African Cup of Nations

[BFC1997]

European clubs apparently very concerned about player welfare during the African Cup of Nations tournament due to start 6th Jan in Cameroon, lasting about a month.

Story is here: European clubs express concerns over Nations Cup

Genuine concern or just self-interest with clubs not wanting to lose players mid-season?

Nigeria have qualified so presumably we stand to lose Onyeka for a few games.

Couldn’t see DR Congo on the list of qualified teams so hopefully Wissa will be staying with us.

 

[grepo]

As far as I'm aware neither DCR nor Ghana has qualified. So I think you are correct in surmising that only FTT will be affected.

 

[Judio1999]

Klopp is asking for special permission so Salah and Mane play against Chelsea on Jan 2nd

The Clubs have to release them before event starts for warm ups...

Do you think Liverpool will try and use Covid and saying Salah should not go ???

 

[Jay Bee]

Couldn’t see DR Congo on the list of qualified teams so hopefully Wissa will be staying with us.

Correct. They are out despite being top seeds, and the 5th highest ranked team in Africa at the time of seeding.

This is "AFCON 2021 in 2022", originally scheduled in 2020 but moved twice, for anyone googling it

Like 9 other teams in Africa they have to win a two legged play off to reach the World Cup, but let's save that for another thread. No clash the Bees there once our survival is confirmed anyway.

 

[maddogging]

See Watford have used a ‘late email’ to deny Emmanuel Dennis going with Nigeria. They really are a bunch of ****s that club, he would have missed Newcastle and Norwich games so I bet they really tried to help him out, here’s hoping he downs tools

 

[horshambees]

See Watford have used a ‘late email’ to deny Emmanuel Dennis going with Nigeria. They really are a bunch of ****s that club, he would have missed Newcastle and Norwich games so I bet they really tried to help him out, here’s hoping he downs tools

He is not going anyway according to the Nigerian Football Association.

 

[maddogging]

He is not going anyway according to the Nigerian Football Association.

yes, because Watford have refused to release him

 

[TheHairdresser]

See Watford have used a ‘late email’ to deny Emmanuel Dennis going with Nigeria. They really are a bunch of ****s that club, he would have missed Newcastle and Norwich games so I bet they really tried to help him out, here’s hoping he downs tools

Missing the administrative deadline wasn't the end of it as Watford questioned 'a lack of assurances about the role he was due to play at AFCON also played a part in the decision to release ED from the squad'.

Will now play in the 6 pointers against Newcastle and Norwich.

Tossers.

 

[Hippobee]

Missing the administrative deadline wasn't the end of it as Watford questioned 'a lack of assurances about the role he was due to play at AFCON also played a part in the decision to release ED from the squad'.

Will now play in the 6 pointers against Newcastle and Norwich.

Tossers.

He wasn't picked for the original 37 (thirty seven!) man squad. He was added to the 40 man squad in December. The Nigerian Federation conceded they had left it late, putting them in a weak position and have allowed him to be excused.

tbh, if we were in that position, I'd expect the same from us. Ultimately, Watford pay his wages.

Dennis and Osimhen out of Nigeria squad

Watford's Emmanuel Dennis and fellow striker Victor Osimhen both drop out of Nigeria's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Rob-BEE]

He wasn't picked for the original 37 (thirty seven!) man squad. He was added to the 40 man squad in December. The Nigerian Federation conceded they had left it late, putting them in a weak position and have allowed him to be excused.

tbh, if we were in that position, I'd expect the same from us. Ultimately, Watford pay his wages.

Dennis and Osimhen out of Nigeria squad

Watford's Emmanuel Dennis and fellow striker Victor Osimhen both drop out of Nigeria's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Does seem fair, looking at it like that. Although Dennis has been superb this season, I'm amazed he's not in their starting XI, let alone the original 37 man squad!

 

[rebus]

See Watford have used a ‘late email’ to deny Emmanuel Dennis going with Nigeria. They really are a bunch of ****s that club, he would have missed Newcastle and Norwich games so I bet they really tried to help him out, here’s hoping he downs tools

If we had not done the same I would have been furious.

 

[TheHairdresser]

Does seem fair, looking at it like that. Although Dennis has been superb this season, I'm amazed he's not in their starting XI, let alone the original 37 man squad!

Osimhen was excused as he's recovering from facial fractures so I don't think both cases should be lumped together.

