The Africa Cup of Nations 2015, which concluded on Sunday in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, will not be remembered as one of the most successful sporting events of recent years.
Not too long ago, this tournament was the main stage for the biggest African stars of the European leagues. Rabah Madjer, Roger Milla, Abedi Pele, Ahmed Hassan, George Weah, Jay-Jay Okocha, Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba were prominent names that every two years, left their clubs in the old continent and returned to their countries to proudly represent their national teams.
In the '90s and early 2000s, the tournament was an opportunity for African countries to prove and demonstrate their place as modern, legitimate states and banish the stigmas which haunt the continent. In recent years, with the tournament gradually losing prestige and clubs preventing their players from leaving to join their national teams in mid-season, the level of play has not been great, but the colourful crowds and the full stadiums still create a positive, joyful atmosphere. This is exactly how the African Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco in 2015 should have been conducted, but then along came Ebola, and with it, the problems.
With the outbreak of the Ebola epidemic came reports, about three months before the opening game, that Morocco was refusing to host the tournament. In those days, this made sense from a medical perspective, but after the Moroccans hosted the FIFA Club World Cup in December and did so well, pundits and critics were united in the same opinion: the Moroccan refusal to host the African Cup of Nations stunk of racism and snobbery towards the Sub-Saharan peoples.
UEFA President, Michel Platini, who tried to intervene and postpone the tournament, got into arguments with Issa Hayatou, the president of African Football Confederation, who vehemently argued that the tournament had to go ahead. The decision whether to hold the tournament and where remained open six weeks before the tournament was due to start. Finally, after apologies, compromises and an emergency conference at FIFA´s headquarters in Cairo, it was decided that Morocco would be suspended until 2019 and made to pay a heavy fine. Equatorial Guinea, who did not even qualify, was chosen to host the tournament.
The championship got underway in this negative atmosphere, yet it still shattered records, gave rise to scandals and crowned new champions. We have gathered here the ten moments that made this Africa Championship as contradictory as it was.
1. It is all about ties
One distinguishing feature of the tournament was the high number of drawn matches. Out of 24 games in the group stage, 14 ended in a draw, while in the knock-out stage, there were three more. The final and the match for third place ended with penalties, while the hosts Equatorial Guinea beat Tunisia after extra time in the quarter-finals. Combined with voices talking about shameful refereeing, the talk of corruption also spread among those who watched the tournament. Mali and Guinea finished the group stage with the same number of points, same goal difference, the same number of scored goals and a tie in the match between them. To decide which team would go through, lots were drawn and Guinea was the fortunate one.
2. Is it fixed?
The quarter-final game between Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia will be remembered as one of the most dubious matches in the history of the tournament and will probably be shown in referee schools around the world. Match referee, Ragindrafarsad Sinchoren from Mauritius, will probably never be able to go to Tunisia in his lifetime. That’s what happens when you give a non-existent penalty in injury-time for the host nation. The ref was suspended from CAF activities for six months and received a fine. The Tunisians were suspended from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations for confronting the referee during the match and trashing the changing rooms.
3. Coaches and shirts
The focus was on Avram Grant, and quite rightly so. He took over the Ghana team during a mini-crisis, six weeks before the beginning of the tournament. He faced very serious doubts over his abilities from players and professionals in Ghana, Europe and Israel. Although Ghana did not play the best football, Grant got along with his players and the African journalists and was part of a united Ghanaian group who reached the final, while showing discipline, patriotism and hard work. There, he encountered another successful coach. Frenchman Hervé Renard, who in 2012 won the tournament with Zambia against the Ivory Coast, led the elephants to their first continental title since 1992 and became the first coach to win the tournament with two different teams.
The amusing battle was between Renard's white shirt, with which he hadn’t lost in 15 games, and Grant’s blue-striped polo shirt, with which Ghana won all their games in the tournament since the second match. The Ghanaians wanted Grant to give it to the President of the country as a good luck charm. Eventually, Renard, with his white shirt, was luckier.
They were lucky and now they being treated as kings. Ivory Coast´s players in Abidjan. (AP©)
4. The Game
One country to be particularly affected by colonialism is Congo. The region was divided brutally, what harmed tribes and entire populations, aroused conflicts, military coups and civil wars. This background made the Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo quarter final game so memorable.
