2021 African Cup of Nations (2022)

Discussion in 'CAF: Tournaments' started by Ofori, Nov 30, 2021.

  1. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    meanwhile in the 3rd place match

    Burkina Faso is beating Cameroon 3-0 just after half time.

    I really hope Cameroon does not qualify for the World Cup just to go 3 and out.

    Algeria better get their act together.
     
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  2. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    Easy opponents made them looking decent.
    Now they get exposed badly.

    If I change my pick to Algeria then I would have all North Africans qualfying.
     
  3. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    Well Cameroon score 3 straight goals to come back and then win on penalties !!!

    Still not impressed with them tbh. Average side at best.
     
  4. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    The level in general at this AFCON isn't very impressive either to be honest.
     
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  5. Game of Billions

    Humans are AMAZING!
    Scotland
    Nov 16, 2021
    Scotland
    Yep. The best teams in Europe would demolish most of the teams in AFCON. Is that harsh, OTT? It's just that defensively, no team looked like a machine-team, as I call such teams who let in few goals and also go on successful fast attacks when on the ball. These African teams looked amateurish at times and the bad discipline was embarrassing for a worldwide live broadcast sports tournament. Those teams should be fined $100,000 for their idiocy. Harsh again?! LOL!

    Time to make AFCON every four years, cancel next year's tournament and move it to 2024. Make it begin on Friday May 24th to Sunday 23rd June. Euro 2024 begins on Friday 14th June, but so what? Let both tours be played in Summer every even-numbered fourth year! Why not, football is crazy now and giving Africa time to breath for the now gargantuan 48-team, 80-match World Cup.

    Thoughts? Cheers.
     
  6. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    A lot of the better teams went home early. The bracket was lopsided. It made for a anticlimactic later stages.

    Egypt v CIV
    Egypt v Morocco
    Senegal v Burkina Faso
    Cameroon v Egypt
    Nigeria v Egypt

    Were all very good matches.

    Tomorrow should also be another good one.
     
  7. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    I tell you something, mate.
    I think Scotland will qualify for the World Cup and I wouldn't put any CAF side above Scotland at the moment. The best two three CAF sides are on par with Scotland from what I saw and not any better.
     
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  8. Game of Billions

    Humans are AMAZING!
    Scotland
    Nov 16, 2021
    Scotland
    Before the tournament, I would have not agreed with this seeing the form of the best four African teams - Senegal, Algeria, Morocco, Nigeria - but now I'd fancy Scotland beating those teams at the World Cup on neutral ground, not thrashing them, just giving them a tough game. Egypt emerged well. I still think that Iran will be hard to beat in Qatar on a Wednesday afternoon in November. Qatar themselves too, that ex-Barcelona Youth manager has them playing very well.
     
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  9. Iranian Monitor

    Iranian Monitor Member+

    Aug 18, 2004
    Nat'l Team:
    Iran
    If this AFCON properly represented what to expect of CAF teams, I could agree. I don't think that is the case. This tourney, poorly organized and sandwiched between the 2nd and final round of CAF WCQ, with many sides missing players and personnel due to Covid, does highlight some of the endemic issues with football played in CAF. But I don't think it represents the level of football to expect from CAF at the World Cup. And I agree with @vancity eagle: in the midst of some the chaotic and disorganized games we saw, there were others at the level of games to expect from CAF's better teams.
     
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  10. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    LOL

    Come on man.

    People keep saying this kind of thing and never learn.

    They said the same last time that even Iceland would beat us and the mighty Lewandowski lead Poland would beat Senegal. We all saw what happened.

    Again I will remind you that in 2006 Ghana finished BOTTOM of its Afcon group only to qualify from its WC group of death thrashing the hyped Czech Rep. Which could have ended 6-0 if Ghana could finish better.

    Algeria also finished bottom of their AFCON group in 2013 before qualifying for the 2nd round d of a WC and took world cup champs Germany to extra time.

    I thought you would know better than this.
     
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  11. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    I agree. I wouldn't made such a statement before the tournament. But as nobody really showed consistently strong performances, I get to the conclusion I made.

    I agree about Iran. Not so much about Qatar. I think they simply lack quality and some attributes in order to have a respectable showing. I'm not so hot on them.
     
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  12. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    I do agree that this AFCON is a bad measuring stick. My predictions for CAF teams at the World Cup won't be based on this tournament. But you can expect that CAF teams won't place any higher than the best sides of CONCACAF, AFC and the worst UEFA sides in my grade list.
     
  13. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    I'm not sure what you were expecting, and you are acting like only teams in CAF have dissapointing games.

    IMO the tournament is not as good as the 2019 one because you had A LOT of the best teams eliminated early for one reason or another.

    1. Bad luck with red cards (Nigeria, Ghana)
    2. Poor finishing (Algeria)
    3. Uneven bracket (CIV, Morocco)

    You had all these teams except Morocco gone after the 2nd round and then they went out in the quarters. So you had a bunch of average teams (plus Egypt, Senegal) left from basically the quarters on.

    It has been anti-climactic because of that, but that's football.

    Senegal who looked poor in the first round have looked pretty good in their last 2 matches.