I'm betting that Osimhen was probably above Dennis in the provisional squad but that he was bumped up when the Nigerian FA realised the severity of his injury and subsequent recovery window.

 

[AB]

See Watford have used a ‘late email’ to deny Emmanuel Dennis going with Nigeria. They really are a bunch of ****s that club, he would have missed Newcastle and Norwich games so I bet they really tried to help him out, here’s hoping he downs tools

Actually this is good. First for my FPL team and second because it turns the bottom 4 into more of a bun fight. They’ll get a useless high score draw v Newcastle and beat Norwich, dropping Leeds into the bottom three. But they’ll remain poor defensively and we’ll just need to keep ticking over as the missing players return.

 

[hanworthbee]

I hear what Ian Wright says but this tournament is every 2 years at the worse possible time for European football where most of the players ply their trade... if it was every 4 then you wouldn't hear as many complaints.

 

[Silly Hat]

AFCON would be more credible if every edition wasn’t overshadowed by inept organisation, corruption on and off the pitch, and a lack of interest amongst African football fans themselves. It’s probably a safe bet that we’ll see the perennial actual or threatened players’ strike by one or more teams ‘cos the national football administrators have stolen the match fees, stories of multi-millionaire stars being booked into 1* hotels (see national football administrators stealing stuff), kit going missing (see national football administrators stealing stuff) or teams turning up late because their administration forgot to book the flights. The quality of football is sadly often poor, not least because apart from a handful of teams, the rest of them will have one known star and the rest of the squad will be drawn from e.g. the French second division and local leagues. The standard of refereeing is usually…..interesting.

I went to AFCON 2013. There was an unbelievable lack of national interest in it, except when South Africa was playing, until it reached the final stages. Tickets were pennies and the stadiums still had poor attendances for many games (unless there was a large local diaspora - Nigeria and Zambia, for example, drew good sized crowds). At the Togo vs Ivory Coast game in Rustenburg, which had three African Footballers of the Year playing on the same pitch (Toure, Drogba and Adebayor) the total attendance was 2,000 in a 44,000 capacity stadium. I stood out like a sore thumb in my Brentford shirt.

Add all the above to the often poor state of the pitches and so the heightened risk of injuries to professional athletes (whose employers, not the national associations, have to pay for their rehabilitation as well as bear the loss of the player from their starting line ups) and there are good reasons for AFCON not being seen as on a par with the Euros, for instance. Nothing to do with ‘racism’.

 

[AB]

AFCON would be more credible if every edition wasn’t overshadowed by inept organisation, corruption on and off the pitch, and a lack of interest amongst African football fans themselves. It’s probably a safe bet that we’ll see the perennial actual or threatened players’ strike by one or more teams ‘cos the national football administrators have stolen the match fees, stories of multi-millionaire stars being booked into 1* hotels (see national football administrators stealing stuff), kit going missing (see national football administrators stealing stuff) or teams turning up late because their administration forgot to book the flights. The quality of football is sadly often poor, not least because apart from a handful of teams, the rest of them will have one known star and the rest of the squad will be drawn from e.g. the French second division and local leagues. The standard of refereeing is usually…..interesting.

I went to AFCON 2013. There was an unbelievable lack of national interest in it, except when South Africa was playing, until it reached the final stages. Tickets were pennies and the stadiums still had poor attendances for many games (unless there was a large local diaspora - Nigeria and Zambia, for example, drew good sized crowds). At the Togo vs Ivory Coast game in Rustenburg, which had three African Footballers of the Year playing on the same pitch (Toure, Drogba and Adebayor) the total attendance was 2,000 in a 44,000 capacity stadium. I stood out like a sore thumb in my Brentford shirt.

Add all the above to the often poor state of the pitches and so the heightened risk of injuries to professional athletes (whose employers, not the national associations, have to pay for their rehabilitation as well as bear the loss of the player from their starting line ups) and there are good reasons for AFCON not being seen as on a par with the Euros, for instance. Nothing to do with ‘racism’.

It’s not particularly surprising that you don’t get huge numbers travelling long distances from generally quite poor countries just to watch a football tournament.

