All set for Nations Cup

It is 30 years since the Black Stars enjoyed the last of four successes in the biennial championship and 20 years since the Elephants lifted the Cup for the only time.
They enter the January 21-February 12 continental showpiece in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon as co-favourites with Senegal considered the best of the rest in a 16-team field.
Opinions of coaches and footballers vary as to which other sides could go far in a 23-day tournament notable for the absence of regular competitors like title holders Egypt, Algeria, Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa.
Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic backs Mali and 2011 African Footballer of the Year and Cote d’Ivoire midfielder Yaya Toure believes Morocco and Burkina Faso pose threats. If Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to be believed, only the star-saturated Ivorians need bother turning up as he rates them “an incredible team and hot favourites”.
“They have a midfield of English Premier League stars Cheik Tiote, Yaya Toure and Gervinho and Cameroon are not there, Egypt are not there and Nigeria are not there.”
Cote d’Ivoire were hot favourites in 2008 and cruised until Egypt hit them for four in the semi-finals and were also the 2010 favourites only to concede a late equaliser against Algeria in the quarter-finals and lose after extra time.
“We have got a big problem in Cote d’Ivoire – we do not respect opponents,” lamented coach Francois Zahoui. “We go to each Cup of Nations as super favourites and come back disappointed.”
Ghana came third as hosts of a 2008 championship won by Egypt and and held the Pharaohs until the dying minutes of the 2010 final in Angola before conceding the lone goal.
While star Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan battles to recover from a hamstring injury, team-mate and 2011 African Footballer of the Year bronze medalist Andre Ayew says the time has come for the Black Stars to conquer Africa again.
“I believe we have the confidence to finally lift the trophy. It is not going to be easy, though, because we are going into a tournament and anything can happen,” said the Marseille-based son of Black Stars legend Abedi “Pele” Ayew.
Senegal (Group A), Cote d’Ivoire (Group B) and Ghana (Group D) should top first phase mini-leagues, but choosing between co-hosts Gabon and former champions Morocco and Tunisia in Group C is difficult.
Equatorial Guinea, who put Brazilian coach Gilson Paulao in charge 18 days before the tournament starts and told him to win it with a team ranked 42 in Africa, Botswana and Niger are newcomers and seem destined for early exits.
Many neutral football supporters will cheer for Libya, whose team risked their lives last year travelling to and from a country wracked by civil war to fulfil qualifying fixtures.
Fixtures for 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament between January 21 and February 12 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
Group A (Bata in Equatorial Guinea unless noted)
January 21: Equatorial Guinea v Libya (8:30pm); Senegal v Zambia (11pm).
January 25: Libya v Zambia (6pm); Equatorial Guinea v Senegal (9pm).
January 29: Libya v Senegal (8pm); At Malabo – Equatorial Guinea v Zambia (8pm).
Group B (Malabo in Equatorial Guinea unless noted)
January 22: Cote d’Ivoire v Sudan (6pm); Burkina Faso v Angola (9pm).
January 26: Sudan v Angola (6pm); Cote d’Ivoire v Burkina Faso (9pm).
January 30: Cote d’Ivoire v Angola (8pm); At Bata – Sudan v Burkina Faso (8pm).
Group C (Libreville in Gabon unless noted)
January 23: Gabon v Niger (6pm); Morocco v Tunisia (9pm).
January 27: Niger v Tunisia (6pm); Gabon v Morocco (9pm).
January 31: Niger v Morocco (8pm); At Franceville – Gabon v Tunisia (8pm).
Group D (Franceville in Gabon unless noted)
January 24: Ghana v Botswana (6pm); Mali v Guinea (9pm).
January 28: Botswana v Guinea (6pm); Ghana v Mali (9pm).
February 1: Ghana v Guinea (8pm); At Libreville – Botswana v Mali (8pm).
Quarter-finals
February 4 – At Bata: (1) Gp A winners v Gp B runners-up (6pm); At Malabo – (2) Gp B winners v Gp A runners-up (9pm).
February 5 – At Libreville: (3) Gp C winners v Gp D runners-up (6pm); At Franceville – (4) Gp D winners v Gp C runners-up (9pm).
Semi-finals
February 8 – At Bata: Winners 1 v winners 4 (6pm); At Libreville – Winners 2 v winners 3 (9pm).
Third place play-off
February 11 – At Malabo: Losing semi-finalists (9pm).
Final
February 12 – At Libreville: Winning semi-finalists (9pm).
Seeding for 2012 African Cup of Nations tournament between January 21 and February 12 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
Group A: 1. Equatorial Guinea (co-hosts), 2. Zambia, 3. Senegal, 4. Libya
Group B: 1. Cote d’Ivoire, 2. Angola, 3. Burkina Faso, 4. Sudan
Group C: 1. Gabon (co-hosts), 2. Tunisia, 3. Morocco, 4. Niger
Group D: 1. Ghana, 2. Guinea, 3. Mali, 4. Botswana
Note: Seeding based on results at previous three Cup of Nations tournaments apart from co-hosts automatically being among top seeds
Previous Africa Cup of Nations champions ahead of 2012 tournament between January 21 and February 12 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
1957 – Egypt
1959 – Egypt
1962 – Ethiopia
1963 – Ghana
1965 – Ghana
1968 – Zaire
1970 – Sudan
1972 – Congo Brazzaville
1974 – Zaire
1976 – Morocco
1978 – Ghana
1980 – Nigeria
1982 – Ghana
1984 – Cameroon
1986 – Egypt
1988 – Cameroon
1990 – Algeria
1992 – Cote d’Ivoire
1994 – Nigeria
1996 – South Africa
1998 – Egypt
2000 – Cameroon
2002 – Cameroon
2004 – Tunisia
2006 – Egypt
2008 – Egypt
2010 – Egypt
– AFP.