There w
ill be two North Africa vs West Africa battles as the semi-finals fixtures sees North Africa’s Egypt and Algeria battling it out in Benguela whereas West Africa’s Ghana and Nigeria will also contest it in Luanda.
Ghana vs Nigeria – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Match Preview
Ghana and Nigeria will open Thursday with a mouthwatering semi-final clash which will start at 16:00 GMT.
The level of rivalry between these two teams is of an incredible level, so expect the match to look like a final.
Ghana – strong state of mind will be the key
"Expectations might be a problem when you know that people look for a lot from you. The key is to keep your concentration.”
This is a quote that Ghana’s former coach, Claude Le Roy, recently made concerning the Black Stars.
Indeed, now that they have kicked out the 2010 Nations Cup’s hosts, expectations are heavy on them to clinch the trophy.
It isn’t really pressure that fans back home in Ghana are putting on their squad; the current atmosphere rather showcases a feeling of pride and optimism.
Initially, there were doubts among supporters that the Black Stars would even qualify into the semis considering the squad’s inexperience.
But the players proved how serious they are in their bid to clinch Ghana’s first major title since the 1980s. Beating the host nation Angola wasn’t only a victory on the pitch but also a mental victory.
Number 10 midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah had already made it clear that nothing could distract the Black Stars of Ghana and their 1-0 win in the quarter-finals surely proved that.
In 2008, Ghana hosted the Africa Cup of Nations but despite benefiting from the home crowd’s support, they lost to Cameroon in the semis and had to settle for bronze eventually.
This time, Ghana’s hunger is greater than ever. The Black Stars are eying nothing else but the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations trophy.
Complacency is something they will not want to entertain as they know the danger that Nigeria presents.
They’ll make sure to continue on the same track which saw them defeating Burkina Faso and Angola en route to the semi-finals.
It will be all about affronting the Super Eagles of Nigeria in total confidence, passion, and pride.
Nigeria – time for revenge against Ghana 
Two years ago, the Nigerian national football team left Ghana on a sour note after they suffered a controversial and rare defeat against the Black Stars in the quarter-finals of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
In Angola this time, they will do everything to make sure that they have taken revenge on the Ghanaians.
Nigeria have lost in the semi-finals of the Nations Cup so many times in their history of football. At six occasions, they suffered defeat at that particular stage.
They’ll be hoping to avoid “disappointment number 7” by clinching the perfect result against Ghana on Thursday.
The two-time Africa Cup of Nations winners are yet to achieve Ghana’s record of four titles. But a victory against the Black Stars in the semis will lead them closer to reducing the gap on their rivals’ tally.
After playing 120 minutes of football against Zambia in the quarter-finals, Nigeria’s players could be affected by fatigue when they face the Ghanaians who haven’t played since Saturday.
But neither this, nor Onyekachi Apam’s absence due to suspension will come out as excuses should Nigeria lose.
The Super Eagles, who are portrayed as proud people, are not willing to be blinded by Ghana’s enchanting shining star.
Algeria vs Egypt – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations Match Preview
There couldn’t have been anything hotter in the semi-finals of the competition than a repeat of last year’s 2010 World Cup qualification play-off match between Egypt and Algeria.
This game will come up at 19:30 GMT at the Complexo da Sr. da Graca stadium in Benguela.
Algeria: the example of unity and faith?
When Cote d’Ivoire’s Kader Keita scored with one minute of normal time remaining on the clock, the public thought that victory had been sealed for the Elephants and that the dream had ended for the Desert Foxes of Algeria.
But this was not to be. In a miraculous comeback for the Algerians, Bougherra and Bouzza both scored as Cote d’Ivoire finally crashed out of the competition.
Algeria don’t have big star names in their squad but they are in the semi-finals of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. It’s a difficult dream to realize but they did it in style.
It looks like time has no meaning for the Algerians, and it seems like nothing is impossible.
Their victory over the Elephants of La Cote d’Ivoire might have sent out a strong message to the Egyptians:
The Desert Foxes are not satisfied yet. They are ready to throw down the Pharaohs again!
Egypt – the hardest task
Egyptians are dreaming of clinching an unprecedented number of three Nations Cup titles on the trot.
But will they succeed in achieving this wish?
The wound that Algerians inflicted in their hearts in November 2009 still persists.
Egypt’s squad comprises a number of aging players who may therefore never accomplish their dream of playing in a World Cup tournament.
For them, there will be nothing sweeter than to hit back at Algeria, the team that disqualified them from reaching South Africa 2010.
On Monday, Egypt triumphed over Cameroon in the quarter-finals and the game was not only marked by Ahmed Hassan’s record 170 caps for the Pharaohs.
The captain’s free-kick, which rounded up the Egyptians’ 3-1 win over the Indomitable Lions, also grabbed the headlines as the ball apparently didn’t cross the line.
So there was some controversy there, but it didn’t prevent the defending champions from celebrating at the end of the 120 minutes.
The question now will be: was this actually their last laugh in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations?