 

[SmiffyBee]

AFCON would be more credible if every edition wasn’t overshadowed by inept organisation, corruption on and off the pitch, and a lack of interest amongst African football fans themselves. It’s probably a safe bet that we’ll see the perennial actual or threatened players’ strike by one or more teams ‘cos the national football administrators have stolen the match fees, stories of multi-millionaire stars being booked into 1* hotels (see national football administrators stealing stuff), kit going missing (see national football administrators stealing stuff) or teams turning up late because their administration forgot to book the flights. The quality of football is sadly often poor, not least because apart from a handful of teams, the rest of them will have one known star and the rest of the squad will be drawn from e.g. the French second division and local leagues. The standard of refereeing is usually…..interesting.

I went to AFCON 2013. There was an unbelievable lack of national interest in it, except when South Africa was playing, until it reached the final stages. Tickets were pennies and the stadiums still had poor attendances for many games (unless there was a large local diaspora - Nigeria and Zambia, for example, drew good sized crowds). At the Togo vs Ivory Coast game in Rustenburg, which had three African Footballers of the Year playing on the same pitch (Toure, Drogba and Adebayor) the total attendance was 2,000 in a 44,000 capacity stadium. I stood out like a sore thumb in my Brentford shirt.

Add all the above to the often poor state of the pitches and so the heightened risk of injuries to professional athletes (whose employers, not the national associations, have to pay for their rehabilitation as well as bear the loss of the player from their starting line ups) and there are good reasons for AFCON not being seen as on a par with the Euros, for instance. Nothing to do with ‘racism’.

All very Interesting but who's your money on for this AFCON ?

 

[Silly Hat]

It’s not particularly surprising that you don’t get huge numbers travelling long distances from generally quite poor countries just to watch a football tournament.

Nothing to do with the travelling away support (though Algeria and Tunisia travel in large numbers, including for club games, and more or less every country has a fan club who always travel - they’re the loons you see painted up and doing synchronised dance movements in the stands - great to watch). It’s the locals I was talking about, really. I remember during AFCON ‘13 being in a bar in Pretoria and there was a game taking place shown on TV at the same time as there was a Premier League game being shown on at the other end of the pub. There was me and one local watching (I think) Zambia play whilst every single other person was watching Arsenal take on Everton. Unless it’s their national team playing there’s just not that much interest, in my experience. Goes back to the quality of the football on show generally, I’d say. It’s quite depressing to see the disinterest in action.

 

[Silly Hat]

All very Interesting but who's your money on for this AFCON ?

Ivory Coast I’d say.

 

[SpiderBee]

BBC Preview here - Everything you need to know about Afcon

 

[SpiderBee]

I found this quiz tough and only got 7/14 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59712546

 

[nick logan]

8

 

[beesbees_bfc]

12

 

[SQUELCH]

Lunch time kick offs next week will certainly help the working from home crew.........

Might have a couple of loose coins on Mali @ 25/1

 

[David Brentford]

11

 

[TW1Bee]

Interesting looking at the squads. Bid spread of English clubs represented from Muhammed Salah (Liverpool / Egypt) right down to David Sesay (Wealdstone / Sierra Leone)

 

[Silly Hat]

11

12

bet you didn’t get Ethiopia and Sudan? (Neither did I).

 

[beesbees_bfc]

11

bet you didn’t get Ethiopia and Sudan? (Neither did I).

I got Ethiopia but not Sudan.

Sudan and Algeria were the two I missed.

 

[Silly Hat]

This’ll help disrupt the usual match fixing. Hopefully.

VAR to be used throughout Africa Cup of Nations

Video assistant referees (VAR) will be used at all 52 matches at this month's Africa Cup of Nations.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[BFC1997]

This’ll help disrupt the usual match fixing. Hopefully.

VAR to be used throughout Africa Cup of Nations

Video assistant referees (VAR) will be used at all 52 matches at this month's Africa Cup of Nations.

www.bbc.co.uk

Saw this the other day, on that subject:

View attachment trim.E2A33B4B-9271-4A1D-9619-62285E9E8E66.MOV

 

[LboroBee]

11, 12 but for Congo instead of “DR Congo”

 

[Judio1999]

So the PL clubs have lost their players
But it's FA Cup to start the missing period

First chance of being knocked out so players can return ?
Thu Jan 20th - But only 8 teams
Wed Jan 26th Another 8 teams
Sun Jan 30th Another 4 teams
PL has the International Break on Mon 24th

So it actually doesn't matter if someone loses in Group Stage or last 16 as you aren't going to get them rushing back for Sat 22nd

So if you support any PL club you can actually watch this event without wanting some countries to lose quickly so that your players return

 

[Silly Hat]

11, 12 but for Congo instead of “DR Congo”

Congo (or rather the Republic of Congo (often called Congo-Brazzaville to differentiate it from its neighbour across the river Congo)) has won it once, in 1972, when the country was called the People’s Republic of Congo.

