African festival fired by goal glut

The high-scoring Nations Cup has been a resounding success despite, as ever, a touch of chaos

(INDEPENDENT GRAPHICS)

The Ohene Djan Stadium will not be full tomorrow. Not at 5pm when the final of the 26th African Nations Cup kicks off, and not at 5.30, which is when most local fans usually seem to arrive. Ghana's defeat in the semi-final has deflated the mood and so the final, between Cameroon and Egypt, is approached not with expectation, but with weary reluctance. That is a shame for, despite everything, this has been a magnificent competition.

A measure of chaos is usual in Nations Cups, but this has been exceptional. For three weeks the Ghanaian press has been engaged in continuous assault on the Local Organising Committee over the embarrassingly inadequate media facilities, but that is the least of the tournament's concerns.

The pitches have been so poor that Claude Le Roy, the vastly experienced Ghana coach, described the surface at the Ohene Djan as the worst he has known in two decades in African football. In Tamale, locals led their goats to graze on the training field until a fence was hastily erected. Egypt, arriving here in Accra shortly before midnight on the Thursday before the tournament began, were informed the private flight they had arranged to take them to Kumasi would not be allowed to take off in darkness. When, having found a hotel at the last minute – no easy feat – they returned the following morning, they discovered their plane had left with the Cameroon team on board. Even Didier Drogba has protested at the "lack of respect" the Confederation Africain de Football has shown players who have radically raised the level of interest in the competition.

And yet, for all that, this tournament – at least for a neutral – has been a resounding success. Most simply, there have been goals – 92 of them so far. The tournament record of 93, set in Burkina Faso in 1998, will surely fall and, if there are a further four goals, this will be the first Nations Cup since Ethiopia '76 to yield an average of three goals per game. The World Cup in Germany in 2006 produced an average of just 2.3 goals per game. The high number of goals here has, admittedly, been due in part to some awful defending.

Namibia, Sudan and Zambia all played at times as though trying to resurrect stereotypes about African naivety at the back. As Guinea chased their quarter-final against Ivory Coast, and conceded four late goals to lose 5-0, their goalkeeper Kemoko Camara said they had "played like a bunch of children". So they had, but the failings of certain teams should not colour the judgement of how others have performed.

The most extraordinary defensive performance came from Cameroon in their semi-final win over Ghana. Otto Pfister, their eccentric 70-year-old German coach, only began working with the squad three weeks before the tournament, and his side have improved with every game. This is not a Cameroon side to match the team that took the title in 2000 and retained it in Mali in 2002, but, as Geremi pointed out, they have shown a mental strength to live up to the "Indomitable Lions" nickname.

At half-time in their opening game against Egypt, they were 3-0 down, and so bad that Pfister replaced three of his four midfielders. Since then he has astutely picked his team according to the opposition and, with Arsenal's Alexander Song emerging as a key presence at the back of the midfield, they achieved his aim of "tactically paralysing" Ghana. The question is whether he will be able to do this against Egypt, who are playing football far superior to that which won them a record fifth title in Cairo in 2006.

This has been a superb tournament, full of intrigue and shocks, and yet producing a last four who are the best sides in the competition. With the neurotic passions of the hosts and the muscularity of the Ivorians gone, it comes down to a classical meeting of two different schools of footballing thought: the tactical beast of Cameroon against the technical beauty of Egypt.

Out of Africa: Three star players and the African Nations Cup team of the tournament

* Mohammed Hosny (Egypt)

The 23-year-old Ismailia star has held Egypt's technically-gifted midfield together. Intelligent in distribution and robust in the tackle, he has also scored four goals. Had authority to stand in as captain in place of the injured Ahmed Hassan. Has shown his coolness with three penalties, two of which had to be retaken after referees objected to his stuttering approach.

* Manucho (Angola)

To say eyebrows were raised when the 24-year-old was plucked from Petro Athletico in the Angolan league to join Manchester United would be an understatement, but he has done much here to prove Carlos Queiroz right. His touch is a little heavy, but has pace and his aerial ability are phenomenal. His headed goal against South Africa was outstanding.

* John Mensah (Ghana)

Known as 'The Rock of Gibraltar' for his rugged unflappability, the 25-year-old captain has been a peripheral figure at press conferences as local fans and the media flocked around Michael Essien, but the Rennes centre-back was sorely missed when he was suspended for the semi-final against Cameroon. A powerful aerial presence with an air of calm authority.

Fixtures

Today: Third/fourth place play-off: Ghana v Ivory Coast (5pm, Kumasi).

Tomorrow: Final: Cameroon v Egypt (5pm, Accra).