The African Cup of Nations (AFCON), the continent’s most important international men’s association football competition, is less than two months away. FORBES AFRICA offers some insight into what one can expect in the build-up to this much-anticipated exhibition.



Few times, if ever, has the favorite going into an Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament emerged after a month of intense action hoisting aloft the trophy.



But two years ago, at the last edition in Cameroon, Senegal were certainly a sentimental favorite because they had come so close on several previous occasions but never won, and so when they emerged as victors, it was to many neutrals’ delight.



As reigning African champions, that will make them among the fancied sides this time round, which if historic precedence is followed, will not be welcome.



No team since Egypt in 2008 has been able to hold on to the African crown and Ghana and Cameroon are the only other countries able to retain their title.



The 34th edition Cup of Nations will kick off on January 13 and is being hosted in the Côte d&#8217;Ivoire – a second time for the West African country after the 1984 finals.



Then it was an eight-team tournament, completed in the space of 14 days, but Africa’s continental championship is much evolved. This time round, the Ivorians host 24 teams at six different stadia, four of them newly built for the tournament, which will have a bevy of top stars on display, with the ever-increasing number of African players now featuring in the top leagues in Europe.



Their clubs are not happy they will be absent for up to a month but FIFA rules dictate national teams enjoy preference on the players’ service over clubs when a continental championship, like AFCON, is hosted. Ideally, the players should not have to suffer the tug of club versus country.



But this tournament was moved back six months because of concerns over the rainy season in the region and is now being hosted slap bang in the middle of the league season to the chagrin of the clubs who now lose the services of their best African players.



The concerns over the weather should have been raised when the Ivorians first bid to host the finals but are genuine and have already caused much consternation long before a ball has even been kicked.



The newly-built showpiece Stade Olympique d&#8217;Ebimpé in Abidjan, where the final is due to be played on February 11, turned into a paddling pool in September when the Ivory Coast played Mali in a friendly and the heavens opened. There was no proper drainage and eventually the game had to be called off to the embarrassment of the Ivorians.



There were pitch problem at the last Cup of Nations in Cameroon too, to the consternation of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), and they can ill afford a repeat this time, seeking to assure that the playing surfaces are of a quality that ensures a good footballing spectacle. French experts have been called in to make sure all the pitches are ready for carpet football once the event gets underway.



If all conditions do turn out to be top class, it is tournament that has the potential to be a top quality event, given the strength and depth of the protagonists.



Of the 24 participating nations, half have won the tournament previously. This time there are no newcomers but some tricky minnows with a proven pedigree for creating carnage. Equatorial Guinea and the Gambia, for example, were giant killers at the last finals and return again with the ability to upset the established pecking order.



Hosts Côte d&#8217;Ivoire, who have won twice before in 1992 and 2015, have a talented squad but are a little short of tournament temperament. They will look to the former England international Wilfred Zaha to lead their hopes and he certainly has the x-factor to lead them to the winners’ podium.



Morocco, on the back of their heroic exploits at the 2022 World Cup, will be the most fancied side but teams from Arabic-speaking North Africa have a long history of struggling when AFCON is hosted south of the Sahara.



Egypt did win in Burkina Faso in 1998 and again in Ghana 10 years thereafter, but Morocco have pointedly failed time and again in the continental championship, particularly when they have been hailed as pre-competition favorites.



Perhaps this will be their time given the confidence they collected in Qatar, where the 2022 World Cup took place, when they became the first African, and Arab, nation to reach the semi-final.



Algeria will have a heavyweight selection of French-born players from the massive Diaspora that they have across the Mediterranean, while Egypt are ever dangerous, particularly if Mohamed Salah is on song. Egypt lost narrowly in the last Cup of Nations finals to Senegal on post-match penalties.



It has been a decade since Nigeria last won the competition but this could be their opportunity again with a squad brimful of attacking talent. It is led by the striker Victor Osimhen, who finished top scorer in Italy last season where he helped Napoli to win the league.



Often times, however, the players’ ambition is let down by the foibles of their administrators, whose incompetence might make things tough for Nigeria to realize its massive potential.



The tournament is being played in Abidjan (two stadiums), Bouake, Korhogo, San Pedro and Yamoussoukro with all but two of the venues built specifically for the tournament.

South Africa v Morocco – Africa Cup of Nations

The Pride Of African Football: A Look Ahead

Some African football teams view the exorbitant cost of CAF
competitions a penalty.&nbsp; 



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In the days before commercialization, when nationalism was
growing and newly, or recently, independent countries looked to make a mark, winning
an African football competition carried great currency.



