Exploring the Africa Cup of Nations
With the Africa Cup of Nations just a matter of thirteen days from opening in Ghana, I’m hoping to put together a chunky Pitch Invasion feature on African football to coincide with the event. As usual, we’re looking for writing and photography that explores things not covered by the mainstream football media.
So if you’d like to contribute in any way, drop me a line at tom@pitchinvasion.net or leave a note in the comments.
Of course, we have covered African football here before, my favourite post being this first-hand account of the growth of ultras culture in Egypt. And I’d like to recommend the World Cup Blog for their excellent coverage of African football, including a very helpful set of team previews. Also worth noting is the Road to 2010 World Cup blog, where the excitement is amping up ahead of the event.
If you have any other recommendations for good blogs or websites exploring African football in general or the Africa Cup of Nations in particular, leave them in the comments.
Update: There was a problem with my email address listed above yesterday, so please resend me your message if it got bounced back to you. It should work fine now.
About the Author
Tom Dunmore is the founder and editor of Pitch Invasion. Follow him @pitchinvasion on Twitter.
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how come these bloody europeans can still tell us that our players can not go home and partake in the african cup of nations. we are no more in the slave era.could you plan your league to suit african football goats.
angry african man
Tom,
Your inbox is full!
Agh, sorry about that. Try again, I’ve cleaned it out and thanks for the heads-up.
Have to agree with you there Olubunmi, if European teams struggle to cope when the AFN tournament comes around why don’t they simply invest in their own talent? I believe the reason is that African players at the moment on the whole are cheaper to purchase than their European or South American counterparts.
Surely though Olubunmi, this would lead to the overall quality of African footballers deteriorating as the top European Leagues are filled with the finest talent which improves the African players themselves.
the European clubs shouldn’t complain, if anything the fact the tournament takes place during the international transfer window probably has chairmen and scouts licking their lips. another tournament preview is here, i hope you do not mind the plug! http://jf-justfootball.blogspot.com/
Good point Jonathan, for those managers such as Harry Redknapp who enjoy bringing in a trolley load of players during the transfer window, the ACN is another excuse to ask their Chairmen for extra funds.
It also gives the fringe players a chance to prove their worth during this period whereas otherwise they wouldn’t even get a look in.
Blatter is pushing to move the tournament to odd years in the summer. I’m not sure how well this will work for some prospective African Cup hosts.
Blatter needs to stop putting his nose in where it is not wanted. Fair enough it may be better for the European teams these players ply their trade with but the fact is that even though the ACN means that these sides lose players does not appear to stop the signings.
If the tournament was held in the Summer the weather would affect a lot of matches in Africa and the format as it stands works well for the host nations themselves.
Perhaps Sepp Blatter should consider he bigger picture rather than simply considering the desires of the richer nations leagues.