No image available
/ 15 February 2008

The riddle of the sphinx

First things first: the best team won. Many, including myself, dismissed Egypt’s chances of defending their crown because of a ropey qualifying campaign and because they lost a number of important players from their 2006 squad. But the Pharaohs showed that their domestic league continues to cultivate quality footballers.

No image available
/ 8 February 2008

Holders Egypt to meet Cameroon in final

Holders Egypt and Cameroon will meet in Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final after two remarkable semifinals on Thursday condemned hot favourites Côte d’Ivoire and hosts Ghana to elimination. Defending champions Egypt ended Ivorian dreams with a 4-1 win in Kumasi, prompting thousands of celebrating fans to pour on to the streets in Cairo.

No image available
/ 7 February 2008

Nkong fires Cameroon into final

Cameroon are only one step away from a record-equalling fifth Africa Nations Cup title after wrecking Ghana’s party with a 1-0 semifinal win over the hosts in Accra on Thursday. The winners in 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2002 came through a tense affair with Alain Nkong’s second-half strike breaking the gridlock.

No image available
/ 7 February 2008

Africa gears up for top-grade semis

Hosts Ghana kick off a high-calibre Africa Cup of Nations semifinal programme when they take on Cameroon at Accra’s Ohene Djan stadium on Thursday at 5pm GMT. The Black Stars will have to make do without suspended captain John Mensah, banned for one match after being sent off in Ghana’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Nigeria.

No image available
/ 6 February 2008

Le Roy says semifinal is the hardest part

Ghana’s toughest test at the African Nations Cup will be Thursday’s semifinal against Cameroon, the host nation’s coach Claude Le Roy said on Tuesday. Le Roy will have to cope with the absence of captain John Mensah, who is suspended after picking up a red card in Ghana’s 2-1 win over Nigeria in the quarterfinal.

No image available
/ 3 February 2008

Agogo sends Ghana into semifinals

Junior Agogo scored a late goal on Sunday to lead 10-man Ghana over Nigeria 2-1 and into the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals. Agogo met Sulley Muntari’s cross from the left and sent the ball into the roof of the net in the 83rd minute to send the Black Stars into a showdown with either Cameroon or Tunisia on Thursday.

No image available
/ 30 January 2008

Nigeria scrape through as Mali bow out

Nigeria scraped into the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals on goal difference after beating Benin 2-0 on Tuesday to set up an appetising clash with hosts and arch-rivals Ghana. The Super Eagles pipped Mali, thumped 3-0 by Côte d’Ivoire in the other Group B game, after both finished level on four points.

No image available
/ 29 January 2008

Ghana, Guinea through to last eight

Hosts Ghana beat Morocco 2-0 to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals on Monday as the tournament claimed its first coaching victim with Henryk Kasperczak quitting Senegal. Guinea also went into the last eight, following Ghana through from Group A despite managing only a 1-1 draw against rank outsiders Namibia.

No image available
/ 28 January 2008

All to play for at Nations Cup

The deluge of goals in the first week at the Africa Cup of Nations has been matched only by the flood of scandals and dramas off the pitch. Ahead of the decisive round of opening round games starting in Accra on Monday, Didier Drogba’s Côte d’Ivoire are the only one of the 16 teams to have secured their place in the quarterfinals.

No image available
/ 27 January 2008

Morocco out to spoil Ghana’s party

Ghana need only to draw their last Group A game on Monday against Morocco to keep alive their dream of winning the Africa Cup of Nations on home turf. Mathematically it is still possible for Morocco or Guinea to secure the two tickets to the quarterfinals, but two wins out of two have left the Black stars in the strongest position in the group.

No image available
/ 20 January 2008

Perfect start for Ghana in Nations Cup

Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari struck in the last minute to lift hosts Ghana to a 2-1 win against Guinea in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations in Accra on Sunday. Ghana’s Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien, given the fair-play award, said: ”It’s a good start for us.”

No image available
/ 19 January 2008

Eyes of a continent focus on Ghana

The West African state of Ghana is about to take its place in the international spotlight as hosts of the 26th Africa Cup of Nations. It’s been a bit of a scramble, but the former British colony is all set for the biggest show of its short life, one that promises to upstage even last year’s celebrations to mark 50 years of independence.

No image available
/ 20 October 2007

Ghana coach says team can reach knockout phase

Coach Claude le Roy is convinced hosts Ghana will reach the 2008 African Nations Cup quarterfinals after being drawn in Group A with Guinea, Morocco and Namibia. ”I realise expectations are high among Ghanaians and we will surely go through to the knockout phase,” the widely travelled Frenchman told local journalists.

No image available
/ 31 August 2007

African uprising

Eleven Premiership managers gathered at a football stadium in London last week to watch a friendly international match — and it was not England vs Germany. To a man, they rejected the New Wembley game in favour of a trip to the nether-end of south-east London to witness Ghana play Senegal at the Den, the forbidding home of Millwall FC.