Ghana 2008: Group A In Review
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The draw for the group stages of the 2008 MTN Africa Cup of Nations has set up some intriguing match-ups as the continent’s top 16 teams do battle for Africa’s ultimate prize. MTNfootball.com analyzes the competition in group A.
The hosts, Ghana, were given a top seeding position and were automatically placed in Group A. The Black Stars will have to fight off the challenge from Guinea, Morocco and shock qualifiers - Namibia.
On the face of it Ghana have been given a very favourable draw. Morocco, apart from finishing as runners-up to Tunisia in 2004, have failed to progress beyond the group stages since losing in the quarterfinals in 1998 and Namibia will be participating in only their second ever continental tournament.
Ghana’s fellow West Africans, Guinea, could prove tricky opponents for captain Stephen Appiah and his Black Stars, but they are a notoriously inconsistent bunch, as capable of putting together a performance of great fluency and control as they are of crumbling to an embarrassing defeat. They will meet Ghana in the tournament’s opener on January 20th next year.
Black Stars coach, Claude Le Roy, is certainly not taking Guinea’s Syli National lightly. “Guinea were quarterfinalists at the last Nations Cup in Egypt and must be considered one of the favourites for Ghana 2008,” insisted the vastly experienced Frenchman.
