Why Senegal failed at Africa Cup of Nations 2012

My latest African football column for FourFourTwo looks at Senegal, who slumped to bottom of their group and an early trip home despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites. Why did they fail?

To really grasp the nature of Senegal’s spectacular failure at this Africa Cup of Nations you need only look at the teams who finished above them in Group A. For Senegal to finish below Equatorial Guinea is surprising, unfathomable even. But to finish below Libya, given the vast gap in quality and wildly differing paths they travelled before meeting in Bata, is astonishing.

Consider it for a moment. Libya is a team that had to overcome political divisions, a full-scale, bloody revolution, a qualifying campaign in which they could only play one game at home due to the conflicts, the suspension of their domestic league and – as if all that wasn’t enough – the death of their team doctor the night before a crucial qualifier.

Head over to FourFourTwo to read the full piece.

African Cup of Nations 2012, African Football, Senegal