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Fair, tricky AFCON draw for Eagles

The Africa Cup of Nations is the number one football competition on the continent. Every country strives to make an impact in the competition but the overall bragging right is about winning the trophy. Egypt are the most decorated team on the continent with seven trophies in the cabinet of the Pharaohs. Hosts of the forthcoming edition next year, Cameroon, have won five times, hoping to make it six while Ghana have won the coveted trophy four times.

At the draw ceremony last week, Cup holders Algeria were drawn to play against Cote d’Ivoire in the group stage of the delayed 2021 AFCON billed for January next year in Cameroon. Algeria were drawn in Group E where they will also face Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea. The tournament, which features 24 teams, runs from January 9 to February 6 with winners and runners-up in each of the six groups moving to the next stage, plus the best four third-placed teams. The other tournament debutants, Gambia, will play in Group F alongside Tunisia, Mali and Mauritania. The Super Eagles of Nigeria – three-time winners of the competition – have a tough test in Group D where they will face Mohamed Salah’s Egypt, Sudan and Guinea- Bissau while Sadio Mane’s Senegal, who suffered the heartbreak of losing the 2019 final to Algeria, will take on Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi in Group B.

Hosts Cameroon, seeking a sixth title, were put in Group A with Ethiopia, Cape Verde and Burkina Faso, who they will face in the opening match in Yaounde. Two stadia in Yaounde plus newly-built/refurbished venues in Bafoussam, Douala, Garoua and Limbe will be used for the tournament.

On two occasions, the 2021 AFCON was shifted due to bad weather concerns and COVID-19. Also, the draw, originally set for June, was delayed by the pandemic. Generally, it’s a fair draw for all the top teams but one cannot rule out the element of surprise in a competition of this magnitude Nigeria’s opening game is against Egypt, the most decorated team in the tournament. Sudan and Guinea Bissau are the other teams in the group but the result of the first game is very vital for Nigeria. On paper, the two other teams could be outsiders in the tournament but they are capable of creating upsets against the Eagles in Group D just as there are some ‘lowly’ rated teams in other groups that could upset the favourites. At the 2019 Nations Cup, Madagascar defeated Nigeria 2-0. Nobody saw that coming and it is important for Eagles manager, Gernot Rohr, to beware of these two other teams. Sudan as former AFCON winners, deserve some respect and they could prove to be spoilers.

Rohr said the draw was tricky and to avoid a defeat in the encounter against Egypt was important. This is true but as the head of technical crew, Rohr himself must come up with the right selection for the final competition list and he must file out the Eagles with a good tactical formation to get the results in each of the games. Player for player, Nigeria should go to Cameroon and win the trophy easily but how the coach deploys these players determines the results after 90 minutes while the substitutions to be made in each game is as important as the starting line-up. Rohr has been shaky in his position because of the way the Eagles crumble when it matters most.

The forthcoming event is another big test of his technical competence as the handler of the Super Eagles. The anticipated friendlies of the Eagles must be against teams that have same pattern with Egypt or any of the other two teams. It must be African countries. The World Cup qualifiers coming up in September will also serve as a good prelude for the AFCON finals slated for Cameroon. A former international, Nduka Ugbade, was apt in his reaction to the draw. He said Nigerians should not be talking about Eagles qualifying from Group D but should be aspiring for the title. I share his vision and optimism because the country is blessed with players good enough to deliver the continental title if all necessary things are done technically and administratively. Eagles are a good global brand but efforts must be made to make these players get the expected results for the country at continental and global levels if the right steps are taken to prepare and motivate the players.

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