‘Little’ Congo led 2-0, and seemed on the safest way to the semi-finals, with a fine display by fantastic Thievy Bifouma. But on the 65th minute, Dieumerci M’bokani carried the Democratic Republic for a 4-2 victory, with two goals and an assist. The tall striker was prominent for the Leopards’ team, finished the tournament with three goals and led the Democratic Republic of Congo to the third place, their best since 1998.
5. The Disappointment
This title is going to Algeria. After a fine World Cup, with almost a full French-born roster, this time they just did not reach the same level of intensity. Being marked the as one of the favorites to win at the beginning of the competition, it was not good enough and they lost to the two finalists. Thus, Algeria closed a very disappointing tournament for the Maghreb countries, none of which did not pass the quarter-finals.
The disappointment from North Africa joins the terrible reports from Egypt, an African football empire who is fading because of violence inside and outside the pitches. Three years after the riots which killed 74 people, earlier this week about 40 fans were killed during rioting between the authorities and Zamalek's ultras groups. It certainly will not add prestige for the country that for years led the African Football in both sporting and organizational standards.
6. Good hosts
Equatorial Guinea had less than two months to prepare for the tournament, and in this matter they do deserve a good word. In addition, they flew Cuban doctors to meet the needs and supervise, and testing and prevention measures against Ebola virus were widely spread, which made the event safe for residents and visitors. The scandalous semi-final against Ghana, which joined the quarterfinals scandal, has changed the general image of the host’s character. When Ghana led 2-0, the game was stopped because of rioting Guinean fans attacked Ghanaian fans and players. The game renewed, and was stopped again, when fans rioted outside and the police had to disperse them with tear gas. The Ghanaians fans fled to the field lines and a helicopter circled above the stadium. The match renewed again for a few minutes, and was terminated with Ghana’s victory, in what seemed more like a battlefield than a football game. The fact that the hosts did not broadcast the final live was weird and did not aid the ultra-rich but corrupt country's image.
7. A smart investment
Ghanaian Christian Atsu, Chelsea’s player on loan to Everton, provided a great tournament under Avram Grant. He notched two goals, one assist and a total dominance on the right flank of his team, which was enough for him to scoop the title. Atsu is young and still requires nurturing, but he was pressuring defenders consistently, and if will get more minutes in Everton next season we may see him in Jose Mourinho’s eleven.
8. Captain Elephant
In recent years Ivory Coast enjoyed a ‘golden generation’ of talented footballers. The symbol of this generation is Didier Drogba, who retired and watched the tournament from home. In his absence, the responsibility for the ‘Elephants’ moved to Yaya Touré, who led his team to their first title in 23 years. Yaya was the leader, has put in an extreme effort, bombed a spectacular goal against in the semifinals, and showed how important for him it was. He is a true captain.
9. Hero of the moment
Boubacar 'Copa' Barry suffered some bad public relations before and during the tournament. It was told he is a clown, he was blamed for Ivory Coast´s underachieving mentality, and that first choice Sylvain Gbohouo is much better than him. Says who? Gbohouo was injured and Barry was a part of the finals starting line-up. After a boring 0-0, he provided two heroic stops during the spot-kicks duel, faked an injury to gain time and put pressure on the Ghanaians, then went and scored the decisive penalty in style and brought the cup to Abidjan. That’s an 'Anti-Hero'.
10. Worth to be mentioned
Gyan Asamoah (Ghana), was not one hundred percent fit because of malaria illness but proved responsibility and leadership, Dieumerci M’bokani (Democratic Republic of Congo), the huge talent finally led his team to higher position, Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea), the hosts’ spark, Baba Abdul Rahman (Ghana), the future of the Black Stars, Robert Kidiaba (Democratic Republic of the Congo), his colorful celebrations after each goal and victory are exactly the reason why watch the Africa Cup of Nations.
A photo we can't forget, Renard tries to console Ayew. (CanaL+© screenview)
The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations was a controversial event by all accounts. Stigmas and prejudices, post-colonial attitudes of representatives of FIFA, and the mediocre organization have made a failure.
"Ebola tournament" the media called it before it started, but at the end we will remember the smell of corruption, the referees’ scandals, the semifinals’ riot, Yaya Touré hoists the trophy and the tears of André Ayew from Ghana, which even the consolation of the opponent coach Renard, did not help to stop.