All eyes on Africa

Thankfully, the overplayed re-run of the Zaire player hastily kicking the ball away against Scotland in the 1974 World Cup clash is no longer the resounding image of African football.

The evolution of televised sport and the Premier League has certainly brought me up to speed with some of the most exciting football now being played on the planet.

All sporting eyes will currently be on Africa as the 26th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Ghana 2008) has kicked off in Ghana and it promises to be the most entertaining edition ever. I was one of the millions of fans from across the world that tuned in to see the host team win 2-1 game against Guinea, at the sold-out Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra. Sully Muntari rifled a stunning 25-yard shot into the top corner in the dying minutes of the game to set the capacity crowd alight.

Ghana 2008 is Africa’s greatest football fiesta. The competition brings the best of the continent’s football talent together for a 16 team scintillating four week festival of fantasy football.

Well known stars from European Leagues such as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Michael Essien, Federic Kanoute, Obafemi Martins and others, will be joined by new emerging talent like Amine Chermti from Tunisian club Etoile Sahel, Clifford Mulenga from South African club side Pretoria University and Teko Modise who also plays in South Africa with the Orlando Pirates.

Ghana start as favourites, but it is expected to be one of the closest fought competitions in years with teams such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire and reigning champions Egypt expected to mount strong challenges. In addition North African powers Tunisia and Morocco should not be taken lightly.

It should be remembered that 13 different nations have liftied the trophy over the last 50 years. Therefore, all the competing teams will be focusing on getting through the next four weeks and emerging on the hollowed turf of the Ohene Djan Stadium on February 10th with the chance to call themselves the best team in Africa.

For comprehensive coverage of the Africa Cup of Nations.

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