    Cameroon has only beaten average and poor teams and fell at their first real test. I really hope they dont grind their way to Qatar, because they along with Mali/Tunisia would be the African teams I give almost no chance of advancing to the knockouts. Everyone else will be fine.

    Possible/Likely qualifiers

    1. Nigeria looked great until they went down a man early with a red.
    2. Senegal looked poor early on but are looking better now even when facing better teams. Their early matches were played at the hottest time of the day, and they had the Covid problems back then.
    3. Egypt has looked solid with the ability to counter
    4. Tunisa are just an average team that wont do much in Qatar other than possibly finishing above the right pot4 team.
    5. Algeria is all about if they can find their pre-afcon form.
    6. Morocco I expected more from but they are still solid and will hopefully be getting reinforcements.
     
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  14. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    I didn't give any hint on what my predictions for CAF teams at the World Cup would be. I still believe that there will be at least one CAF team in the knockout stage.
    My grade list will obviously not serve as a prediction but much more to portray how the teams performed as of late.

    Scotland are no joke these days. They beat Denmark in qualfying. Any team that win Denmark in a competitive fixture deserve a lot of credit as Denmark are not a side that get beaten easily.
     
  15. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    they beat Denmark right after Denmark qualified for the World Cup and had absolutely nothing to play for, and even rested many of their top players.

    These kind of matches happen all the time, I wouldn't look too much into that.
     
  16. Kamtedrejt

    Kamtedrejt Member+

    Internazionale Milano
    Albania
    Mar 14, 2017
    Hamburg
    Club:
    FC Internazionale Milano
    Nat'l Team:
    Albania
    I do read into it for the following reasons:

    — It was not a complete make-shift line-up by Denmark. Schmeichel, Kjaer, Christensen, Maehle and Wass did all start. That's five starters and close to full strengh in defense.

    — Yes, Denmark was already qualified but they played for important World Ranking points as they were/are hopeful to squeeze into pot 1.
    Had they won in Glasgow their prospects to be seeded would have gotten a serious boost.

    —Scotland were not negative. They played good counter-attacking football and created the bulk of the chances.

    If you have time check out the highlights.

    I will show Scotland some respect and give them a respectable place in my grade list.
     
  17. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    to be honest I dont think those professional players are as obsessed about ranking points and seeds as we are on this forum.

    I think the Danish team was not giving their all and lost focus because they had just qualified for the World cup and were obviously in a party mood.

    You cannot seriously expect them to go into a match against Scotland (fighting for their survival) and view that match without that context.

    Frankly I would take more from a friendly match than a meaningless qualifier where you have already topped the group and qualified.

    Do you really believe had something actually been on the line (not ranking points) or if that match had occurred earlier in qualifying that same result would have happened ?

    Nothing in Scotland's recent record suggests such would be the case.
     
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  18. Game of Billions

    Humans are AMAZING!
    Scotland
    Nov 16, 2021
    Scotland
    #743 Game of Billions, Feb 6, 2022
    Last edited: Feb 6, 2022
    It's not like Denmark phoned it in ala Cameroon v Soviet Union in their last group game at Italia 90 when they fielded their B team and got thrashed 4-0. Scotland beat a strong side in Denmark that day but a full-strength Denmark would have been a harder challenge. It was the game against Israel that was worrying. I hope we go on a rampage at Hampden in seven weeks against Ukraine. And thank f**k we are not playing in Ukraine with the shit-show unfurling there. And then playing Wales in Cardiff? Jesus, we always take the hardest, most dramatic routes to tournaments!

    I'm sick of all the rankings talk, I must tell you all. Enough. They mean nothing. Only performance on the pitch on the day in front of screaming fans and of course trophies and medals mean anything. Rankings are for boxing - and chess! In football, it's for administrative purposes only. Maybe for the up and coming teams like Armenia is means something. I think it confuses and deludes the average fan to look at those rankings. Scotland fans would look at Armenia at 92 in FIFA rankings and say, "oh this will be easy!" and they'd be oh so wrong, especially playing them in the mystical city of Yerevan.
     
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  19. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    pk to Senegal first few minutes.They've started with a bang.
     
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  20. Game of Billions

    Humans are AMAZING!
    Scotland
    Nov 16, 2021
    Scotland
    7 mins: SENEGAL 0 - 0 EGYPT

    Penalty for Senegal and it's a great save!
     
  21. Deadtigers

    Deadtigers Member+

    Jul 23, 2015
    Independent Republic of the Bronx, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ghana
    Goo Senegal!!

    Do it for the Sub-Saharians!!
     
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  22. Deadtigers

    Deadtigers Member+

    Jul 23, 2015
    Independent Republic of the Bronx, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ghana

    Ph-duck!!
     
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  23. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    Senegal is an entirely different team with Ismalia Sarr.
     
  24. pipinogol

    pipinogol Member+

    May 20, 2016
    Club:
    Cary RailHawks U23
    Egypt is just resisting.

    If Senegal scores before this half ends the game is over.
     
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  25. vancity eagle

    vancity eagle Member+

    Apr 6, 2006
    I get it but I dont like teams that try to defend their way to a championship.
     
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