2010 AFCON WAS NOTHING BUT A MODELLING SESSION

If African football was granted the opportunity to stand in front of a judge justifying their plea for more World Cup places then it wouldn’t come as a shock if the continent’s case was thrown out for lack of evidence.

The Orange Africa Cup of Nations served as the perfect platform for the continent to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt in front of the eyes of Sepp Blatter and company. They managed to turn the event into a modelling affair in which they flashed their expensive designer boots and fancy hairstyles.

The Egyptians ran riot over everyone, but unfortunately they are not part of the “African Six Pack” for the World Cup.

“Zambia would be a better substitute for the old-age stricken Cameroon, or the overrated Ivory Coast who are more colourful on paper than they are on the pitch,” a football analyst friend told me

Without mentioning names, I regret to say CAF should consider prosecuting teams that take to the pitch only to offer a monotonous and dull adrenalin-killing encounter. Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Ghana are all going to South Africa for the World Cup in June.

Based on the evidence gathered in the near post-mortem of the 2010 AFCON all the above teams, with the exception of Ghana, must fire their witch doctors, if they have any. I already fired mine, as she put me into poverty after I lost loads of money when gambling on Mali and Malawi as the underdogs.

The tournament has lacked the flair that usually defines African football, except for the beautiful celebrations after scoring. Asamoah Gyan of Ghana is one of the few who has dazzled defenders with slick skills and mesmerised fans with some hardcore dance moves... I hope Chris Brown was watching, should he need a choreographer for his next video.

Our so-called superstars from super leagues had nothing super to offer the drones of African fans, with the entertainment that we had anticipated falling short from those with the biggest reputations to save. Didier Drogba was probably preoccupied about which building will be named after him back home in Ivory Coast, and Samuel Eto’o looked out of sorts, perhaps missing the bright lights of Milan.

Everyone knows he is no Usain Bolt, but Cameroon’s Rigobet Song seemed to be at walking pace when running at his full speed alongside Zambian striker James Chamanga. Experience is worth a great deal, but without fuel in the tank a former super car can do nothing against a new model.

Algeria should be disappointed with their performance in last night’s semi-final defeat. After denying the Egyptians an opportunity to represent the continent at the World Cup, one would have expected total football from the Saadane-coached outfit. What did they show Africa? Perhaps a tutorial on how to turn a football match into a rugby scrum as often as possible, kicking the Pharaohs and finding themselves three personnel short at the final whistle.

Algerian defender Halliche Rafik and goalkeeper Chaouchi were red-carded as Algeria realised that they were no match for the rampaging Pharoahs and resorted to leg hacking. I hope they don’t do the same at the World Cup in South Africa.

Enough is enough, it's time to call a spade a spade. The culture of glorifying losers should come to an end and the players need to learn the error of their ways and that of their fans, praising teams who do not deserve the acclaim. There is no time, if the socks are refusing to be pulled up then take them off and run barefoot.

Ghana, who played one game short of the rest in the Group stages after Togo’s withdrawal, knew they would have to find a better excuse besides fatigue if they performed below par. The fact that their squad is made up mostly of young players would have been another excuse but they seriously outdid themselves, with especially their young backline coming to the fore as stars of the future in the making.

The young watertight defence of Isaac Vorsah, Lee Addy, Inkoom and the experienced Sarpei have done well for Ghana, although they conceded three goals against the Ivorians, but all things considered they looked like seasoned campaigners.

Having lost John Paintsil and Mensah to injuries, their defence looked really vulnerable on paper and the coach would certainly have to find a good reason to leave the youngsters out of the World Cup squad, because based on their performances in this cup they should have one foot in the mundial door. Playing African opponents is tough, but playing against opponents from different continents will be much tougher at the World Cup.

“Inkoom has proved beyond doubt that he is ready and capable of manning the right back position. He is much more of an attacker than a defender and may find it difficult dealing with sharp and very strong forwards when defending aerial balls due to his height and stature. Painstil has got it and that would work to his advantage,” said Boss Fm’s Stephen Amos, a Ghanaian journalist.

Who needs Panstil and Mensah when Inkoom stood tall despite his stature against Obafemi Martins and even out played the experienced Yakubu? Ghana might not win the AFCON but the youngsters played their hearts out and did everything right in a textbook fashion.

Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac’s defensive approach and no nonsense style of keeping the opposition at bay has worked tremendously for his charges and he was recently quoted as saying he is motivated by results-driven tactics.

“I’m not concerned about playing beautiful game, but playing for results. It is the result that counts, not possession. We came here to compete and not to play entertaining football. The most important thing is the result and not possession.” he said to Ghanaian television following one of the matches.

That is the truth I’m afraid, sometimes you must win badly, it is the results that bring medals not statistics of possession and a chain of unbroken passes. It worked for the four-time winners who have never reached the final since losing to Cote d’Ivoire on penalties in 1992 in Senegal.

As they are now in the final, Africans hope that they employ the same strategy again to make sure the World Cup stays in the host continent with an African winner for the first time in history.

Nigeria, who clearly believe in saving the best for last, only had one game in which they lived up to their nickname. The Super Eagles played brilliantly against Ghana but lady luck had not reported in their office as they fell by a goal to nil.

Heads must roll in the build-up to the World Cup, especially within the playing staff. The current technical team under the tutelage of Shuaibu Amodu have architected wins and a qualification for the World Cup, but too many players are basking in the 'comfort zone', convinced their places are assured, and they do little or nothing in outplaying themselves, or other better Nigerian league players for that matter.

The 4-3-3 is one formation that literally defines the words “total attack” in football, but the Super Eagles played with wet wings and made it look like the most defensive formula. Firing the coach won’t solve anything, as a complete overhaul is needed, and that includes the players as well. Prior to the 1990 World Cup in Italy, Cameroon bowed out of the AFCON in the first round. Somehow they put that lesson into good use as they went on to beat the mighty Argentina with the likes of Maradona, Batista and Buruchaga to reach the quarter-final for the first time in African football history.

That was a while back though, and Cameroon should not count on history to create further football memories in June this year. Algeria will also need to improve by then, but they will be happy to know that there is no chance of meeting Egypt in the World Cup, as the Pharaohs will be watching from their television screens.

The star-studded Ivory Coast side needs a team psychologist, somebody who would make them understand that they are trying too much and in the process make too many mistakes. This is a team which is a victim of its aspirations, as it has the best artillery on paper that would bring down even the Berlin Wall, but they now have a reputation for choking when expectations are at their highest.

If they can keep it simple, forget their high profile names and play as a team for the World Cup, and not lucrative contracts abroad, then they stand a good chance of causing a few upsets at the tournament. Maybe as of May this year the whole squad should be barred from reading newspapers, who give them all the glory without any proof on the international stage.

Finally, the sixth team in the World Cup, South Africa, should also work themselves ragged preparing for the tournament. Beating Swaziland and Zimbabwe does not mean its time to rest on their laurels. Swaziland have never qualified for the AFCON and they struggle even in COSAFA.

Its time coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and his staff realised that local is the way to go, and the local boys are better than a bunch of foreign-based bench warmers who always walk into the team.

A great deal of work needs to be done. They say "spare the rod and spoil the child". These six children of our African continent had better bend for this rod now because we are not taking excuses on July 11, 2010 if one of them does make it to the final.