ACTUALITE |
10.02.2006
Pride and Honour at Stake
Today, millions of people worldwide will watch the final of the 25th African Cup of Nations. Egypt will face Côte d`Ivoire in an epic encounter at the Cairo International stadium that promises to produce fire works. The stakes are high. Winning the trophy carries a lot of significance for both teams.
Egypt is under the pressure of its supporters who expect nothing but victory. Winning therefore is an obligation for the team, whose performance in the joint qualifies for the present Nations Cup and World Cup, was not impressive. Offering the trophy to fans will be the ultimate means for the Pharaohs, who failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany, to reunite with their fans.
The Egypt national squad will also be out to create one more record in African football. Egypt is presently hosting the African Cup of Nations for a record five times. Tuesday’s triumph over Senegal made Egypt the only nation to play in six African Cup of Nations finals. Today, it is seeking for a record fifth title. The Egyptians stand favourites when we consider that the Pharaohs have a nack for winning at home. They won the 1959 edition organized in Egypt. In the 1986 African Nations Cup final, Egypt beat Cameroon on penalties to grab the trophy. Whether they succeed will depend on how much serenity can reign in the team, especially as they play in front of a home crowd that wants nothing less than excellent performance. Under such pressure, it may be difficult to keep their calm. There is also the consequences of indiscipline to tackle. With the suspension of Mido any error up front may be attributed to his absence.
The Elephants of Côte d`Ivoire would not only be seeking for their second continental title, after the 1992 experience, but would also be out to proof to the world that their qualification for the World Cup was not a mistake. Winning today`s final will thus be a means of taking their argument of superiority and maturity in the African scene right to the end. It will put the team in a good posture for the world campaign; a warning to their World Cup group opponents, Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro and Argentina, that they will be tough opponents in Germany.
In effect, Côte d`Ivoire is the only African World Cup representative to have made an impact at the Nations Cup and will want to fight to the end. Tunisia was eliminated in the quarter-finals, while Angola, Ghana and Togo failed to go beyond the group stages. The question is: has the Ivorians the capability of dictating the pace? So far, their performances have proved they have the potential. They only need to keep their heads high amidst the pressure from the crowd.
It is therefore evident that we are in for a good spectacle this evening. Let the better side win!
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