Angola vs Ghana & Cote d’Ivoire vs Algeria – African Cup of Nations 2010 Quarter Final Previews

Angola vs Ghana

The animosity and ill-feeling between these two teams in the buildup to the game ensures that this should be an intriguing contest. The Ghanaian FA recently launched a complaint to CAF about their hosts, citing Angola’s “harassment and intimidation tactics”. The Black Stars complained about an attack on a Ghanaian journalist at the team hotel in Luanda, a reported assault on a fan last Tuesday, and the setting up of a 24-hour surveillance unit transmitting live from the team’s hotel by an outside broadcast van.

That Ghana are the 3rd team to complain about Angola’s conduct in this African Cup of Nations after Malawi and Mali is some cause for concern. There is a lot of anger in Ghana about these incidents, as witnessed here. In a packed stadium in Luanda this one could get nasty.

Ghana have been both under strength and under par at AFCON 2010 thus far. Denied a number of key players through injury (i.e. Michael Essien) and/or other reasons, like discipline (Sulley Muntari), the Black Stars played fairly poorly in both their 2 group games, but sneaked through with a narrow 1-0 win over Burkina Faso helped by a referee that seemed to determined not to allow Burkina Faso any sort of physical contact. Having been duly dispatched by Cote d’Ivoire Ghana must now show their true colours against Angola.

Angola for their part are confident, with coach Manuel Jose building the atmosphere ahead of one of the country’s biggest games in it’s history. “We’ve built a very solid and competitive team that plays nice football,” said Jose. “We don’t have famous players, our players are with medium not top teams, except Flavio and Gilberto. So we have had to compensate by having a highly organised side.” A win would take Angola to their first ever AFCON semi-final.

Team News

Ghana’s team has been announced early and is as follows: Richard Kingson, Samuel Inkoom, Hans Sarpei, Isaac Vorsah, Lee Addy, Agyemang Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Opoku Agyemang, Haminu Dramani, Dede Ayew, Asamoah Gyan

Coach Milovan Rajevac looks to be packing the midfield and hoping Dede Ayew can provide the creativity needed, as he did in scoring the winner against Burkina Faso.

Angola striker and tournament top scorer Flavio is apparently fit, which is huge news for the Palancas Negras if true. They will look to power forward with the verve and pace for which they have become known in this tournament. Jose’s team is full of width with the likes of Mabina and Gilberto bombing down the flanks to provide crosses to Manucho and Flavio. Ghana’s full backs will have to be alert.

Cote d’Ivoire vs Algeria

For a comprehensive preview of this quarter final I refer you here.

From my point of view, of all the four quarter finals this seems the most straightforward to predict on paper. Cote d’Ivoire have a team packed full of attacking talent and overwhelmed one of the favourites Ghana in a convincing 3-1 win during the group stage. They were simply sublime in that victory, far too strong for Ghana despite playing a portion of the match with 10 men, and the team spirit and togetherness for which they were renowned in 2008 seemed to be back again. Algeria on the other hand were thrashed 3-0 by Malawi and scraped through Group A by the skin of their teeth. Algeria have only scored 1 goal in the whole tournament so far!

But if there is hope for the Fennecs, perhaps it lies in Cote d’Ivoire’s 0-0 draw with Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso played a similarly compact, defensive, robust game that Algeria are renowned for and managed to successfully stifle Cote d’Ivoire’s attacking prospects. Can coach Rabah Saadane get his side to replicate Burkina Faso’s actions and neutralise the tournament favourites?

Not in my opinion, but we shall soon find out. Goals have been a real problem for Algeria; their only goal at the tournament thus far came from a set piece, and I fail to see how they will score enough to overcome Cote d’Ivoire, who can call upon Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Baky Kone and others for goals.

Who do you tip to qualify? Let us know by leaving your predictions.

African Cup of Nations 2010, Algeria, Angola, Cote d\'Ivoire, Ghana