Africa Cup of Nations

jose melendez

Earl of Acie
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Oct 23, 2003
30,972
Geneva, Switzerland
I don't know anything about soccer, but I know Africa.

I'll be rooting, fruitlessly, per usual for teams from the Southern and Eastern part of the continent. Above all I'll be pulling for the Uganda Cranes followed by the Zimbabwe Warriors.

I'll also pull for, albeit to a lesser extent Namibia's Brave Warriors, and Tanzania's Taifa Stars.

I will root to a lesser extent for the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

I will root against all teams from North Africa.

CRANES OYE!
 

jose melendez

Earl of Acie
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 23, 2003
30,972
Geneva, Switzerland
Other awesome nicknames The Guinea Bissau Djurtus (wild dogs), Benin's ecuriels (squirrels), Madagascar's Berea ( a sub-species of Zebu cow), and Burundi's Swallows in the war.

Sadly the Coeloncanths of Comoros did not qualify.
 

Kliq

Member
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Mar 31, 2013
22,672
It’s great this is on, just looking for something to watch during what is normally a dead TV time and caught Egypt vs Zimbabwe just before kickoff. Soccer is the best, it’s the off season and yet you have major tournaments on three different continents plus the women’s WC.
 

Kliq

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Mar 31, 2013
22,672
Zimbabwe’s keeper is under six feet tall but has already made a bunch of spectacular saves.
 

jose melendez

Earl of Acie
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 23, 2003
30,972
Geneva, Switzerland
It’s great this is on, just looking for something to watch during what is normally a dead TV time and caught Egypt vs Zimbabwe just before kickoff. Soccer is the best, it’s the off season and yet you have major tournaments on three different continents plus the women’s WC.
What is it showing on?
 

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,672
What is it showing on?
It’s on Bein Sports.

Salah is far and away the best player on the field, but he feels like the varsity player messing around with a bunch of casuals. Seems more interested in doing clever stuff with the ball than scoring. Zimbabwe has looked dangerous on the counter but their crossing and finishing has been poor.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Even though it's impossible to follow I love this tournament. No other confederation is as wide open and unpredictable as this one.
 

candylandriots

unkempt
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Mar 30, 2004
12,327
Berlin
Is this the normal time for this, or does it just drag on for a long time? I was always anxious losing Zaha and Bolasie while this went on during the EPL season.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
8,730
Is this the normal time for this, or does it just drag on for a long time? I was always anxious losing Zaha and Bolasie while this went on during the EPL season.
Yep, they moved it from its historical Jan-Feb to the summer.

Edit: it’s also the first time they expanded to 24 teams, which is why some true minnows like TZ & Uganda are in the mix.
 
Last edited:

Kliq

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 31, 2013
22,672
I don't know anything about soccer, but I know Africa.

I'll be rooting, fruitlessly, per usual for teams from the Southern and Eastern part of the continent. Above all I'll be pulling for the Uganda Cranes followed by the Zimbabwe Warriors.

I'll also pull for, albeit to a lesser extent Namibia's Brave Warriors, and Tanzania's Taifa Stars.

I will root to a lesser extent for the Bafana Bafana of South Africa.

I will root against all teams from North Africa.

CRANES OYE!
Score one for the good guys, Bafana Banafa shocked Egypt yesterday with a 1-0 win to send the hosts packing and head on to the Quarterfinals. It was no fluke either, RSA looked like the better side for large portions of the game and caught Egypt napping for a critical goal in the 85' to advance.

Benin also knocked out Morocco on penalties. Morocco had a chance to win it in regulation but doinked a PK in stoppage time and then the Benin keeper was heroic in the shootout to push them through.

Senegal beat Uganda and Nigeria beat Cameroon to also advance to the quarter finals.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Even though it's impossible to follow I love this tournament. No other confederation is as wide open and unpredictable as this one.
As I was saying...

Egypt going out at home at the hands of RSA on a goal at the death is just nuts.

Would love to see the video of Egypt pressing for the equalizer in stoppage time in front of their home crowd. I’m sure RSA had to hang on by the skin of their teeth.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
8,730
Final is this afternoon - 2pm central/3pm eastern.

Both squads are led by managers from their respective nation - Belmadi with Algeria & Cisse from Senegal. I think this is a really positive, important development for the game in Africa. It demonstrates that African managers can be successful and that instead of spending big to temporarily import another nomadic Euro-manager and his assistants, it might be better to invest in developing coaches and managers. Bigger picture, diversifying and growing the coaching pool should also diversify and grow the approaches to the game.

Also, in a tournament historically known for upsets, most of the surprising results came in the early rounds. Madagascar and Benin made the quarterfinals, but the latter stages definitely included the most talented sides. Shout out to South Africa for taking out the favored hosts, Uganda for making the last 16, Madagascar for topping its group over Nigeria, and Benin for knocking out Morocco.

Despite the last minute shift to Egypt, being played in the summer for the first time, and curiosity about the expanded field, this tournament has been a success.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Senegal without Koulibaly due to yellow card accumulation. And Algeria take a 2nd minute lead on a deflected long shot that looped high up over the keeper.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
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Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
I can't believe yellow cards don't reset after the QFs or something

Also can't quite believe how long the keeper stayed rooted to his spot here, seemed like he could easily have gotten back in time to deflect the shot over: https://streamja.com/P29M
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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I think the AfCon rule is 2 yellows in 3 games leads to a suspension, kind of a rolling window. Koulibaly picked up one in the Round of 16 and the Semifinal.

Koulibaly couldn't have stopped that first goal, and Senegal came on progressively stronger during the half. Algeria need to adjust to get around/over the Senegal press to get back on the attack.
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
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Penalty waived off after VAR. This has been a really chippy, scrappy game. It's crying out for a flash of quality to make something happen.
 

PedroSpecialK

Comes at you like a tornado of hair and the NHL sa
SoSH Member
Dec 12, 2004
27,164
Cambridge, MA
And the second minute deflected goal decides it. Was rooting for Senegal, but the impending lack of sleep for racist French nationalists is a nice consolation
 

67YAZ

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Dec 1, 2000
8,730
A great win for Algeria. Senegal has a great crop of young players in their squad and scattered around Ligue 1. They should be a dangerous team in 2021, when the tournament will hopefully be held in Cameroon.

But this was a lackluster match. Looked like a lot of tried legs - a long, hot tournament on the heels of a long club season.