept early and slept like a baby only to hear on BBC this morning the news. I will to stay awake for the next game.

But not all netizens were satisfied with the result. For Joshua Jere , Zambia could have done better and the players need to up their game:

I thought the Chipolopolo were on spot with they game plan but their endurance was in question. And if endurance is in question, concentration is lost. Against Libya Zambia stands a better chance than it did in the Senegal encounter. However the COPPER BULLETS should know this, North Africans play with 12th players on the pitch-THE REFEREE!

Richard Chanter recalled an article he posted about Mayuka early last year:

Well done Zambia! Told you about this player last year in March - remember?

Emmanuel Mayuka : Chanters Lodge Livingstone

www.chanters-livingstone.com
Zambian star Emmanuel Mayuka struck again for Young Boys this week, his 90th minute goal sealing the victory over 10-men St. Gallen by a score of 2-0. The goal, Mayuka’s 7th in the domestic league…

Others like Shalala Oliver Sepiso, added a numerology mystique to the victory:

We played this game on the 21st in the year 12 of the 21st century not long after the Lusaka West 2.1 billion and in West Africa we scored 2:1 . The games will end on the 12th. The first goal was scored in the 12th minute and the second goal was scored in the 21st minute. Via Henry Nasilele and IZambia.

Puerto Rico: The Latest in High School Sports

Firuzeh Shokooh Valle — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:57:54 +0000

The website Activao [es] offers the most complete and best news and pictures on high school sports in Puerto Rico.

Costa Rica: I'm Happy In That Water

Juliana Rincón Parra — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 05:27:20 +0000

This wordless short film follows Doña Norma, a 78 year old woman who goes to swim every day at a local swimming pool outside of the capital city of San José.

Peru: Citizens Welcome Last Phase of the 2012 Dakar Rally

Gabriela García Calderón — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:33:21 +0000

On Sunday, January 15, Peru's capital city, Lima, and its residents were all abuzz about the 2012 Dakar Rally. That day, the world-renowned rally was coming to an end with just a short, 29 km [18 miles] final stage remaining between Pisco and Lima.

During the previous days, Peruvian media outlets covered the event, giving the audience input on what had happened on the early stages and some background. For example, Peruvian news agency Andina posted on its website:

The Dakar Rally is being held for the fourth straight year in South America. The endurance race took place in Africa from 1979-2007. It was moved to Argentina and Chile after fears of terrorist attacks in Mauritania led to a cancellation of the annual event in 2008.

Following 14 stages - one of which was cancelled due to snow - and more than 8,000 kilometers [4,900 miles], including more than 4,000 kilometres [2,485 miles] of timed specials, the race is to end Sunday in Lima.

[…]

Peru became on Thursday the 27th country to host the race in the history of the Dakar Rally. In its territory, participants met sand dunes which provided for plenty of excitement.

Other websites, like the blog Tacneños [es], shared how the rally entered Peruvian territory, from the Southern department of Tacna, on Thursday, January 12. Authorities even declared that day a holiday [es]:

En una explanada a unos 3 kilómetros del balneario Boca del Río, en Tacna, se dio inició esta mañana a la decimo primera etapa del Rally Dakar 2012, que de esta forma empieza correrse en suelo peruano.

[…]

Aproximadamente unas 5 mil personas se dieron cita desde la noche de ayer y la madrugada de hoy para ser parte de esta fiesta deportiva y alentar a los mejores corredores del mundo.

On a leveled area about 3 kilometers [1.8 miles] away from the seaside town of Boca del Río, in Tacna, the eleventh phase of the 2012 Dakar Rally kicked off, and it starts its Peruvian stage.

[…]

About 5,000 people gathered since yesterday night and very early today morning to be a part of the sport celebration and cheer for the best drivers in the world.

Dakar 2012, Ica, Peru. Image by Telmo Cáceres under Creative Commons license Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The blogger behind Caminantes del Perú [es] expresses his disappointment due to the disorganization he witnessed in Ica, where he arrived to see the participants:

Lo curioso fue que uno de nuestros compañeros, el cual tiene familia en Ica, mandó a preguntar sobre las ofertas turísticas del Dakar que hubiese allí, y grande fue su sorpresa cuando no encontró información sobre paquetes turísticos =/, en realidad si pudimos encontrar ofertas turísticas pero enfocadas más en el turista del exterior con paquetes de 200-300 dolares o.O, me parece que se olvidaron del turista interno #fail.

Quizás hubó falta de planificación sobre la llegada del dakar a Ica y recién el día viernes o el mismo sábado abunden las ofertas del tipo “vea el paso del rally Dakar en las dunas de Ica”.

The curious part was that one of our colleagues, who has family members in Ica, asked about special touristic rates for the Dakar there, and he was really surprised when he couldn't find any information about tour packages =/. Actually, we were able to find some good touristic deals, but more focused on foreign tourists with prices raging from 200-300 dollars o.O. It seems to me the domestic tourist was forgotten. #fail

Maybe some planning was lacking for the arrival of the Dakar to Ica and only on Friday (January 13) or on Saturday there will be plenty of deals like “watch the rally Dakar passing by from the dunes in Ica”.

Others took a more personal approach, like Columna 17's Cyrano [es], who remembered some things from his childhood and described his present excitement:

Acompañaba a mi padre a cuanta carrera de moto o auto había en Lima y él siempre me llevaba a la zona de pits. Todos los corredores y mecánicos eran mis tíos de cariño y la pasaba muy bien entre el olor a aceite quemado y caucho que se percibía en el ambiente.

[…]

[Mi amigo] Manolo y yo estábamos tan cerca de los coches que hasta pude percibir el olor del aceite quemado y caucho. Retrocedí años en el tiempo, lo que me transportó a otra dimensión.

Me di cuenta de lo bonito que es vivir para ver que un sueño se cumpla. Ayer pude ver el París-Dakar en vivo y en directo, a escasos metros de mí, como cuando era niño y mi padre me llevaba a los pits.

I used to go with my father to each and every race, whether bike or car, that was held in Lima, and he always took me to the pit zone. All the drivers and mechanics were my adoptive uncles and I had great times among the scent of burnt oil and rubber that was all over the place.

[…]

[My friend] Manolo and I were so close to the cars that I was even able to feel the smell of the burnt oil and the rubber. I went years back in time, and I was transported to another dimension.

I realized how beautiful it is to live to see a dream come true. Yesterday I was able to see París-Dakar live and in person, a few meters away form me, just as when I was a boy and my father used to take me to the pits.

You can check the results of the 2012 Dakar Rally on this website [es].