They crashed out in qualifying, in a group from which 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa also fell. They went out in more farcical circumstances, playing for a draw in their final game against Sierre Leone unaware that they really needed a win to progress. A 0-0 achieved, they were set to stay at home for the 2012 African Nations Cup.
The tournament will also be without traditional powerhouses Nigeria and Cameroon, former winners, and will take place in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea for the first time. Also the first time that the tournament is co-hosted. With a nation like Libya competing for only the third time in their history, it is a fresh look this year’s African Nations Cup.
What more fitting way to mark this than the Ivory Coast winning their first ever title? They have come so close in recent years, and with Yaya Toure, Romaric of Espanyol and Gervinho of Arsenal, not to mention Kolo Toure, Doumbia of CSKA, Didier Drogba and Emmanuel Eboué, this is a team riddled with quality, who should be favourites to win the title.
They will face tough competition though. Senegal look a fine force with the defensive lynchpin of Kader Mangane orgainising the backline of a formidable looking team on paper. Dame N’Doye, Moussa Sow, Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse are four striking options which give the Senegalese arguably the most potent forward line in the competition.
Other challengers will surely be Ghana, spurred by the Ayew brothers, Jordan and André, potent for Marseille in recent weeks. With Kwadwo Asamoah in midfield pulling the strings, this is a strong team who will hope to lift the trophy. A dark horse could be Morocco, who have in Younes Belhanda, one of the best young midfielders in the competition. With a tough defence which will prove hard to beat as well as Marouane Chamakh up front, Morocco have the talent and all round ability to go far.
And what of the co-hosts? Well Equatorial Guinea probably won’t last long, and don’t have significant talent in their ranks, but Gabon could. With Pierre Emerick Aubemayang and the veteran Daniel Cousin, they have goals in their ranks. They also have a clutch of players who recently won the London 2012 African qualifying tournament in Morocco, and their young talents such as Andre Biyogo Poko of Bordeaux should have the stage to show their quality.
Libya too, will be an interesting one to watch with veteran keeper Samir Aboud. He conceded just once in qualifying and the 39 year old is a rock for his team. Libya too literally fought against Colonel Gadaffi off the field in 2011 as well as qualifying for this tournament on it, and they clearly have the spirit, and in Djamal Mahamat, they have a classy midfielder plying his trade for Braga in Portugal who can help them go far.
Burkina Faso could be another to watch with Auxerre’s Alain Traore and Lyon’s Bakary Kone heading their charge, whilst Tunisia are never easy to beat. With a large contingent playing for continental powerhouse Esperance, as well as the talents of Issam Jemaa, they will be a handful.
The stage is set for an intriguing tournament in which a new name could well be on the trophy. Two new nations hosting, major nations missing…all the pressure will be on the Ivorians. Can they deliver?
