Johannesburg – Egypt have awoken up from a seven-year long coma to find themselves in the group of death in their first Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) since 2010.
The Pharaohs don’t mind that because the turmoil they endured since lifting the Afcon for a record seventh time at Angola 2010 was much tougher than the challenge from the Black Stars, Uganda and Mali.
The Arab Spring uprisings that toppled Hosni Mubarak went from Tahrir Square right to the stadiums across Egypt.
The national team suffered because of that. That revolution found the most successful African nation struggling to even qualify for the tournament. The uprising created divisions in the country, leading to the one thing that united even staunch enemies like Al-Ahly and Zamalek to find more reasons to hate one another.
However, those clubs, though, still managed to dominate the continent even though their domestic league was shut down at one point and when it opened they had to play behind closed doors.
When normality returned, to a point that Egypt were allowed to play in front of a packed stadium in the 2-0 win over Ghana in Alexandria in a 2018 World Cup qualifier, the nation breathed a huge sigh of relief and put on a show.
The Pharaohs will look to take that normality to the Afcon. The tournament has been a pretty simple affair, 16 nations come together to display the best of African football and more often than not Egypt leave as champions. They have the master key to unlocking where the trophy lies.
The Black Stars, on the other hand, have banged the door that contains the trophy to a point that their hands are red by now. Just like it felt like it was Ivory Coast’s time to be African champions in 2015, so is the case with Ghana this time around.
Squad Lists (Group D) #CAN2017 pic.twitter.com/WhhU5qwGAW
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 9, 2017
They have a quality side that can achieve that and if they do soit would be a perfect send-off for Asamoah Gyan. The Ghanaian captain has hinted that this could be his last Afcon campaign.
His previous campaigns have been littered with disappointment, especially in the last edition. Ghana lost on penalties to Ivory Coast whose golden generation finally picked up gold medals to match. What gives Ghana the edge over Egypt is that they have players with experience of competing on this stage.
The Egyptians have been forced to shed some of their experienced campaigners in the past troubled years when legends such as Mohamed Aboutrika and Wael Gomma called it quits to make way for an exciting young group that includes Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Kahraba and Ramadan Sobhi.
Competition was so stiff upfront that Basem Morsi couldn’t find a place. Veteran goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who was there when Egypt won a hat-trick of Afcon titles from 2006-2010, will bring much-needed experience as part of the four players in the 23-man squad who have played in this tournament.
There isn’t a single individual who has been here before for Uganda. The Cranes are making their first appearance since 1978 and they can spoil the party. Mali have a good squaddon’t quickly get their bearings, but they could be the whipping even though they have a good squad boys of this group .
City: Port-Gentil
The city is Gabon’s economic capital. It is the second biggest city after Libreville. Oil keeps Port-Gentil afloat. It’s a major contribution to it being named the world’s most expensive city.
Stadium: Stade de Port-Gentil – 20 000
This stadium was built for this tournament by a Chinese company. Argentina and Barcelona’s star, Lionel Messi, laid the first stone in a ceremony that was also attended by Gabon’s President Ali Bongo.
Group D:
Uganda
Afcon Best Performance -
1962 – Fourth Place
Star player:
Denis Onyango
The “player of the year based in Africa” has one of the safest pair of hands in the game which helped him become the first goalkeeper to win this award. He is an important figure in the Cranes line-up because of his experience and leadership. He will come into this tournament confident after he lifting the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Coach:
Milutin “Micho” Sredojevic
The Serbian coach has been linked with two of the biggest coaching jobs in South Africa, Bafana Bafana and Orlando Pirates,
because of the wonders he has done with the Cranes. Sredojevic helped Uganda qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in 39 years, delivering on the promise he made when he washanded the job in 2013.
What’s their story?
Africa’s team of the year will end an almost 40-year absence tshowpiece when they take on Ghana on Tuesday. They will throw a spanner in the works in a group thatbut Ghana and Egypt are expected to progress. TThey frustrated Ghana, holding them to a goalless draw in Tamale in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers.
Egypt
Afcon Best Performance -
1957, 1959, 1986, 2006, 2008, 2010 – Champions
Star player:
Mohamed Salah
The 24-year-old has had a good 2016, from scooping Roma’s player of the year award to being named best Arab player at the Globe soccer awards. A good way to start this year would be to lead Egypt to continental glory. Salah doesn’t only score but also creates. Only Napoli’s Marek Hasmik has had more assists than Salah in Italy’sSerie A.
Coach:
Hector Cuper
The Argentine coach has experienced plenty of heartaches, losing two Uefa Champions League finals and seeing two of his clubs lose the league on the last day of the season. He will be looking to change that with a nation that has experienced plenty of heartaches in the last seven years as the Pharaohs weren’t competing against the best on the continent.
What’s their story?
The most successful nation in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations have been a notable absentee in the last three editions since they won their seventh title in 2010. The effects of the Arab Spring went as far as Egypt’s football.
Clubs like Al-Ahly and Zamalek weathered that storm to continue doing well on the continent despite the league being closed and playing behind closed doors at one point. But the national team couldn’t weather that storm because those players didn’t spend much time together before they played due the chaos.
Ghana
Afcon Best Performance -
1963, 1965, 1978, 1982 – Champions
Star player:
Andre Ayew
The 27-year-old has grown a lot in the last eight years since captaining Ghana’s Under-20s to World Cup success in Egypt in 2009. He has worn the armband a number of times with the senior national team where he is less than 30 games away from earning 100 caps. Ayew is a smart and industrious player who can take Ghana to the final.
Coach:
Avram Grant
The Israeli coach will be in charge of Ghana for a second successive Africa Cup of Nations. In his first attempt with the Black Stars, he took them all the way to the final where they lost to Ivory Coast on penalties. Grant isn’t afraid to throw youngsters into the deep end, which is why the Black Stars have a number of experienced 20-somethings.
What’s their story?
The Black Stars have reached the semi-finals of the last five Africa Cup of Nations but have nothing to show for it. In the last edition they lost in the final on penalties. The image of Andre Ayew crying in the arms of Herve Renard, then Ivory Coast’s coach, was a moving picture because of how much that loss hurt. There is a lot of belief that this is Ghana’s time.
Mali
Afcon Best Performance -
1972 – Runners-up
Star player:
Bakary Sako
The 28-year-old’s stunning volley against Ivory Coast with his left foot as he fell in the box, was one of the most memorable moments of the last Africa Cup of Nations. He will lead Mali’s attack in a tough group that features Egypt and Ghana who have won this tournament a combined 11 times.
Coach:
Alain Giresse
The Frenchman is in his second stint as Mali coach. This is the third African country he has managed having led Gabon and Senegal. It’s the Eagles he has done well with in the Africa Cup of Nationsat the Afcon, returning with a bronze medal in the 2012 edition. He allows players to express their creativity and skill, which bodes well for the Eagles who boast a number of skilful players.
What’s their story?
It’s a mystery howwhy Mali have never been African champions despite being a consistent feature at the Afcon and having been represented by talented players like Seydou Keita and Frederic Kanoute. Those two have hung up their boots with another generation taking over. The quality is still there but it’s not at the level that could see them finally lift the Afcon trophy.