Football Dispatch

Weekend Football
08 February 2008
by Jerrad Peters

African Nations Cup
For two weeks, Cote d’Ivoire looked as though they could obliterate any team in world football. Bring on your Brazils, your Argentinas – they would have all been trampled by Les Elephants. Or so it seemed. After dominating their group fixtures and annihilating Guinea in the quarterfinals, Cote d’Ivoire were sent packing by returning champions Egypt. Granted, the 4-1 scoreline somewhat flattered The Pharaohs; but for every Didier Drogba miss, there was an Amr Zaki goal. For every superb Essam Al-Hadari save, there was a gaffe at the opposite end. But goalkeeping, itself, did not deliver victory for Egypt. More than anything else, manager Hassan Shehata proved a brilliant, and vastly underrated, football mind.

Shahatelli, as he is nicknamed, represented Egypt three times in the African Nations Cup and was named Asian Footballer of the Year in 1970. Upon transitioning into management, he guided the national youth squad to a win in the 2003 African Youth Cup of Nations before winning the African Nations Cup in Cairo in 2006. Most famously, he booted striker Mido off the Cup-winning squad after a spat with the Tottenham forward.

When Shehatta brought his players to Ghana last month, Mido wasn’t even in the squad. And while many wondered from where the goals would come, their skepticism merely revealed an ignorance of Egyptian football. Ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Cameroon, Shehatta’s men are finally getting their due. And so is he.

Whether beating the Indomitable Lions 4-2 in the tournament opener or surviving a cagey affair with Angola in the quarterfinals, Shehatta has proven a flexible, adaptable coach. When the pundits predicted that Cote d’Ivoire would resoundingly out-score the Egyptians on Thursday, the 59-year-old developed a game plan to ensure that nothing of the sort would occur. By soaking-up the inevitable pressure and counting on quality opportunities on the counter, Shehatta got it bang-on. The Ivorians were frustrated; and Egypt were heading to a second successive African final.

That said, they may well have been lining up for the third-place match were it not for the stand-out goalkeeping of Al-Hadari. As it happened, Didier Drogba nearly opened the scoring in the 11th minute when his effort from in close was saved by the Al-Alhy ‘keeper. Moments later, Ahmed Fathi drew first blood for Egypt after a botched clearing attempt from a corner. It always happens that way. And it was Shehatta’s game-plan in a nutshell.

In the opposite goal, it was a completely different story. Just eight minutes from the break, Cote d’Ivoire ‘keeper Boubacar Barry was replaced by Stephane Loboue through injury. The switch hardly galvanized Gerard Gili’s squad. The 26-year-old Greuther Furth back-up had yet to make a club appearance all season in the German second division. Nevertheless, Drobga nearly had an equalizer on the stroke of half-time. But his powerful header was stopped by Al-Hadari; and the rebound was cleared by Hosni Abd Rabou as Aruna Dindane lurked nearby.

Cote d’Ivoire appeared to have the impetus after the restart. It was Drogba again in the 48th-minute – once more coaxing a brilliant Al-Hadari save from in tight. The 35-year-old ‘keeper produced another exemplary stop on the hour-mark when he directed Arthur Boka’s set-piece over the cross-bar.

Les Elephants would rue the miss. Just two minutes later, it was 2-0 to Egypt. Loboue stood motionless as Zaki stroked the ball past him. But Didier Zokora was at fault as well. The Spurs midfielder failed to clear Ahmad Hassan’s corner-kick and Zaki had only to convert a simple header for his third goal of the tournament. It was the kind of defensive miscue that Egypt did not make on the night.

Kader Keita brought Cote d’Ivoire back into the mix immediately after, however. The Lyon striker maintained possession as he moved across midfield before unleashing a cannonball from 25-yards. But goals were coming fast at this point; and Zaki restored the two-goal cushion just four minutes later – catching Arsenal defender Kolo Toure with his back to the ball.

From there, the result was never in doubt. And while Cote d’Ivoire continued to hold their heads up and press for another, Mohamed Aboutreika rounded-out the scoring as stoppage time came to a close. For Shehatta, it was the perfect execution of perfect tactics. And Egypt will go into Sunday’s final in search of a record-extending 6th African championship.