Congo (or rather now the Democratic Republic of Congo) has won it twice, in 1968 and also in 1974 when the country was called Zaire.

Two different countries.

Hope that’s clear

 

[Silly Hat]

‘Mon the Black Stars



Your GPG cut out n’keep guide to AFCON 2022.

Sky Sports will be broadcasting all 52 of the tournament’s games from the opening group stage affair right up until the final.

AFCON 2022 Groups​

Group A: Cameroon (hosts), Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Ethiopia
Group B: Guinea, Malawi, Senegal, Zimbabwe
Group C: Comoros Island, Gabon, Ghana, Morocco
Group D: Egypt, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Sudan
Group E: Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone
Group F: Gambia, Mali, Mauritania, Tunisia

AFCON 2022 Group Stage fixtures, dates and UK kick-off times​

Sunday January 9
Cameroon vs Burkina Faso - 4pm GMT kick-off
Ethiopia vs Cape Verde - 7pm GMT kick-off

Monday January 10
Senegal vs Zimbabwe - 1pm GMT kick-off
Guinea vs Malawi - 4pm GMT kick-off
Morocco vs Ghana - 4pm GMT kick-off
Comoros vs Gabon - 7pm GMT kick-off

Tuesday January 11
Algeria vs Sierra Leone - 1pm GMT kick-off
Nigeria vs Egypt - 4pm GMT kick-off
Sudan vs Guinea-Bissau 7pm GMT kick-off

Wednesday January 12
Tunisia vs Mali - 1pm GMT kick-off
Mauritania vs Gambia - 4pm GMT kick-off
Equatorial Guinea vs Ivory Coast - 7pm GMT kick-off

Thursday January 13
Cameroon vs Ethiopia - 4pm GMT kick-off
Cape Verde vs Burkina Faso - 7pm GMT kick-off

Friday January 14
Senegal vs Guinea - 1pm GMT kick-off
Malawi vs Zimbabwe - 4pm GMT kick-off
Morocco vs Comoros - 4pm GMT kick-off
Gabon vs Ghana - 7pm GMT kick-off

Saturday January 15
Nigeria vs Sudan - 4pm GMT kick-off
Guinea-Bissau vs Egypt - 7pm GMT kick-off

Sunday January 16
Gambia vs Mali - 1pm GMT kick-off
Ivory Coast vs Sierra Leone - 4pm GMT kick-off
Tunisia vs Mauritania - 4pm GMT kick-off
Algeria vs Equatorial Guinea - 7pm GMT kick-off

Monday January 17
Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia - 4pm GMT kick-off
Cape Verde vs Cameroon - 4pm GMT kick-off

Tuesday January 18
Malawi vs Senegal - 4pm GMT kick-off
Zimbabwe vs Guinea - 4pm GMT kick-off
Gabon vs Morocco - 7pm GMT kick-off
Ghana vs Comoros - 7pm GMT kick-off

Wednesday January 19
Egypt vs Sudan - 7pm GMT kick-off
Guinea-Bissau vs Nigeria - 7pm GMT kick-off

Thursday January 20
Ivory Coast vs Algeria - 4pm GMT kick-off
Sierra Leone vs Equatorial Guinea 4pm GMT kick-off
Gambia vs Tunisia - 7pm GMT kick-off
Mali vs Mauritania - 7pm GMT kick-off

AFCON 2022 round-of-16 fixtures, dates and UK kick-off times​

Sunday January 23
Group A runner-up vs Group C runner-up - 4pm GMT kick-off (Game 1)
Group D winner vs Group B/E/F third-place - 7pm GMT kick-off (Game 2)

Monday January 24
Group B runner-up vs Group F runner-up - 4pm GMT kick-off (Game 3)
Group A winner vs Group C/D/E third-place - 7pm GMT kick-off (Game 4)

Tuesday January 25
Group B winner vs - Group A/C/D third-place - 4pm GMT kick-off (Game 5)
Group C winner vs Group A/B/F third-place - 7pm GMT kick-off (Game 6)

