AFRICAN NATIONS CUP 2008

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I intended to breathe every time the commentators say "naive"

In for "naive", out for "athletic"

I got Mali in the office sweep. All their players are called Traore.

will eurosport be showing this?

Eurosport and BBC Interactive.

http://www.livesportontv.com/sportindex.php?id=1

nigeria vs Ivory coast in the 1st round? it's going to be disappointingly average when it should be amazing isn't it.

or it'll be 3-3 awes and then they'll meet again the final for drawn out shootout

The grass is very long. It clashes with Ski Sunday.

Muntari's goal was a thing of wonder.

African Nations > MLS?

wtf, why am I at work and not watching this game?

yeah 4-1 at half time, sounds like fun. may have to endure BBC Three for the highlights later.

It was 2-0 after 5 minutes.

Add "natural rhythm" to "naive" and "athletic".

Oops! Power failure at stadium when Eagles vs Squirrels was supposed to have started.

http://www.clarkstanton.com/images/goldeneaglewebpost.jpg

nightmare start for Cameroon

African Nations > MLS?

lol srsly?!?

It's not being televised in the US, not even on FSC or GolTV. This really pisses me off, since they continue to show shitty shitty MISL.

There are at least four of the best players in the world playing in the African Nations Cup, there are none in MSL. Player for player the African Nations would wipe the floor with MSL as well.

(Okay that was maybe overrating John Obi Mikel ever so slightly)

i'll be interested to see the various African Nations XIs at the end of the tournament. so many strikers getting the most attention that Essien aside it might be tough for anyone playing further back to get more praise.

haven't seen a second of match footage so far bah

(I didn't think it was even a question that the ANC would trump MLS)

4-2 Egypt in the end. really want to see some highlights.

Is it on BBC iPlayer thing? (That is me trying to be helpful, not asking for my own benefit.)

So far I have found it to be pleasingly exotic and glamorous in a Jeux Sans Frontieres kind of way.

Hahaha

Leroy Rosenior has just said "Jimmy Chimbanda. They all have funny names. It makes me laugh."

That's whole bags of wtf, right there.

(I have watched most matches so far via the red button btw and found them all to be entertaining. In the 'for every 30 seconds of genius football there is 20 minutes of studs up arsehole challenges and centre halves slicing into their own box' way.)

Sudan are like the Liverpool of the Cup here, having lots of the ball while creating nothing and 2-0 down to Reading, while standing round blaming each other saying "We get paid more than them, this isn't fair."

Haha, Sudan are totally Liverpool:

Play in red
Attacking midfielder goes down in the box in a starfish shape under no contact and whole team stops because it must be a penalty
Out of position defender hits speculative balls from 30 yds, most of which cross the goal-line by 30 yds
Keeper beyond suspect

I am the only one watching this tournament, aren't I.

no, i have been watching, a bit.

No! :D xpost

www.myp2p.eu and dodgy Chinese webtv software here.

Quite a few early goals in this thing, isn't there?

there is a "real" (i.e. involving English teams) game on Sky just now though, which may be cornering the market in yr usual football-watching ILE crowd.

(lol @ Arsenal, obv)

One thing I've noticed, it's often quite...muscular, isn't it? Not much of your falling down, rolling over and complaining to the ref from simple shoulder-to-shoulder fites etc.

Yeah, I have noticed that early goals are quite often they key (as Spurs seem to have tonight).

I think of all the penalties giuven thus far, as many have been for handball as tackles. Averaging 5 bookings a game too.

stunning goal by kalou against nigeria. ref in the tunisia v senegal game booked 2 tunisian strikers for diving in the box, fair dues to him.

The poll on F0x F00tbal F0ne-in last night was "should (the dates of) the African Cup be moved?" since so many big-money EPL and other Euro teams are missing players because of it. The results were about even, tilted slightly to the "no" category. A lot of expat Africans living in the US called in, and it was refreshing to hear them call out the various clubs, leagues, and fans for pissing and moaning about losing players for so long and not planning adequately for the tournament.

Unfortunately, no one complained that FSC wasn't showing any games.

i wish there would be a late night highlights show on BBC2 like there was four years ago.

haha bye bye berti

tremendous game on right now.

I thought Eto'o was off there, looked like a headbutt

Euro 2008 is going to be nowhere near as fun as this I guess

No England or Scotland to ruin it for everyone at least I suppose

All the QFs have been great games.

Cameroon/Ghana could be a violence lolfest, Eto'o got away with a headbutt tonight, last night one of the Ghana players had a go at Jon Obi Mikel who then chased him 10 yards to hack him down. The Ghanaian got up from the challenge, poked him in the eye, then theatrically dived looking for a free kick.

Who else is there? Egypt vs Ivory Coast, right?

Yeah, that's the other semi. Both on Thursday.

Ivory Coast were immense last night, but they were playing probably the weakest side in the QFs. Egypt looked well in control against Angola, but didn't really have the mentality to kill the game off. I reckon IC will win by two goals, maybe 3-1. I suspect Ghana will roll over Cameroon, dominating the game but only winning by the odd goal.

Egypt won this last time, right? On penalties as I recall.

I couldn't believe he got away with poking him in the eye.

you forgot 'cheating bastard' :)

In for "naive", out for "athletic"

-- onimo, Friday, 18 January 2008 15:07 (2 weeks ago) Bookmark Link

Jose's got us covered!

"I think the Africans are wild talents, the sort of talent you have to work with and keep under control. You have the diamond in your hands; but you need to keep working it."

not many clean sheets in this tournament - but only Jose and Alan Hansen think this is a bad thing.

An 82-year-old Ghanaian fan pitched up at the team hotel and promised his "very beautiful granddaughter" to the player by way of thanks for his goals.

Agogo, 28, netted the winner in 10-men Ghana's 2-1 win over Nigeria to send them into the last four of the tournament.

Next day, the old man, who gave his name only as Nana, told the startled striker: "I came here last night with my very beautiful granddaughter to introduce her to you.

"She is not here with me now because she wanted to pick something up from town. Son, when she comes, she is all yours."

Agogo, who also scored the only goal when Ghana beat Namibia in the group stages, laughed out loud at the offer in amazement.

He told the grandfather: "Thank you. I am waiting to see her."

Agogo, who left Ghana at 15 to move to London and only began playing for the country when at Bristol Rovers a few years ago, will be in the Ghana team which faces Cameroon tonight for a place in Sunday's final.

Drogba just got elbowed in the face and the ref was stood next to it and didn't even show a card.

And the guy who elbowed Drogba just scored!

Cameroon defender Andre Bikey was sent off in the 90th minute for pushing a medical official to the ground.
!!!!

I saw that. It was very weird. The numerous replays offered no explanation for why he did it, except as a really original timewasting device or something?

3-1 to Eygypt now

hot damn

4-1

were there IC dressing room bust-ups before the game?

Well plaaaayed. The Ivorians' single goal was quite the SHOT though!

fuck, i was excited to watch a ivory-ghana final

fair play to egypt, i mean there isnt any top flight european players on that team.