It also carried the financial backing of the state,
oftentimes, with limitless expense as national prestige and pride were on the
line.



Effectively, national teams and top clubs were able to enter
and compete in continental competitions with little concern for costs.



The downside was that it also meant that football
associations had no independence. Their reliance on the state coffers – meaning
their business – was dictated to them by the government of the day.



That is still a factor in some African countries but these
days, football seeks to stand on its own feet, assert itself and get by on its
own resources – earning revenue from television rights deals, sponsorship
agreements and gate takings, which are all important to fund the expense of
participation.



But the reality of travel on the African continent is one of
enormous expense and football clubs are increasingly wondering whether prestige
and national pride is worth the end result, as they expend great fortunes on
playing against the other top teams from the continent. 



Some nations place more value on it than others. In the
Arabic-speaking north of the continent, the long-time dominance of clubs from
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia is a source of regional pride and a massive spur to
remain as competitive as possible.



West African clubs still also attach a high value, but it
has been years, decades even, since they were regularly among the winners. The
independence of their football structures nowadays means resources are limited.



Clubs from West Africa&nbsp;
do well with the patronage of&nbsp;
benefactors as was the case with Accra’s Hearts of Oak, who were
assisted by businessman Harry Zakour, in the early 2000s when they were African
champions. More recently, Guinea’s Horoya, enjoys the backing of entrepreneur
Antonio Souaré.



The deep pockets of mining magnate Patrice Motsepe allow
Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa to consistently win domestic success and
qualify for the African Champions League as a result… and be competitive. He
has pumped an estimated R200-million ($14.4-million) into the club over the
last decade and encouraged his coachers to chase African success.



But this is not the attitude of most South African clubs,
who largely see competition north of their border, such as the Champions League
and the Confederation Cup, as a bothersome exercise. They participate with
clenched teeth as if carrying out a chore they have to complete but want to
dispense with as quickly as possible. 



There is a two-fold reason for this. The distraction from
domestic competition that remains a priority for insular-thinking South African
clubs and the exorbitant cost of participation in the Confederation of African
Football (CAF) competitions. “It is money that, quite frankly, would be better
spent strengthening our squad with more players,” says a candid Ari Efstathiou,
the Ajax Cape Town owner who says it costs anything between R250,000 to
R750,000 ($18,000 to $54,000) per game in African competition.



His side are now relegated but just two seasons ago were
competing in the African Confederation Cup.



“Of course, it is an honor to be able to represent the
country but in the long run, unless you actually win the trophy, it is a big
financial burden and there is not much to show for it at the end.”



Travel in Africa is exorbitantly expensive and when you are
forced to move a squad of some 30 players, coaches and support staff around the
continent, it quickly adds up into a massive bill.



Rarely are flights direct, with many clubs using hubs like
Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Dubai and Doha to move from one side of the continent to
the next.



The game costs are made up of travel, match-day security,
hotels, ground transport and paying for the referees. In a bizarre system, open
to much abuse, CAF forced the home club to pay for the flights and the daily
allowances of the referees but have since taken up much of their bill
themselves.



There is still a fulsome entry list each year for the two
annual CAF club competitions and the controlling body will point to an almost
100%&nbsp; success rate in the fulfilment of
fixtures.



But there is a growing sense that changes are needed to make the competition more viable, otherwise they face a slow demise. -Mark Gleeson

gettyimages-106809174-594×594

Can Football Stand On Its Own?

