Which team will make through to the semi-finals of the 27th Africa Cup of Nations edition?
Angola vs Ghana – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Match Preview
At 16:00 GMT, Angola and Ghana will affront each other as the first quarter-final clash of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations finally takes place in Luanda.
Angola – the dream could go on
In terms of caliber and pedigree, Angola aren’t part of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ favorites. But as the hosts of the competition, expectations on the Palancas Negras are obviously high.
Witnessing the national team clinching the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations trophy or reaching at least the semi-finals of the tournament is every Angolan’s dream.
However, it suggests the Palancas Negras to beat their opponents, Ghana, in the quarter-finals on Sunday, January 24th.
Looking at the size of both teams historically, it will seem very easy to pick Ghana ahead of Angola as prospective winners of this encounter.
But pedigree doesn’t always count in football and Angola could capitalize and build on certain things to see off the Ghanaians this weekend.
Angola are unbeaten so far and their impressive style of play has mainly been characterized by Manucho and Flavio’s influence in attack.
These two strikers share five goals together and they’ll be the men to look onto when Angola face Ghana in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Ghana – take it as a final
The Black Stars are facing the tough challenge of dealing with Angola’s home crowd pressure and eventually upset the host nation.
Moreover, Ghana’s squad is young so it might take some special inspirational words for them to succeed further in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
On Tuesday, it was Ayew Pele’s lone goal against Burkina Faso which forced Ghana's way into the quarter-finals.
On Sunday, it will be no time to sit back and relax as the entire population back home is looking forward to celebrating the country’s first major trophy since the 1980s.
Ghana’s captain Steven Appiah, who couldn’t make it into the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ roaster due to injury, gave a strong advice to the young Black Stars squad ahead of Sunday’s match against Angola:
“From here in, it’s going to be difficult because every game is a final. One strike and you’re out. So they [the Black Stars] need to keep believing in themselves and fighting to the end in every game.”
Meanwhile, Kwadwo Asamoah who now wears Ghana’s number 10 shirt in replacement of the injured Steven Appiah, believes that the confidence is there to win on Sunday.
Looking back at the 0-0 draw played between Ghana and Angola late last year, Asamoah stated:
“When we played against them [Angola] in the friendly, it was the same atmosphere. It had no effect on our play and so will it be this time.”
He continued defying Angola’s home crowd factor:
“In football, supporters don’t count. It is the pitch that determines the winner.”
Can Ghana step up to this weekend’s challenge?
Certainly, they’ll need to raise their poor performance to a better level in order to get the perfect result that will take them through to the semi-finals of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations campaign.
Ivory Coast vs Algeria – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Match Preview
Group B’s winners Ivory Coast face Group A’s runners-up Algeria at 19:30 GMT in Cabinda as the first part of the quarter-final fixtures ends on Sunday, January 24th.
Ivory Coast – Elephants to crash the Desert Foxes?
The Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire accomplished their mission from reaching the quarter-finals as favorites but will they overcome Algeria to grab tickets into the semis?
In Ivory Coast, it will come as a disaster for fans to see Didier Drogba and the rest of their stars heading out of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations empty handed.
The Elephants were given a real scare to reach the quarter-finals of the competition after they drew goalless against Burkina Faso on match-day one.
However, they made things happen in a ‘men vs boys affair’ when they thrashed Ghana 3-1 in a must-win game.
The Ivory Coast are therefore still in with the chance of fulfilling their 2010 Africa Cup of Nations’ dream which is to clinch the title.
But this won’t happen unless they defeat the Desert Foxes.
In fact, Ivory Coast vs Algeria is a clash that features two 2010 World Cup participants and this factor may just give it some more thrill and unpredictability.
Actually, Algeria were victims of perhaps the biggest upset in the group stages in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations as they lost 3-0 against Malawi on match-day one.
Still, they bounced back with a victory over Mali before ending with a goalless draw against the hosts Angola.
Algeria’s coach Raabah Saadane made it clear that his team were not at their full best on match-day three.
Their aim was just about avoiding defeat to assure qualification into the quarter-finals and they successfully secured that 0-0 draw.
On Sunday therefore, the public can expect the Desert Foxes to perform with a high level of mentality as the country looks forward to imposing themselves on the African continent ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Algeria surely don’t possess big star names like the Ivory Coast do but unity and quality could see them kick out the Elephants.
