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/ 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.

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/ 29 January 2008

Cup bribery dossier handed to police

A dossier on attempts to fix matches at the Africa Cup of Nations finals has been given to the Ghana police, the Confederation of African Football said on Tuesday. Benin and Namibia were approached last week to throw games at the tournament in Ghana, offered money by an unidentified man to lose group matches.

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/ 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.

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/ 26 January 2008

Elephants march on but Nigeria on brink of exit

Côte d’Ivoire became the first side to qualify for the African Nations Cup quarterfinals on Friday but fellow heavyweights Nigeria’s hopes were left hanging by a thread. The Elephants from Côte d’Ivoire brushed aside Benin 4-1, with Didier Drogba getting his first goal of this year’s tournament, to go top of Group B and assured of a place in the last eight.