The image of Neil Tovey standing alongside an elated President Nelson Mandela, and holding aloft the African Cup of Nations trophy in 1996, did not perhaps reverberate around the world like the one captured with Rugby World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar months earlier, but it remains an iconic moment in South African football and, sadly, a unique one.
South Africa had just won the 1996 Nations Cup on home soil and Mandela was tasked with handing the trophy to the winning captain, Tovey.
The joy on Mandela’s face was unbridled, for he too understood the significance of the moment that brought continental glory to a national side with all the colors of the Rainbow Nation.
Twenty one years later, and it remains the only time a Bafana Bafana skipper has had that honor. It is with some sense of irony that the man tasked with changing this is Tovey himself.
Now the technical director of the South African Football Association (SAFA), Tovey is responsible for developing the infrastructure and environment to bring through the next generation of national stars to win glory as he did.
Tovey and Springbok captain Pienaar had a lot of similarities from their magical moment caught in time.
Both were very good players, though perhaps not the best the country had to offer in their positions at the time. But what they brought was skilled leadership and an insatiable hunger for the fight.
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Tovey needed that fighting spirit after suffering two separate cardiac arrest incidents. The second, in October 2016, left him clinically dead for over two minutes before he was revived.
He was taking part in a charity cycle race and had already completed 42 kilometers when he collapsed.
&#8220;I was fighting for my life on the side of the road until cops found me and called an ambulance. It took the ambulance 20 minutes to get through the cycling route to where I am,” he says. “I’m fine now. But when you wake up in the morning and can say hello to someone, it makes you thankful.”
Tovey spent a week in hospital before being discharged, some 18 months after his first heart attack on a squash court in February 2015.
Most 55-year-olds who have suffered two such near-death experiences would have considered the quiet life, but Tovey feels he has more to give back to South African football. Being part of these “exciting times” gives him the motivation to keep working.
“We really are going through a great period for South African football at the moment,” Tovey tells FORBES AFRICA. “If you look at the national teams alone, the men’s under-17s qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2015, the under-20s went to the World Cup in South Korea this year, and the men’s under-23 and women’s senior team went to the Olympics last year.”
“I think outside of hosts Brazil, we were one of the very few sides to have both our men’s and women’s teams at the Olympics.”
“So these successes must tell you something about the quality that we have and that the programs we have put in place to develop players are working. The senior national team has been going pretty well in the qualifiers for the [2019] Nations Cup and [2018] World Cup as well.
“There is a lot to be positive about and that makes you enjoy the work a bit more I think.”
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Tovey is also involved in the planning of what has been described as a game-changer for South African football – their proposed center of excellence at Fun Valley in Johannesburg.
“All of our licensing properties [coaching courses] that we host at national level will be at Fun Valley, as well as our congress and seminars. Instead of having to go and book out hotels, we will now have another solution which will save us loads of money,” Tovey says.
“It is such a big plus from a playing and coaching point of view to have everything on your doorstep. It’s massive. You are never far away from anything you need, be it training pitches, the gym, facilities to brief players, accommodation and medical help.”
“From a coaching point of view, it means you can be flexible and don’t have the disruptions of getting on a bus and having to fight through traffic just to get to where you need to be for a training session.”
“The facility will be used by all national teams, from under-17 up to the senior teams, men and women, and also then standardizes the way we prepare for matches and tournaments.”
“We will also have indoor and outdoor facilities that allows for more flexibility depending on weather and so on.”
Tovey knows as well as anybody about the hardships of qualifying for major finals on the African continent, something that has been elusive for South Africa in recent years.
<div id="attachment_33820" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-33820" class=" wp-image-33820" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Neil-Tovey-Bafana-Afcon-1996-e1507707849236-300x233.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="388" />South Africa&#8217;s captain Neil Tovey lifts the African Cup of Nations trophy after his side beat Tunisia in the final in 1996. (Photo by Mark Thompson/via Getty Images)</div>
“Bafana now have definitely got the talent, no doubt about it. But what was special in our [1996] team was the character. We had guys in our team who could change the game at the drop of a hat and to win major competitions, you need those special players, the likes of Doctor Khumalo, ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu and Mark Williams.”
“It was a special group of players – but this Bafana Bafana team that we have now is as talented. I just think mentally we were really on top of the game. We could get out of moments in the match, when we were up against it, much quicker than I think teams have of late.”
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Tovey, along with the 1996 Nations Cup winning team, has been inducted into the South African Sports Hall of Fame. He says it is a honor to be nominated, but is equally determined to make sure another group of Bafana Bafana players join his side there in the not-too-distant future.
“It is a privilege, because only a few South African sports people get accepted into the Hall of Fame and it will be something for my children’s children to look at with some pride.”
“It’s nice that it is happening now as well and not in 60 years when none of us will be around anymore. But we can’t let this be the last South African soccer team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I am determined to play my part in making sure that is not the case.” &#8211; Written by Nick Said

