Out of Africa

THE AFRICAN Nations Cup begins tomorrow without two of its perennial contenders as well as a clutch of big-name players.

West African neighbours Ghana and the Ivory Coast were the two major casualties of the qualifying campaign for the 16-team tournament starting in Tunisia.

Between them, the two countries have won five Nations Cup titles but Ghana were on the end of a shock defeat by minnows Rwanda while the Ivorians lost out to South Africa in a tough qualifying group.

The controversial timing of the tournament, halfway through many crucial league campaigns in Europe, has also cost the event a number of talented players. The most notable absentee is Nigerian teenager Obafemi Martins.

He burst onto the scene with Italian club Inter Milan this season in the UEFA Champions League and is insisting, to the indignation of the Nigerians, that his career development is best served by skipping the cup.

“At this moment in my career I want to concentrate only on my club. Participating at the Nations Cup will compromise my evolution at Inter,” he said.

Manchester United player Quinton Fortune’s testy relationship with the South African FA has also seen him ignore any contact with his country over the last months, while three other key players withdrew from teams because of the time they would have spent away from their clubs.

FC Porto’s Benni McCarthy, in fine scoring form over the last few months, is among them. Lens midfielder Mounir Diane of Morocco has also turned down a call-up.

A heart scare in the off-season, when doctors picked up an abnormality during a medical check-up, continues to rule out Senegal’s influential midfielder Khalilou Fadiga.

The French-born footballer played a major part in Senegal reaching the final at the last Nations Cup in Mali two years ago as well as a quarter-final place at the 2002 World Cup finals.

Fadiga has returned to training at Inter Milan and asked to be considered for the tournament but was advised not to jeopardise his rehabilitation by Senegal coach Gy Stephan.

Injury rules out the Democratic Republic of Congo’s captain Shabani Noda, who suffered a broken leg at the start of the French league season playing for Monaco. Taribo West of Nigeria, young South African midfielder Steven Pienaar and Egypt’s veteran Hani Ramzi are also out injured.

A powerful strike force could give Nigeria the edge in the most competitive group D.

The Super Eagles boast Premiership stars Yakubu Aiyegbeni and Nwankwo Kanu, and Ukraine-based Julius Aghahowa, famous for his cartwheel goal celebrations.

Victor Agali from German club Schalke completes the attack chosen by coach Christian Chukwu and it appears among the most formidable in the biennial 16-nation showcase.

Morocco and South Africa could struggle in attack in the pool. A meagre 10 goals were scored by Morocco in six qualifiers and five came at home to minnows Equatorial Guinea. Leading scorers Youssef Chippo and Jawad Zairi managed just two each.

South Africa struck six in four matches against Ivory Coast and Burundi but they will lack their best strikers in North Africa.

Charlton’s Shaun Bartlett has retired to concentrate on his club career, but alongside Benni McCarthy, he has been the most consistent scorers for Bafana Bafana (The Boys) since their readmission to international football in 1992.

Benin may be considered the whipping boys of the pool but they have a regular scorer in Oumar Tchomogo, a France-based professional whose goals eliminated group favourites Zambia in the qualifiers.

Many believe the tournament has come too soon for a young Moroccan side moulded by Badou Zaki, the 1986 African Footballer of the Year after a series of superb goalkeeping displays at the World Cup in Mexico.

But one stalwart remains and defender Noureddine Naybet will complete 100 appearances if he plays in the three pool matches. Only three Africans, Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan and Hani Ramzy of Egypt, have achieved the feat.

In Group A, Tunisia face debutants Rwanda, as well as Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo with coach Roger Lemerre looking to bounce back from his disastrous tenure as French boss at the last World Cup.

Senegal, with El-Hadji Diouf playing a major role, are top seeds in Group B with Mali, Burkina Faso and Kenya forming the opposition.

“This is not an easy group,” said Senegal coach Guy Stephan. “Both Mali and Burkina Faso have been to the semi-finals.”

Cameroon should progress from Group C where Egypt, Algeria and Zimbabwe, also debutants, make up the four.

“The opening game against Algeria will not be easy but we are the champions and we will work very hard,” said Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer.