25 edition of African Cup of Nations is the first major tournament of 2006. It will be held in Egypt, three times champion, from January 20 to February 10 2006. 10 out of 15 previous winners will participate in this year tournament.
Moreover, all the five of coming 2006 World Cup qualified teams will present in this tournament. They are Cote d’lvoire, Angola, Togo, Ghana and Tunisia.
Sudan was the first winner of the tournament in 1957. The most successful teams of the tournament are Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana and Tunisia. All of them won three times of Africa prestigious cup.
Since 1980, Africa football is in balance. 13 different countries won in 14 tournaments. Ghana and Nigeria were joint-champion in 2000. And no champions ever defend his title before in this tournament.
Instead of all those interesting points, African Cup creates a lot of conflicts between the players and their respective European Clubs. A lot of participants are the European based players. The cup is held within the important fixtures of European football season.
A lot of discussions were held between the national coaches and the clubs’. The players confuse to choose between the club and country. Different players made different choices. Below are the some big names’ choices for coming African Cup of Nations.
Mido takes risk for nation
Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol has already warned Egyptian striker Mido about his permanent move to the club is in danger if he returns from African Cup un-fit. Mido is currently on loan from Italian side Roma until end of this season.
The manager said, “If we wait until summer it will be a bit late. I have told him, if you score 15 goals we will be satisfied. He is on his way, he has scored seven.”
“If he comes back from African Cup and is injured or as he was last year, there is no chance of us signing him permanently. But if he is like he is now, there is every chance.”
Now the agreement has already made between Egypt coach, Shawky Gharieb and Martin Jol. Mido will only leave London only on 14 January after the Premiere League match against Liverpool.
Mido, African Youth Player of the Year in 2002 said, “I will play against Liverpool on the 14 and then fly to Cario, I will be with the team six days before the start of the tournament and I believe this is enough time to prepare for the first match against Libya.”
Gharieb refused to give any official comments but he did not deny that player decision would embarrass the host nation’s technical staffs.
Drogba’s better promise
Chelsea striker Drogba has promised that he will come back from African Cup of Nations with success. So that he can lead Chelsea to gain two successive Premiere League Titles. After the difficult first year, he is enjoying his second season in London with nine goals in all competitions.
He admits, “It is a frustration because I like to play big games. May be I will miss big games for Chelsea but at the same time I will play big games for the national team.”
“When I’m in Chelsea I am 120% for them, and when I go to the national team it’s the same, so while I’m here I am going to give everything.”
Drogba who is French Player of the Year in 2003/04 added, “I’m fresh because I’ve only played at high level for 2 years. I hope there’s a lot more to come.”
Other Big Names
Barcelona Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, two times African player of the year and currently won third place in this year World Football player of the Year, has not yet decided whether to join his national teammates in African Cup of Nations. He will make his decision in Spanish League’s winter break. He is enjoying his goal scoring form in Barcelona with 17 goals from 17 matches.
Chelsea has asked Ghana to allow midfielder Michael Essein of Chelsea to commute between Egypt and England in private jet during the African Nations Cup next month. He is confused because he likes to play for his country. On another hand, he is worry that he will lose his place in Chelsea’s first team.
Middlesbrough striker Yakubu has already pulled out from the tournament.