The Winner Who Defied Death Fights For The Holy Grail

Almost two decades ago, a group of talented football players became known as the golden generation of South African soccer.  In 2013, Orlando Pirates, one of Africa’s oldest football clubs, is looking to recapture the championship of the continent. The Soweto club is still the only South African team to have ever won the competition. Eighteen years on, the club is making progress. They have just qualified for the group stages of the tournament following a drama-filled encounter against the Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe. The first leg of the encounter at Soccer City, Johannesburg, ended with Pirates hammering Mazembe 3-1. The return leg in Kinshasa was a hostile game which Mazembe won by a goal to nil.
Before the match, police detained two South African journalists who ended up missing the game. Mazembe denied any involvement and said the problems with the broadcasting of the match was due to a technical problem at the station.
“It must be stated that we are a law-abiding club that believes in fair play. All the international journalists that traveled for the match, and were duly accredited, were ushered into the press tribune where they covered the match unhampered. The media reports that journalists from the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) were arrested after the match are totally unfounded and false,” says Mazembe team president, Moise Katumbi-Chapwe.
On the pitch, Pirate’s players told a different story upon their arrival in the country. They complained that the calls on the pitch were not going the Buccaneers’ way. On top of this, their captain, Lucky Lekgwathi, was sent off in the first half. Two dubious penalties were awarded to Mazembe. Pirates’ hero on the day was goalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa, who saved the two penalties.
“The treatment in terms of food, accommodation and other things was okay. The only problem was on the field. The refereeing was poor and Lucky Lekgwathi did not deserve the red card. However, a fighting spirit kept us in the game,” Meyiwa told Kick Off magazine.
Their road in this year’s competition has been made even harder following the draw for the group stages. The draw for the 2013 CAF Champions League Group stages was conducted at the CAF headquarters in Cairo, Egypt.
Pirates are in Group A, alongside AC Leopards (DRC), Zamalek (Egypt) and Al-Ahly (Egypt). Group B comprises of Recreativo Libolo (Angola), Esperance (Tunisia), Sewe Sport (Ivory Coast) and Coton Sport (Cameroon).
The group stages consist of eight teams divided into two groups. Each team, in their respective group, will play each other twice, in a home and away leg. The top two sides from each group will then qualify for the semi-finals.
It has been a rough ride for the Pirates’ players following in the footsteps of the golden generation of 1995. It was the year Pirates earned a gold star above their badge. Pirates drew two all at FNB Stadium, now known as Soccer City, in Johannesburg against ASEC Mimosa of Côte d’Ivoire. In the second leg in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, two weeks later, it looked like the Buccaneers—as Orlando Pirates are affectionately known—would lose the title on away goals but then, a moment of brilliance.
Defender Mark Fish cleared from deep in defence to Jerry ‘Legs of Thunder’ Sikhosana, who danced around two defenders before slotting the ball in the net. The goal sparked national celebrations akin to those of the release of former South African president, Nelson Mandela.
The captain of the 1996 Afcon winning team, Neil Tovey, summed it up best in his blog when he said: “I may have captained Chiefs from 1992 to 1999, but I will always give credit where it’s due. I believe triumphs like these bring the country closer together. The 1996 Africa Cup of Nations’ winning squad certainly fed off Pirates’ Champions League success in 1995.”
The Pirates team that made South Africa proud 18 years ago consisted of a number of quality players that were regarded as the best. The likes of goalkeeper Williams Okpara, Edward Motale, Mark Fish, Gavin Lane, John Moeti, Helman Mkhalele and Jerry Sikhosana made the world take notice of the force that was to be South African football.
The ‘sea robbers’ are hoping to add another star to their emblem. The treatment of the 2013 team hasn’t changed much from what the 1995 team received. The Pirates’ conquering team also went through a few hostile situations.
Former player turned football analyst Helman Mkhalele says the troubles against Mazembe brought back memories.
“What the team went through was horrible. It gives football on the continent a negative image, both on the field and administratively. We, as Africans want to win the World Cup one day but with such acts, we can forget it. When we reflect on the hurdles we overcame to win the title, they are similar to what they are going through. The experience taught me, personally, how to be stronger mentally, physically and wiser as a person. It also taught me how to handle tough situations and how to focus as a player to express myself,” says Mkhalele.
Former goalkeeper, Williams Okpara, who signed for Pirates from ACB in Nigeria, in 1994, remembers it as if it were yesterday.
“Looking at the current Pirates team, we have many good players who can do the job for the team. I was very impressed with Pirates’ performance against Djabal and also when we beat Zanaco away from home. The conditions in Zambia were not comforting because the pitch had long grass. It is good that Pirates players went all out showing great character and we won the game,” says Okpara.
Since Pirates’ won the trophy, South African football has suffered a lean spell. No South African team has managed to win the title. Mamelodi Sundowns managed to reach the finals in 2001 but lost to Egypt’s Al-Ahly.
Bafana Bafana has also struggled to make an impact in international competition. They were knocked out of the FIFA 2010 World Cup in the group stages, the worst performance ever by a host country.
Whether or not the future of South African football teams will be a bright one, will depend on how they do on the continent. What better way to do it than with the CAF Champions League. South African players will be used to the tough playing environment and this will in turn benefit the national team.