Cameroon, conversely, will be looking to derail the makings of an Egyptian dynasty by continuing one of their own. A win at the weekend would equal The Pharaoh’s standard of five titles. It would also be the Indomitable Lions’ third championship of the decade. To that end, it is appropriate that the two continental powers should clash in the final. The winner will be remembered at the most powerful team of its generation in African football.

For Cameroon to succeed, they had better learn from Cote d’Ivoire’s failings. Two components, in particular, will be required to topple the champions. Firstly, they must take their chances. Secondly, they must have a sense of timing. Les Elephants were lacking in both areas; and it cost them an appearance in Accra.

Like his counterpart Shehatta, Otto Pfister has guided his squad through a variety of circumstances in Ghana. After falling on their faces in their Group C opener against the Egyptians, Cameroon responded by drubbing Zambia and Sudan by a combined score of 8-1. In the quarterfinals, they snuck past Group D winners Tunisia in added time. And against the host nation in the final four, they gutted-out a cagey 1-0 result. All the while, Pfister deflected pressure from his players by taking it upon himself. In the opening week of the competition, the 70-year-old German criticized the event’s organization and claimed the tournament to be weighted in Ghana’s favor. And in the run-up to Thursday’s semifinal, he got in a row with a police officer while attempting to enter Accra’s Ohene Djan Stadium ahead of a training session. While his squad improved their performances on the field, Pfister ensured that the attention was squarely on him.

When he wasn’t ranting to the press or starting scraps with the authorities, Pfister was molding the talented components of his team into a well-oiled machine. Still, it took the better part of two weeks for Cameroon to shake the notion that they were a one-trick pony – an outfit with a dangerous over-reliance on Samuel Eto’o. In fact, the group phase seemed to reinforce the perception. Of the ten Cameroon goals scored, the Barcelona marksman had notched five. Since the outset of the knockout stages, however, the 26-year-old has been kept from the scoresheet while the likes of Stephane Mbia, Geremi, and Alain Nkong have found the back of the net.

It is a reality that should have the Egyptians shaking in their boots. Eto’o has not tallied in two matches. And the chances that the drought will extend through a third affair are highly unlikely. Regardless, the Indomitable Lions are capable of getting goals from anyone. As Ghana will attest, they can handle whatever is flung their way.

That Cameroon vanquished the hosts by a 1-0 scoreline is impressive in its own right. Under Claude Le Roy, the Black Stars had been the model of consistency and organization through their first four matches. Even in the semifinal, they appeared constantly in the ascendancy. They simply got beat at their own game.

The overall plodding pace of the contest can be attributed to the searing heat and uncomfortable humidity of the afternoon. It was an environment for football that should have played right into Ghana’s hands. And, for the balance of the 90-minutes, it did. While Ghana maintained the lion’s share of the possession, Cameroon’s opportunities were mostly limited to set-pieces. Having said that, Geremi nearly put his side ahead as the opening period wound down.

As the second-half began, Ghana were clearly missing the presence of Michael Essien in the centre of midfield. Without the Chelsea man’s creativity, the Black Stars struggled to move forward. Ironically, they were handcuffed by the 25-year-old’s versatility. Le Roy employed him in the centre of defense to compensate for the loss of John Mensah through suspension.

Still, Cameroon’s breakthrough came squarely against the run of play. Eto’o, despite being held scoreless, made the goal as he delivered a lovely pass to Alain Nkong after collecting the ball from Jean Epalle. Nottingham Forest striker Junior Agogo had a pair of chances to bag an equalizer. But Carlos Kameni was brilliant in denying the 28-year-old in the 78th-minute before the player, himself, headed over the bar three minutes later.

Ghana will, after all, face Cote d’Ivoire in a match this weekend. But rather than the final that most observers had expected them to contest, theirs will be the 3rd-place affair. Doubtless, neither will be delighted at having to take the field in Kumasi. Both had hoped to still be playing football on Sunday. Cameroon and Egypt, on the other hand, will settle a battle of dynasties in Accra.