With the 2012 African Cup of Nations underway, let s take a look at what has gone down in the 28th edition of the tournament in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
We begin by reviewing the play of two best teams, Ghana and Ivory Coast.
The Black Stars
Ghana defeated Botswana 1-0 in their only match in Group D thus far.
The Black Stars next match is later today against Mali, who are currently ranked 69th in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Rankings.
Ghana will surely be favored in the match, but it will not be an easy fixture by any stretch of the imagination.
Mali are playing well at the moment, and are coming off of a 1-0 win over Guinea, who thrashed Botswana 6-1 earlier today.
That being said, I would be shocked if the Black Stars fail to secure three points versus Mali.
Ivory Coast
With Didier Drogba in fine form, the Ivory Coast is surely the team to beat in the 2012 African Cup of Nations.
To say that the Ivory Coast is stacked with talent would be the understatement of the century.
The Elephants roster includes the likes of Yaya Toure, Didier Drogba, Gervinho, Seydou Doumbia, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora and Cheik Tiote.
Subsequently, it should come as no surprise that the Ivory Coast has taken six points from their first two matches in Group B, scoring three goals while conceding none.
I expect the Ivory Coast to win this competition quite easily. Perhaps they won t even concede a goal?
The Hosts are Contenders
The co-hosts of the 2012 African Cup of Nations, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, are legitimate threats to Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
Equatorial Guinea currently sit atop Group A with six points in two matches, while Gabon are top of Group C on goal difference over Tunisia.
Can the hosts pull off a miracle?
I highly doubt it, but then again, anything can happen in football.
I would not be shocked if either Gabon or Equatorial Guinea made the semi-finals or even the final, but surely they do not have the class and quality to compete with the Ivory Coast.
The only other team I fancy having a chance to make the semi-finals of the competition is Tunisia.
The Eagles of Carthage have historically had very talented players, especially in recent years.
In fact, the Tunisian youth international teams have been very good the past five years or so, meaning that the future is bright for the senior team.
However, no team in Africa can compare to the Ivory Coast and that is exactly why they will be crowned 2012 African Cup of Nations champions.
