CAN 2008 shaping up well

16 years ago

Hosts, Ghana will get the quarter-finals of the 2008 African Cup of Nations underway against Nigeria as the tournament shapes up with the list of the remaining eight teams now complete.

Sunday’s first quarter-final game comes off at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra where the 45,000 capacity stadium hosts one of the continents biggest football rivalries.

Ghana and their fierce rivals, Nigeria, clash in Sunday’s first quarter-final match of the tournament which started with 16 nations.

The steadily improved Black Stars would attempt to confirm their recent superiority over the Super Eagles who are yet to show some class at the tournament.

Ghana are tipped to win but Claude Le Roy would not be celebrating before kickoff as he clearly understands the strength of the Nigerian side who have struggled to give some credence to their title dream.

"Nigeria are a very strong team but they have been having some difficulties, the atmosphere with them doesn't seem to be so good.

"We are fired up and ready to meet any side," Le Roy said in the course of the week.

Nigeria have been to every Nations Cup semi-final stage since 2000 but their last title success was 14 years ago.

The Super Eagles had to rely on the Ivory Coast beating Mali in the last group match on Tuesday to reach the last eight on goal difference.

The winner of Sunday's first quarter-final will play the winners of the Monday match between Tunisia and Cameroon in the semi-finals.

The second quarter-final match on Sunday sees the Ivory Coast play Guinea in Sekondi. Guinea will be without their captain and talisman Pascal Feindouno, who is suspended though the Ivorians might be without Kolo Toure, who is recovering from injury.

The winner of this match will play either Egypt or Angola in the semifinals as the two sides meet on Monday in Kumasi, with the reigning champions, the Pharaohs expected to advance and set-up a repeat of the 2006 final when they beat the Ivorians on home soil.

The fourth quarter-final line ups Tunisia against Cameroon on Monday in Tamale. Tunisia are yet to play to their full potential while the Indomitable Lions are starting to roar with record-breaker Samuel Eto’o in excellent form.

FIXTURES

QUARTERFINALS Sunday, February 3 Ghana v Nigeria (KO 17h00 GMT) Ivory Coast v Guinea (20h30)

Monday, February 4 Egypt v Angola (17h00) Tunisia v Cameroon (20h30)

SEMIFINALS Thursday, February 7 Winner Q/F 1 v Winner Q/F 4 Winner Q/F 2 v Winner Q/F 3

THIRD-PLACE PLAY-OFF Saturday, February 9 Loser SF1 v Loser SF2

FINAL Sunday, February 10 Winner SF1 v Winner SF2