Come Back, The Golden Days

All eyes are on new Bafana Bafana head coach, Gordon Igesund, to deliver for the national side as Afcon 2013’s kick-off date draws closer.
Igesund took over from Pitso Mosimane after a string of poor results from Bafana Bafana. He signed a two-year, performance-based contract with the South Africa Football Association (Safa) and has the task of, at the very least, getting Bafana Bafana to the semi-finals of the tournament.
Igesund has a solid track record in South Africa, having won league titles with four different teams—Manning Rangers, Orlando Pirates, Santos and Mamelodi Sundowns.
<div id="attachment_1496" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1496" class="size-medium wp-image-1496" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1578892-300x233.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="233" />3 Feb 1996: The captain of the winners of the African Cup of Nations Final Neil Tovey of South Africa holds the cup aloft after President Mandela presented it to him. South Africa won 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Mark Thompson/ALLSPORT</div>
However, so far results have been patchy. Igesund’s first game in charge was against former world champions Brazil. They lost 1-0 but Bafana Bafana’s overall performance was impressive. Igesund was content with the high work rate that players displayed on the field. His second test was against low-ranked Mozambique. Bafana Bafana won 2-0 convincingly against their neighbors. Bafana Bafana showed great character and strong determination against Poland but were unlucky to lose 1-0, away from home. Most recently, Bafana Bafana managed to bag a victory at the expense of Kenya with a 2-1 score in an interesting battle.
Igesund believes the results show that the team is on the right track as they gear up for Afcon 2013 that kicks off at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
“I have confidence in our players, that they have what it takes to deliver. [During] my first game, when we played against Brazil, I did not spend a lot of time with the players but they displayed high standard performances and gave Brazil a tough game.
“The players were playing an exciting passing game and they complemented each other well. It was a pity Brazil scored and we ended up losing,” says the coach.
In their most recent game, Igesund says that Bafana was faced with tough conditions but prevailed.
“It was a bumpy pitch, but we did cope and got a win away from home. That was an important result for us,” he says.
Still the pressure is on for the coach. The glory days of the 1996 Bafana Bafana team, under coach Clive Barker, that lifted the trophy means the team has high expectations. Afcon is back on South African soil and the nation will remember the 2-0 victory over Tunisia with goals delivered off the boot of striker Mark Williams.
Igesund says support is crucial.
“The support that we have from the nation will motivate us.”
South Africa has a dream start to the tournament that kicks off on January 19, at Soccer City in Johannesburg. They are in group A and will kick-off with a match against debutantes Cape Verde. Also in the group are Morocco and Angola.
Igesund says they’ll be ready and won’t dismiss Cape Verde or any of the other teams in the group.
“We will be ready to make the country proud by the time the tournament starts. Cape Verde might be making their debut in the finals but they will be a tough team considering they eliminated giants like Cameroon. Morocco is one strong team and Angola cannot be underestimated,” says Igesund.
It’s all about starting on a good footing.
“We have to take all our opening games seriously, in order to do well in our group.”
Bafana Bafana has a number of challenges. Former captain Steven Pienaar, who played for Everton in the English Premiership, has retired from international football.
Igesund has recalled Benedict McCarthy. Though experienced, the Orlando Pirates forward has been out of action for a while due to injury. The other influential player who is also uncertain is Kaizer Chiefs defender Morgan Gould. Igesund has not been able to select him for recent games because Gould has been battling with a long-term injury.
And most tragically, the squad will also be without first assistant coach Thomas Madigage who was killed in a car crash in October. The loss of Madigage has hit the Bafana camp hard.
“Tommy was very close to me. It is unfortunate that he will not be around during the tournament. He was a very important member in the team,” says Igesund.

Tag: Afcon

FORBES AFRICA SOCIAL MEDIA

The Pride Of African Football: A Look Ahead

Can Football Stand On Its Own?

The Winner Who Defied Death Fights For The Holy Grail

Come Back, The Golden Days

Gordon Is Ready for Anything