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Africa Cup of Nations 2012

Analysis, interviews and Stats Zone, in association with Puma



Zambia answer the call of destiny

Thursday 16 February 2012, 14:58

When he saw the shot sail wide he could take it no more. Already on his knees with the rest of the team, hanging on in quiet desperation, all Didier Drogba could do was slump to the floor, a physically...
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ACoN Diary 8: An emotional end to a memorable tournament

Monday 13 February 2012, 10:42

There were two options. Well, three, but we didn't really want to shell out for yet another flight. We could go east to Mongomo, stay the night there, cross the border first thing in the morning and...
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Zambia's remarkable journey makes them winners regardless

Sunday 12 February 2012, 08:30

Together they walked slowly to the coastline, singing in unison. Once there, and despite the entourage, a gentle ocean breeze and the swish of waves kissing sand were the only sounds. A team, representing...
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ACoN Diary 7: A less than smooth journey which had a happier ending than Ghana's

Thursday 09 February 2012, 09:30

As Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missed the decisive penalty in Sunday’s quarter-final in Libreville, a dreading realisation dawned: Mali v Ivory Coast was clearly a far less interesting semi-final than Zambia...
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Stats Zone semi-final preview: Ghana's weakness and Ivorians' threat

Wednesday 08 February 2012, 11:55

ZonalMarking.net 's Michael Cox uses the FREE Africa Cup of Nations version of Stats Zone to preview today's semi-finals at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations... Zambia v Ghana (Wed 8 Feb, 4pm) Zambia...
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Tears of despair for Gabon, but beaten hosts still have a bright future

Tuesday 07 February 2012, 12:58

After the laughter comes tears. The star of the show stood emotionless, a mix of resignation and yearning in his eyes. A stadium held its breath. Belief melted into hope. Seydou Keita paced slowly towards...
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ACoN Diary 6: Jungles, local drunks and monkey sanctuaries

Monday 06 February 2012, 10:23

Want to know more about Equatorial Guinea and Gabon? You're in the right place. Here's p art six of Jonathan Wilson 's Africa Cup of Nations diary The guide-book doesn’t offer much in the way...
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Stats Zone quarter-final preview: deep forwards, midfield runners and the narrowest team

Friday 03 February 2012, 16:33

ZonalMarking.net 's Michael Cox uses the FREE Africa Cup of Nations version of Stats Zone to analyse the latest action from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations... Zambia v Sudan (Sat 4 Feb, 4pm) Sudan are...
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ACoN Diary 5: Prohibitive ticket prices taking gloss off a great tournament

Wednesday 01 February 2012, 17:32

The fifth installment of Jonathan Wilson 's diary of the Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon Angola 2010 increasingly looks like a nadir. It could hardly have begun worse, with the...
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Why Senegal failed to shine at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Wednesday 01 February 2012, 12:25

To really grasp the nature of Senegal's spectacular failure at this Africa Cup of Nations you need only look at the teams who finished above them in Group A. For Senegal to finish below Equatorial...
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Botswana's goal peppered, Boussifi makes it count & Pitroipa's dribbling problem

Monday 30 January 2012, 17:09

ZonalMarking.net 's Michael Cox uses the FREE Africa Cup of Nations version of Stats Zone to analise the latest action from the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations... Jonathan Pitroipa is by far Burkina Faso...
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ACoN Diary 4: Eq. Guinea on the rise, a near death experience and a wild rat supper

Monday 30 January 2012, 13:22

The great Jonathan Wilson continues his diary of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon... No rats were harmed during the making of this blog. Well, not by us, anyway... It was just...
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Tunisia – The team to beat at ACoN 2012?

Friday 27 January 2012, 09:30

For a team that could just as easily be sitting at home watching on TV, they made a pretty good start. Tunisia were seconds away from going the way of Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria in this competition last...
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Ivory Coast fail to utilise Yaya as young Lass fails to show class

Thursday 26 January 2012, 11:14

ZonalMarking.net 's Michael Cox uses the FREE Africa Cup of Nations version of Stats Zone to analise the action from the first few days of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations... Versatility has always been...
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ACoN Diary 3: David Dein, visas and the art of groundhopping

Wednesday 25 January 2012, 17:16

Jonathan Wilson continues his diary of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea... Famously, Lord of the Rings doesn’t end after the Ring has been despatched into Mount Doom [errr...
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Stats Zone analysis: Ghana up and running but still a work in progress

