Equatorial Guinea-Gabon Final Battle

BY:Wleh Bedell

The football –crazy African continent comes alive this weekend mainly this Saturday, October 8, as the final battle for places in the Equatorial Guinea, Gabon 2012 African Nations Cup qualifiers lights up. It is as usual expected to be electrifying, intriguing, and tense and will be comprised of tears and joy as the

With surprised package Botswana’s Zebras, Ivorian Elephants and the Lions Teranga of Senegal having already booked their places for the finals, the other groups have gone to the wire. And, with defending champions Egypt already failing to qualify, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon look set to follow the Egyptians as other heavy weights Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana, Tunisia et al are in a very tricky situation needing either a win or draw in contrasting scenes.

In Group A, the leaders, a star studded Eagles of Mali who are itching to make their seventh African Nations Cup appearance are in Monrovia to face bottom of the group Liberia Lone Star. The Malians that are at the summit with nine points have brought to town a star packed squad that their French Coach Alain Giresse has assembled with Barcelona gritty midfielder Saydou Keita leading the charges against a deplete Lone Star squad comprised of a predominantly local based squad that is stiffened by Russian outfit CSKA Moscow wide man Sekou Jabateh Oliseh, 29 year old Ansu Toure of Swedish second tier outfit Locarno and the French based and Swedish based duo Hussein Keita and Dioh Williams. Under underachieving coach Roberto Landi, the Lone Star has an academic contest, but the Eagles will be keen to pull a win.

In the other group match, the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde who are third face a tough task at home against the Warriors of Zimbabwe. The visitors will be without top striker Edward Sadomba who picked up an injury in his club Al-Hilal of Sudan pinning at home by Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg semi-final clash. But, they will however be grateful that their talisman German based finisher Knowledge Musona is back after recovering from an injury lay off.
Group B brings to the fore another weighty fixture with the Super Eagles of Nigeria needing an outright 2-0 win at the Abuja National stadium against National Elephants of Guinea to ensure to cruise they to the finals. Guinea’s Sports Minister and ex-international Aboubacar Titi Camara has already started the word of words ahead of the fray as he told the Guinean media that “the pressure is on Nigeria. They have a lot to prove and we will still beat them”. But 1994 Nations Cup winner Samson Siasia who is in charge of the two times African Champions has responded by telling MTN that “we will beat Guinea, and we will beat them silly. We need goals to do that and I trust my team can do it”. To ensure his side win, the former striker has recalled pacey winger Peter Obdiwingie of English side West Bromwich Albion after missing two matches for walking out of the team. But, the major issue is the news that Chelsea balanced midfielder Mikel Obi has been fined US 5,000.00 for reporting to camp late. When quizzed by MTN, Obi noted that he reported to camp late due to a genuine reason as he had gone to Jos State to see his father who was released by kidnappers recently. On the issue of the fine he told MTN “I have not heard of such fine, but when I am told I will not pay as I have a genuine reason for coming to camp late”. With such news, the Guineans who won the corresponding fixture by a solitary goal, courtesy of Italian Serie A club Genoa youngster Kevin Constant are hoping for a good fight as a draw will see them through.
The Guineans have 13 points, three above Nigeria with many tipping such match to be one of the picks in the pack. The group’s other match is an academic one as minnows Ethiopia host lowly placed Madagascar.

Zambia’s Chipolopolo with 12 points need a draw at home against the Greens of Libya who are behind their opponents by a point and need a win to go through. The other battle of the group C involves underdogs Mozambique hosting Comoros.
Former Champions Morocco’s Atlas Lions ahead with eight points in group D face what should be a tricky test to third place Tanzania’s Taifa Stars who have five points. In the other match, another former champions Algeria who are at a disappointing fourth spot face the Central African Republic who like Morocco have eight points. The Moroccans are only on top as a result of superior goal difference.

The Teranga Lions of Senegal have already qualified as leaders of Group E and have an academic contest away to pointless Club M of Mauritius. The other match of the group brings a below par Cameroon going away to DR Congo who are third as they are behind the Cameroonians by a point.

Group F features just one game as there are only three teams due to the withdrawal of Mauritania. In the only and last tussle of the group, the Scorpions of Gambia with three points face group leaders and qualifiers Burkina Faso’s Stallions as the Brave Warriors who too have three points are already hopeless as far as qualification is concerned.
The Mena of Niger are the surprised pace setters in group G that involves two heavyweights, Egypt and South Africa. The Nigeriens, who have nine points, are away to Egypt whom they beat in the corresponding fixture 1-0. Egypt like the previous match with Sierra Leone will parade their national U-23 under ex-international defender Hani Ramsey who recently noted “I am introducing the next stars of Egypt”. In the other match, Pitso Mosamane’s South Africa hosts the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone. Both sides have eight points with the 1996 champions ahead on superior goal difference. A win for the Bafana Bafana and a draw in hte Niger, Egypt duel will see the South Africans through.

The Elephants of Ivory Coast having already qualified as leaders of group H, have an easy fixture away to second place Burundi, while the last two sides in the group, Benin’s Squirrels and Rwanda’s Amavubis complete the fixture.

In group I, the Blacks Stars of Ghana and the Nile Crocodiles of Sudan are equal on thirteen points each with the Ghanaians ahead on superior goal difference. After each side ended goalless in the previous fixture in Kumasi, they this time engage each other in Obdumarn with the Black Stars needing only a draw to go through. Dubai based forward Asamoah Gyan said on the BBC “we have to play to our best. If Sudan beat us it is news, but if we beat them it is not news”. But, Sudan’s indigenous coach Mohamed ‘Marzda’ Abdallah says his side will win and that at the beginning of the qualifiers they were placed at third, but they now only need a win to qualify, something he said they will do. Three points Red Devils of Congo and pointless Swaziland lock horns in the final match of the group.
The Cranes of Uganda will end their 33 years wait in qualifying to the Nations Cup if they manage an away win against the Harambee Stars of Kenya in an East African derby. Coach Bobby Williamson is said to have lifted his side and is upbeat of victory in enemy territory. But, while the match just mentioned is important, the other group J contest involving the Palancas Negras of Angola and little known Guinea Bissau is equally important. The Angolans have nine points, one behind leaders Uganda and will be hoping that the Uganda match ends in a draw as they go all out for a win to be a part of the 2012 jamboree.

With the Zebras of Botswana this time showing something for their grazing in the fields of the continent by evidence of topping group K, the other spot is virtually still up for grasp with two points Chad who are at the bottom facing the Flames of Malawi, while the Carthage Eagles who like Malawi have eleven points but are only ahead on superior goal difference face out of contention Togo’s Sparrow Hawks.
With the Co- hosts Equatorial Guinea and Gabon already qualified, the top placed team from each of the eleven groups and the runners-up in group K which has five teams qualifies automatically. Then, the best two runners-up in all of the groups order than group F which has just three teams qualify as well.