African Nations Cup 08

[FermPundit]

With the African nations taking place in Ghana in January and February and the influx of African players now playing their trade in the Premier League many of the leading clubs will lose a number of players. Below is a list of the players who will participate in the tournament.

Manchester United - Manucho (if he gets work permit)
Arsenal - Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Eboue, Song
Chelsea - Solomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba
Liverpool - Momo Sissoko
Portsmouth - Kanu, John Utaka, Sulley Muntari, Lauren, Papa Bouba Diop,
Everton - Yakubu, Joseph Yobo, Steven Pienaar
Birmingham - Nafti, Radhi Jaidi, Richard Kingson
Sunderland - Dickson Etuhu
Blackburn - Aaron Mokoena
Bolton - El-Hadji Diouf, Abdoulaye Meite
West Ham - Henri Camara, John Pantsil
Newcastle - Faye, Habib Beye, Geremi, Obafemi Martins
Reading - Bikey, Emerse Fae
Wigan - Salomon Olembe
Middlesbrough - Mohamed Shawky
Tottenham - Hossam Ghaly, Didier Zokora

Mido is injured

Babayaro, Djimi Traore, Benni McCarthy and Victor Anichebe weren't included in the squads of their respective countries

[Norf Tyrone]

Thanks Ferm.
I was just wondering ealier how other Clubs were affected. Pompey will suffer badly, and I think Chelsea have them during the ANC.

I think as well that different countries are calling their players up at different times. AFAIK you can call your player to duty 14 days before the cup starts.

[ONeill]

Toure is a massive loss. Can live without the other two. I wonder what are the logistical reasons for not playing this off in the summer like the Euro.

[FermPundit]

I honestly thought Arsenal were going to be hit big style but bar Toure and Eboue it doesn't look like they'll be affected at all. Given Chelsea's injury list at the moment it looks like they could really struggle in the first few months of the year.

[Norf Tyrone]

Toure is a massive loss. Can live without the other two. I wonder what are the logistical reasons for not playing this off in the summer like the Euro.

Weather?

Ferm- Chelsea will be crippled but hopefully a signing or two will blunt the losses. If Scott Sinclair can reproduce like he did today, he will help too.

[FermPundit]

Toure is a massive loss. Can live without the other two. I wonder what are the logistical reasons for not playing this off in the summer like the Euro.

Weather?

Ferm- Chelsea will be crippled but hopefully a signing or two will blunt the losses. If Scott Sinclair can reproduce like he did today, he will help too.

I think the main reason behind this is that the tournament is a summer competiton and therefore it must be played in the African summer months of January and February. To be honest if enough premier league managers make a big enough noise about the scheduling of this tournament or stop buying African players then I believe the tournament will be moved in the next few years to accomodate the premier league season.

[Rav67]

Arsenal will be badly hit by Toure going as it'll mean Senderos getting a run and he's been dung this season.  Chelsea will miss Drogba hugely but I'd guess he'll bring in Anelka.

[ONeill]

I wonder can he get D'Jourou back from his loan at Birmingham.

[Norf Tyrone]

I wonder can he get D'Jourou back from his loan at Birmingham.

I think he is back.

I believe that if the NC continues to be during the normal Euro season Clubs will just refuse to release players. FIFA and UEFA have rules that forbid this, but surely it contravenes employment law of some sort. For example if I own a business, and one of my workers comes and says that he'd like to do some voluntary work for a month or so, and he wants paid by you while doing it. Surely you're entitled to tell him to peeve off.

[FermPundit]

Muntari pleads for Nations Cup switch - From Teamtalk a few weeks ago

Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari has called upon organisers of the African Nations Cup to move future tournaments to the summer months.

Most of Africa's top stars play in Europe and teams like Pompey will lose key players when the tournament starts midway through next month - and continues deep into February.

Ghana international Muntari, who hit two wonder goals in Portsmouth's 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Saturday will take off for Africa along with team-mates Kanu and John Utaka (Nigeria) and Papa Bouba Diop (Senegal) soon after the turn of year.

Former Udinese player Muntari is proud to represent his country, especially with Ghana hosting the event, but said: "I am just praying that in future they change the timetable and move it to the summer so that we can play for our clubs all the time.

"That is something I feel will benefit everyone and stop all the problems."

He told Pompey's official website: "It is certainly something that is possible and the CAF (Confederation of African Football) need to look at it.

"We are playing so well at the moment and all we can do is try to pick up as many points as possible before we have to go off to Africa."

A switch to summer for the African finals would make players vulnerable to baking-hot temperatures but the present arrangement is leaving clubs like Everton, who will lose Joseph Yobo, Steven Pienaar and possibly Ayegbeni Yakubu, and Arsenal, who will lose Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue, hot under the collar - even though they knew the pitfalls when they signed the players in question.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, who is also worried that Nigeria manager Berti Vogts wants Utaka and Kanu to report to a pre-tournament training camp two weeks early, has revealed: "I will be down to a squad of just 14 players capable of playing at Premier League level once the African Nations starts.

"If we get an injury we are in trouble and I will have to get in a few loan players or some from lower divisions next month to fill up the squad."

Muntari, who cost Pompey a club record £7.2million when he joined them from Udinese in the summer, puts the team's success - 11 consecutive Premier League matches unbeaten, including six away wins on the bounce - entirely down to Redknapp's management.

The 23-year-old said: "Harry is a great manager and he is like a father-figure to us all off the field. He treats us well and that's why everyone is happy and playing so well. It is much easier to do your job when you are happy."

[Mickey Linden]

Who do you fancy to win the tournament? The hosts have an excellent record in the competetion so im going for Ghana at 7/2

[The Watcher Pat]

Who do you fancy to win the tournament? The hosts have an excellent record in the competetion so im going for Ghana at 7/2

Fancy Ivory coast.....What price are they Mickey?

[Mickey Linden]

4/1. ivory coast look to have the best team on paper id say. im just going with ghana due to the outstanding record of the host nations. The last two hosts have won it. Egypt and tunisa.

[AZOffaly]

Not a bad bet Mickey. I might have some of that myself. Ghana have a relatively easy group with Morocco, Guinea and Namibia. That should allow them to play their way into the tournament and getting used to the pressure of being hosts. Morocco would probably be the danger there, but Ghana should win the group I'd say.

Group B has Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Mali, as well as Benin. It'll be a scrap between the first 3, although you'd expect Ivory Coast to come through.

Group C should see Cameroon and Egypt getting through at the expense of Zambia and Sudan.

Groupd D could be the toughest with Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa and Angola. All 4 teams would have aspirations of coming through it.

I'd say the quarter finals will be Ghana v Nigeria, Ivory Coast v Morocco, Cameroon v South Africa and Sengal v Egypt.

Semis Ghana v Egypt, Ivory Coast v Cameroon

Final Ghana v Ivory Coast

Ghana wins on penalties

[Uladh]

I heard the whinger on 5live saying the debilitating heat was the main reason for not playing it during the summer. also, there is a tradition (its older than the european championships) in the timing. whinger's main argument was that it should be a 4 year rotation like other regional championships rather that the current 2 years.

Any particular reason why benni mccarthy wouldn't be on the s africa squad?