African Cup of Nations 2008: Semi-Final Previews

I've loved, I've laughed and cried
I've had my fill, my share of losing
And now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing
To think I did all that
And may I say, not in a shy way,
Oh, no, oh, no, not me, I did it my way

Just four games remain. We are now down to the business end of the tournament. A place in the final is at stake. For the losers, the consolation of a third place playoff. For the winners, everything and yet possibly nothing. All four remaining teams know that they have two games left. But only one will really taste triumph. Only one team will dance joyously into the night. Only one collective of fans will throw their arms aloft, fists clenched in the exuberant elation that comes with ultimate victory. Only one group can step up to the podium in the name of their country, chests puffed out, and lift the trophy with proud conviction. Who will it be? Who will even make it to Accra for the final?

Ghana vs Cameroon

The mind games began early for this one. No sooner had Cameroon coach Otto Pfister guided his side through extra time to a 3-2 victory over Tunisia on Monday than he turned his attentions to Ghana. "I will tactically paralyse the Black Stars in Thursday's match," he stated boisterously. "I have a track record in this tournament and my primary objective is to beat Ghana." Clearly confident in his abilities, he would do well to remember that such big talk did little for Nigeria’s plight. They came out with similar chat but were eventually made to eat their words. Ghana do not scare easy.

One particular reason for this is due to the immense levels of support they have received from their fans. The atmosphere in Accra before, during and after the 2-1 quarter-final victory over Nigeria was incredible, and with the semi-final also taking place in the capital Cameroon must hope they can stifle not only the crowd but also the eleven on the pitch.

The game itself has all the hallmarks of a classic. Both are proud footballing nations. Both have won two consecutive African Cup of Nations, Ghana in 1963 and 1965, Cameroon in 2000 and 2002, and they are the only two countries ever to retain the trophy. Also, interestingly enough, both coaches have managed their opponents, with Claude LeRoy helping Cameroon win the tournament back in 1988. Competitively they have played each other twelve times and it is the Black Stars with the upper hand in head-to-head combat, having won five and drawn six of their previous meetings, losing just once.

The Indomitable Lions will once again look to Samuel Eto’o for inspiration, and the likes of Achille Emana, Geremi and Joel Epalle will be asked to provide the Barcelona frontman with the necessary ammunition to fire them into the final. Defensively Cameroon have looked shaky at times however, Yassine Chikhaoui’s equaliser in Tunisia’s 3-2 defeat fully highlighting their deficiencies at the back, and they will need to iron out the lapses in concentration if they are to make it to Sunday’s final. With thirty minutes extra played against Tunisia in Tamale and a day less to prepare, one wonders if tiredness might also have an influence on Cameroon as the game wears on.

Ghana will be without their imposing centre back and captain John Mensah for the game after he was sent off against Nigeria, so Michael Essien will deputise as skipper. He may also be asked to fill in at the back after putting in an outstanding display there in that 2-1 quarter-final triumph. Junior Agogo is a player living in a dream world at the moment; revered by millions in his homeland for showing tireless determination throughout the tournament, not to mention a precious winner against arch-rivals Nigeria, he will lead the line full of confidence and of course energy. He will not want the dream to end here. Haminu Dramani had a very positive effect on Ghana when brought on in the Nigeria game showing pace, directness and trickery, and he may well earn himself a place in Claude LeRoy’s starting lineup. The Black Stars have got this far, the whole nation is hoping the sweeping momentum can carry them on to Sunday.

Côte d’Ivoire vs Egypt

A repeat of the 2006 Cup of Nations final, this game is a heavyweight clash between pound-for-pound two of the most impressive sides in the competition thus far. What makes this game so potentially brilliant is the contrasting styles that will be on offer. Egypt are one of the most tactically astute teams in the whole competition, and coach Hassan Shehata has shown that he knows full well how to stifle opponents. Against Angola in the quarter-finals having gone 2-1 up the Pharaohs simply shut up shop in the second half, content on maintaining possession and frustrating the less experienced Palancas Negras. With players of the quality of Mohamed Aboutrika and Hosni Abd Rabou they are very good at keeping hold of the ball and are often penetrative in attack, but the Egyptians are also rarely stretched when not in possession, remaining composed and rigid in their shape. Certain similarities might lead you to conclude they are the Italy of Africa.

Côte d’Ivoire on the other hand are all-action; committed to their swashbuckling style of attacking football. They have players capable of individual brilliance all over the pitch, and this is shown in the plethora of different goalscorers they have in the competition up to now. With thirteen goals scored in just four games their direct, incisive play is capable of opening teams up at any time, and this was displayed no more brutally than in their 5-0 quarter final victory against Guinea in Sekondi. For their part Guinea actually played rather well for seventy minutes and were still well in the game going into the closing stages of the match, but Côte d’Ivoire upped the ante in the final twenty minutes, and once Didier Drogba fired in the second goal the floodgates opened. Still, Egypt with all their experience will surely not at any point cave in so easily.

Les Elephants coach Gerard Gili may name an unchanged lineup to the side that beat Guinea 5-0, with Yaya Toure expected to once again be the driving force in midfield supported by the more defensively minded Didier Zokora. However Kolo Toure looks set to miss out through injury and will face a late fitness test. For Egypt, Shehata will leave it late to assess the condition of Mohamed Zidan, and the promising striker may well be forced to settle for a place on the bench. In what could prove a very tight affair victory may well come down to the side that is most clinical in taking any chances, and in Didier Drogba (moreso than the profligate Aruna Dindane) Côte d’Ivoire might just have the key.

Of course in the build-up to the clash much has been made of this fixture being the last Cup of Nations final, which Egypt won on penalties after a 0-0 draw. However that game was played in front of a 70,000 strong contingent of Egyptian fans and involved a less rounded Côte d’Ivoire side. The current crop is a more complete side, and hungrier to boot. "If we play as a team, no one can stop us," said Salomon Kalou, scorer of three goals so far, and given the way they have played so far his point is difficult to argue. If anyone can stifle their game plan though, surely it is the defending champions – a shrewd outfit and Africa’s most successful nation? A fascinating encounter awaits.