2012 Africa cup of Nations co-hosts handed tricky draws

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea co-host for the Orange CAF Africa Cup of Nations have been handed tricky draws for next year’s tournament.

The draw conducted in Equatorial Guinea capital, Malabo on Saturday 29th October was rather kinder to co-favourites Ghana or Ivory Coast placing them in groups where they are likely to progress from.

The draw was conducted by Confederation of African Football secretary-general Hicham El Amrani. Gabon were out of luck in Group C as they were lumped with potentially powerful North African contenders Morocco and Tunisia plus Niger, shock winners of an elimination group that included defending champions Egypt.

Equatorial Guinea, at 41 in Africa by far the lowest ranked team but among the top seeds as co-hosts, comes up against two former runners-up in Zambia and Senegal plus sentimental favourites Libya.

Former champions Ivory Coast got Angola, Burkina Faso and Sudan in Malabo-based Group B while four-time winners Ghana tackle Guinea, Malawi and surprise qualifiers Botswana in Franceville-based Group D.

The Ivorian Elephants top the African rankings and the Ghanaian Black Stars are third and they boast line-ups packed with Europe-based stars like Didier Drogba and Andre Ayew.

Both nations have come close in the past decade with Ivory Coast losing on penalties to hosts Egypt in2006 and Ghana conceding a late winner to the Pharaohs in the 2010 Luanda climax.

Ghanalifted the Cup of Nations four times, but the last triumph was in Tripoli 29 years ago, while the only Ivory Coast success came 19years ago in Dakar after a marathon penalty shoot-out with the Black Stars.

Meanwhile the opening match will feature Equatorial Guinea against sentimental favourites Libya who reached the tournament despite a civil war raging in the country which compelled them to play two of their three home matches in Mali and Egypt, but they squeezed through as one of the best two runners-up.

Equatorial Guinea and Libya will kick off the three-week tournament on January 21 in the mainland city of Bata followed by a late-evening showdown between Senegal and Zambia.

Thegroup winners and runners-up after single mini-leagues qualify for the quarter-finals.


2012 Africa Cup of Nations draw

Group A (Bata)
Equatorial Guinea, Zambia, Senegal, Libya

Group B (Malabo)
Ivory Coast, Angola, Burkina Faso, Sudan

Group C (Libreville)
Gabon, Tunisia, Morocco, Niger

Group D (Franceville)
Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Botswana



caf