Wednesday 25 January 2012, 16:14

Finalists last time, Ghana got off to a winning start against Botswana – and, notes Tom Legg , look to be adressing their critics A 25th-minute goal by “Rock of Gibraltar” John Mensah secured Ghana a deserved...
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Five more to watch at ACoN 2012 (who don't play in England)

Wednesday 25 January 2012, 14:13

Earlier this week, Jonathan Fadugba picked out five excellent players at the Africa Cup of Nations who don't ply their trade in England… yet. Now Gareth McKnight selects another five – or six – to...
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Group D: Ghana, Mali, Guinea & Botswana

Tuesday 24 January 2012, 11:00

GHANA Two years ago Ghana arrived in Angola with a young, highly promising squad that had allowed coach Milovan Rajevac to impose a strict discipline. The absence of Sulley Muntari spoke volumes: mess...
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Five to watch at ACoN 2012 (who don't play in England)

Monday 23 January 2012, 16:07

You all know the superstars – but who are the rising stars playing in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon? Jonathan Fadugba – Editor of Just-Football.com (and chief correspondent for FFT.com's United States...
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ACoN Diary 2: Drogba, Dogtanian and a double-header in Malabo

Monday 23 January 2012, 12:45

Jonathan Wilson continues to document his time in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations One of the joys of travel, they say, is the incidental knowledge you pick up on the way...
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Group C: Gabon, Tunisia, Morocco & Niger

Monday 23 January 2012, 11:00

GABON Football is full of 'what ifs', but few have as much reason as Gabon to ponder what might have been. What if president Omar Bongo, who had ruled the country for 42 years, hadn't died...
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Group B: Ivory Coast, Angola, Sudan & Burkina Faso

Sunday 22 January 2012, 11:00

IVORY COAST We've been talking about last chances for a while now. But this, surely, is Ivory Coast's final, final chance for their gifted generation – perhaps the most gifted any African nation...
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Group A: Senegal, Zambia, Equatorial Guinea & Libya

Saturday 21 January 2012, 11:00

SENEGAL A certain date is scored deep into the consciousness of Senegalese football: October 11, 2008. That was when it hit rock bottom. The Lions of Teranga needed only to win at home against their generally...
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How will these Premier League strikers fare at the Africa Cup of Nations?

Friday 20 January 2012, 15:27

ZonalMarking.net 's Michael Cox uses the StatsZone app – from FFT and Opta, available now – to preview the Africa Cup of Nations - get the FREE Africa Cup of Nations version of Stats Zone now ... This...
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Equatorial Guinea: How Africa's 41st best footballing nation came to host the ACoN

Friday 20 January 2012, 13:26

As one of the smallest countries in continental Africa, what do you do if you cannot play your way to a major international tournament? In Equatorial Guinea's case the answer was simple. You buy your...
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ACoN Diary 1: volcanoes, oil and a dancing Santa

Friday 20 January 2012, 12:43

Jonathan Wilson agreed to furnish FourFourTwo.com with a diary of his time in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Here's the first instalment. The descent into Malabo comes...
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Ali Bongo, masks and zither-harps: meet the hosts

Friday 20 January 2012, 11:36

Know next to nothing about the proud hosts of ACoN 2012, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea? Fear not! Impress your friends with facts gleaned from Jonathan Wilson's five-step guide to each of the co-hosts...
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How the kits are made

Friday 20 January 2012, 10:59

The Africa Cup of Nations is always a delight to the eye. The football, the fans... the new shirts. As usual, Puma have been getting busy and the designs for the new shirts have been created in conjunction...
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Crazy bets, naked beardies and animal magic

Thursday 19 January 2012, 15:35

It's a crazy old tournament, the Africa Cup of Nations – and this year's competition should be no exception. Jonathan Wilson gives you the loco lowdown on what to expect in Gabon and Equatorial...
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New teams, new starts, new winner – the most unpredictable Cup of Nations yet

Thursday 19 January 2012, 15:08

The gathering in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea is one of the hardest competitions to predict. Jonathan Wilson explains We know already that this Africa Cup of Nations will yield a new champion. The years...
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Welcome to our football festival, by Steven Pienaar

Thursday 19 January 2012, 12:42

He won't be there himself – South Africa were one of several 'established' nations not to qualify – but Tottenham midfielder Steven Pienaar will be watching the Africa Cup of Nations as a true...
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All change in Africa in two amazing years since the last Cup of Nations

Wednesday 18 January 2012, 15:00

Welcome to our new ACoN section. To begin with, Jonathan Fadugba – Editor of Just-Football.com (and chief correspondent for FFT.com's United States of Africa ) – looks at the recent past and immediate...
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