The African Cup of Nations Is Back! (Match Schedule / Tournament Preview / Results)

In 1957, at a time when FIFA still refused to let African teams participate in the World Cup, the Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) – Africa’s international football governing body set up the first ever African Cup of Nations. The competition was held in Sudan and involved just four participants – Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan, later reduced to three as South Africa were disqualified for the government’s apartheid politics.

Fast forward 53 years and the tournament is one of the most distinguished in the international football calendar, involving world class players from around the globe. The competition’s latest edition gets underway in Angola this weekend and now the usual array of managers have got their moaning and groaning out of the way we can all press on in anticipation of another feast of African football.

Rebellion

“In a game that is increasingly packaged-up and commercialised for the convenience of the biggest club sides in the world, there is something liberating about famous footballers representing their countries for little more than pride in a nation as poor as Angola,” writes Sam Wallace in The Independent and personally I agree with him. So much of football nowadays is geared towards money, and what can be done to make more of it, that maintaining a simple African Cup of Nations tradition by keeping it a biennial event staged in January has become tantamount to an act of rebellion. For once, old customs are upheld and the big clubs and bigger organisations don’t get their own way. How long that lasts however is anyone’s guess.

The tournament’s popularity within Africa is unquestioned. Says David James in The Guardian “I had a chat with some of them [Portsmouth's African players] over dinner, and the only thing anyone wanted to talk about was who would win the competition. Before long we were engaged in a debate about the favourites, with Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Ghana right up there.” And though hotel rooms of up to $400 a night have priced many supporters out of travelling to Angola, millions around the continent will be tuning in for the action.

Reform

It is also fantastic (and fascinating) to see the African Cup of Nations being held in Angola for the first time. Though mineral rich, Angola is one of the planet’s poorest countries taking its first steps towards recovering from a bitter 27-year civil war. Poverty and corruption are rife, but the country is striding positively towards a better future through education, economic redevelopment and social reform. The decision to grant Angola an opportunity to host Africa’s showpiece football event is seen as a public vote of confidence in the nation’s ability to effect such reform.

In matters of football the country is also developing. Four new stadiums have been built for the African Cup of Nations, in Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda and Lubango at an estimated cost of £62 million. Can the national team, the Palancas Negras (Black Antelopes), live up to national expectations? We shall soon find out.

Reviews to Previews

In 2008 the African Cup of Nations was held in Ghana and we covered it quite extensively at Just Football. This was our own Cup of Nations 2008 Team of the Tournament (with second XI included also). If so inclined you can also relive our coverage of that tournament here.

Over the next few weeks we will again be following Africa’s football fiesta very closely, and will be posting up previews of every group and all 16 teams in the coming days. If its African Cup of Nations coverage you’re after between now and the 31st January, Just Football is the place to be.

In the meantime, here is the match schedule, along with an excellent article on Pitch Invasion about the Cup of Nations that I highly recommend. Before we get the previews underway though, which team will you be supporting and which teams do you think will go far? As ever I’d love to hear what you think and I’ll be providing my tips in the next few days. Roll on Sunday!

African Cup of Nations 2010 – Match Schedule & Results

Edit: I’ll update the results on this page as the tournament progresses, with links to any match reports etc.

Group A – Algeria, Angola, Malawi, Mali

Sunday, 10 January 2010
Angola 4-4 Mali

Monday, 11 January 2010
Malawi 3-0 Algeria

Thursday, 14 January 2010
Mali 0-1 Algeria
Angola 2-0 Malawi

Monday, 18 January 2010
Angola 0-0 Algeria
Mali 3-1 Malawi

Group B – Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo

Monday, 11 January 2010
Côte d’Ivoire 0-0 Burkina Faso
Ghana c-c Togo

Friday, 15 January 2010
Côte d’Ivoire 3-1 Ghana
Burkina Faso c-c Togo

Tuesday, 19 January 2010
Burkina Faso 0-1 Ghana
Côte d’Ivoire c-c Togo

Group C – Benin, Egypt, Mozambique, Nigeria

Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Egypt 3-1 Nigeria
Mozambique 2-2 Benin

Saturday, 16 January 2010
Nigeria 1-0 Benin
Mozambique 0-2 Egypt

Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Egypt 2-0 Benin
Nigeria 3-0 Mozambique

Group D – Cameroon, Gabon, Tunisia, Zambia

Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Cameroon 0-1 Gabon
Zambia 1-1 Tunisia

Sunday, 17 January 2010
Gabon 0-0 Tunisia
Cameroon 3-2 Zambia

Thursday, 21 January 2010
Gabon 1-2 Zambia
Cameroon 2-2 Tunisia

Quarterfinals
Sunday, 24 January 2010
QF 1 – Angola 0-1 Ghana
QF 2 – Cote d’Ivoire 2-3 Algeria (a.e.t.)

Monday, 25 January 2010
QF 3 – Egypt 3-1 Cameroon (a.e.t.)
QF 4 – Zambia 0-0 Nigeria (Nigeria through on penalties)

Semifinals
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Ghana 1-0 Nigeria
Algeria 0-4 Egypt

Third-Place Playoff
Saturday, 30 January 2010
Nigeria 1-0 Algeria

FINAL
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Ghana 0-1 Egypt

African Cup of Nations 2010, African Football, Angola, Previews