Wednesday January 26
Group E winner vs Group D runner-up - 4pm GMT kick-off (Game 7)
Group F winner vs Group E runner-up - 7pm GMT kick-off (Game 8)

AFCON 2022 quarter-final fixtures, dates and UK kick-off times​

Saturday January 29
Quarter-final 1: Winner of Game 4 vs Winner of Game 3 - 4pm GMT kick-off
Quarter-final 2: Game 1 vs Game 2 winner - 7pm GMT kick-off

Sunday January 30
Quarter-final 3: Game 7 winner vs Game 6 winner - 4pm GMT kick-off
Quarter-final 4: Game 5 winner vs Game winner - 7pm GMT kick-off

AFCON 2022 semi-final fixtures, dates and UK kick-off times ​

Wednesday February 2
Semi-final 1: Quarter-final 1 winner vs Quarter-final 4 winner - 7pm GMT kick-off

Thursday February 3
Semi-final 2: Quarter-final 2 winner vs Quarter-final 3 winner - 7pm GMT kick-off

AFCON 2022 third-place play-off date and UK kick-off time ​

Sunday February 6 , 4pm GMT kick-off.

AFCON 2022 final date, venue and UK kick-off time. ​

Sunday February 6, 7pm GMT kick-off at the Olembe Stadium, Yaoundé.

 

[horshambees]

Congo (or rather the Republic of Congo (often called Congo-Brazzaville to differentiate it from its neighbour across the river Congo)) has won it once, in 1972, when the country was called the People’s Republic of Congo.

Congo (or rather now the Democratic Republic of Congo) has won it twice, in 1968 and also in 1974 when the country was called Zaire.

Two different countries.

Hope that’s clear

I put in Zaire, but it was wrong.
Anyway 9.

 

[Chomp]

Afcon 2021: Covid-hit teams must play with just 11 players and no keeper

This could make it interesting!

 

[Silly Hat]

Stallions take the lead

Lots of empty seats at Olembe - no excuses for that

 

[SmiffyBee]

I found this quiz tough and only got 7/14 - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59712546

11 for me.
Surprised at Ethiopia and Sudan.
Caught me out.

 

[SmiffyBee]

Cameroon 1 BF 1

VAR involved.

Come on the Golden Lions

 

[Silly Hat]

Cameroon 1 BF 1

VAR involved.

Come on the Golden Lions

Indomitable Lions

(Golden Lions are the Jo’burg rugby club . ).

 

[SmiffyBee]

Indomitable Lions

(Golden Lions are the Jo’burg rugby club . ).

Sorry !



2-1 now.

 

[Silly Hat]

“There’s a distinct lack of infighting within the Cameroon team compared to previous AFCONs”

[Checks notes] - Samuel Eto’o isn’t playing

 

[TW3Bee]

Egypt v Nigeria will see FTT come up against the dyeing, or should that be diving, swan.

 

[Silly Hat]

Egypt v Nigeria will see FTT come up against the dyeing, or should that be diving, swan.

I prefer the dyeing swan TBH. Sounds more colourful

 

[SmiffyBee]

Egypt v Nigeria will see FTT come up against the dyeing, or should that be diving, swan.

FTT ?

 

[TW3Bee]

FTT ?

Frank the Tank.

 

[SmiffyBee]

Ethiopia v Cape Verde.

I'm going for a low scoring win for the (what !) Blue Sharks

 

[Silly Hat]

Ethiopia v Cape Verde.

I'm going for a low scoring win for the (what !) Blue Sharks

Agreed. They should beat Ethiopia comfortably tbh - CVI‘s team draws its players from a surprisingly broad range of clubs (Olympiacos, Philadelphia Union, Trabzonspor etc) whilst all but two of the entire Walias squad play their club football within Ethiopia.

Saw the Blue Sharks draw with (the admittedly pathetic) Bafana Bafana in the opening game of AFCON 2013 - they aren’t mugs

 

[SmiffyBee]

Agreed. They should beat Ethiopia comfortably tbh - CVI‘s team draws its players from a surprisingly broad range of clubs (Olympiacos, Philadelphia Union, Trabzonspor etc) whilst all but two of the entire Walias squad play their club football within Ethiopia.

Saw the Blue Sharks draw with (the admittedly pathetic) Bafana Bafana in the opening game of AFCON 2013 - they aren’t mugs

Again great knowledge SH

 

[Silly Hat]

Nightmare start for the Walias - Mesud sent off