African Cup of Nations Preview: Group D

With the African Nations Cup kicking off on the 19^th of January in South Africa, here is an analysis of the four teams in Group D and a prediction as to where they will finish in the group.

Group D consists of: Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Algeria and Togo.

The D in this case surely stands for Death, as the group contains four reputed teams of the dark continent.

Team Analysis: Cote d’Ivoire

If Spain (pre-2008) were the chokers of Europe, then the Ivorians are surely Africa’s.

Despite the vast quality at their disposal, the Elephants have only won the AFCON once. To their credit however, they’ve finished runners-up twice, third on four different occasions and fourth another two times.

The Ivorians will surely be regarded as the favourites in South Africa, and will surely be hoping to do better than they did the last time they were in the Rainbow Nation.

Included in the Group of Death at the 2010 FIFA World Cup as well, the Africans finished third in a group featuring themselves, Portugal, Brazil and North Korea.

Key Men:

The Ivorian contingent to the AFCON contains only one player who still plays in Africa.

Blessed with quality everywhere, Kolo Toure and his former Arsenal team mate Emmanuel Eboue will line up alongside Saka Tiene of Paris Saint-Germain and Igor Lolo of Kuban Krasnodar.

The younger Toure, Yaya, will be the fulcrum around which the West Africans will construct play, with Cheick Tiote of Newcastle United and Koffi Ndiri Romaric of Real Zaragoza providing him support.

Up front, Didier Drogba is surely the man who will be trusted to strike terror in the opposition with Arsenal man Gervinho and the Drog’s successor Seydou Doumbia assisting him up front.

Boubacar Barry, who plays his football in Belgium, will be in goal for them.

Predicted Finish: Champions

Team Analysis: Algeria

One of two North Africans in this group, Algeria have a very respectable record in the continental competition.

Champions in 1990, runners-up once, finishing third and fourth twice each and entering the quarter-finals of three separate tournaments, Les Fennecs are one of the teams to watch out for this time.

But they will have their work cut out for them throughout the tournament, given the quality of their opponents in South Africa.

Key Men:

Several of the players who made it to South Africa in 2010 now return to represent their nation.

Several Algerians play in France, and they will inject quality in the Desert Foxes’ line up. Carl Medjani, Mehdi Mostafa (both Ajaccio), Faouzi Ghoulam (St. Etienne), Ryad Boudebouz (Sochaux) and Foued Kadir (Marseilles) are all expected to feature for their nation.

Sofiane Feghouli (Valencia), Liassine Cadamuro-Bentaiba (Real Sociedad), Mehdi Lacen (Getafe) and Hameur Bouazza (Santander), all of whom play in Spain, and Portuguese sides Academica’s Rafik Halliche and Guimaraes’ Hillel Soudani are all vital to the Algerians.

Also important to them are Nottingham Forest’s Adiene Guedioura, Samara Sovetov’s Rais M’Bolhi and AC Milan‘s Djamel Mesbah.

Predicted Finish: Semi-finals

Team Analysis: Tunisia

The 2013 AFCON will be of significant emotional importance for the Tunisians.

The epicentre of the Arab Spring two seasons ago, the Tunisian squad who travel to South Africa will represent a people who have gone through much hardship as their nation undergoes transition.

Champions are recently as 2004, second twice, third once and in the last four no less than six times, Tunisia have a storied history in the African Cup of Nations.

With both a quality side and – more importantly – the winners of a revolution two years ago, Tunisia could advance to the latter stages of the competition, stunning some on the way.

Key Men:

Anis Boussaidi of SC Tavriya Simferopol in Ukraine and Aymen Abdennour of Toulouse in France will be vital at the back for the Tunisians.

In midfield, Youssef Msakni, Wissem Ben Yahiya, Abdelkader Oueslai and Wahibi Khazri will be in charge of running the show, with Evian duo Zouheir Dhouadi and Saber Khelifa playing up front.

Predicted Finish: Round 1

Team Analysis: Togo

Another side whose populace will invest emotions in a team that go to South Africa, Togo go into the tournament to avenge the deaths of the three players and nine others who were injured as their team bus travelled to their match in Angola in the 2010 edition of the tournament.

That saw them withdraw from the competition.

Togo have never made it past the group stages of the AFCON, but could surprise a few if they pull off an upset.

Key Men:

The Togolese have a large French contingent which includes Kossi Agassa, Kalen Damessi, Baba Tchagouni, Alaxys Romao, Serge Gakpe and Jonathan and Floyd Ayite.

But their most potent weapon in attack will be 6’4” Emmanuel Adebayor. The Tottenham man will likely be their most utilised attacking outlet and will look to cause havoc against the opposition.

Predicted Finish: Round 1