THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE 2012 “BEAUTIFUL GAME” SEASON: THE AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS (SERIES 1)

The Beautiful Season of the Beautiful Game

The 2012 season of the beautiful game “football” has been one with a remarkable beauty that has added more beauty to the game which I believe will unprecedentedly get the beautiful game more endeared to people, notably those who never appreciated its beauty. Except one does not understand the beautiful game, added to the rules guiding her, it is a game that magnets joy and liveliness to one in limitless fashion, calming the nerves and healing the broken hearted (though pending the duration of the match and if the broken hearted is lucky that his or her team takes the day but if not… the rest is history)

Since this blog got operationally brought to birth in November 2011, this will be the first time football will be discussed. My gladness to this is due to the awesome fact that this discussion will be executed in style, courtesy the 2012 ended football season that has been beautified by the twist and turns that has not been witnessed in a wide spread manner, going beyond boundaries, starting with the Africa Cup of Nation that was co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, which subsequently diffused to the first tier major football leagues in Europe, notably; England, France, Italy, Spain and Germany. 

These said, I believe that the on-going UEFA Euro 2012 will not be left out as it having a twist will bring to what I call an unprecedented twist and turns conclusion to the 2011/2012 football season. A twist of a kind that will no doubt make this blog a point of easy reminiscing for you esteemed readers, viewers and visitors.

The passion expressed by the huge number of followers in Nigeria speaks volumes on the level in which football is well rooted in Africa and the world as a number of Nigerians went to Church to give thanks giving for the astonishing victory of Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League final on the 19^th of May, added to many others partying all night and killing cows that were prequel to the match, painted in the colours and logo of Chelsea. On the aforesaid, it is no surprising to have read that according to answers the beautiful game has over 3.5 billion fans worldwide.

More so, with the UEFA Euro 2012 underway, no doubt the beautiful game will have more fans, addicts and people seeing it as truly being a sport with a beauty that will never be cloned.

However, the overwhelming beyond boundary effect of football was notably witnessed and expressed during the G8 Summit at Camp David on Saturday, 19 May 2012. A day that synonymously doubled as the day the Final of the UEFA Champions league was played in Munich. 

As depicted in the picture below, the G8 Summit kicked off with the business of the day (world matters, ranging from politics to the economy to mention the least) but…

“Earlier, President Barack Obama is seen with the other G8 leaders in a working session focused on global and economic issues, in the dining room of Laurel Cabin at Camp David”

Image Source:  The Guardian

…as the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, the G8 leaders comprising the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States of America had to take time off their very busy schedule addressing major global economic, political, and security challenges to I believe, get very relaxed and witness the UEFA Champions League final with notably as depicted in the picture below, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron spellbound on the match. A match that had the display of the love for the game by “2 of the most powerful leaders in the world” not just because of the fact that they were proud to have their country club sides represent them but the passion they showed for the beautiful game sequel to the match which will be displayed in the subsequent series.

Notwithstanding, with the contagious smiles, excitement and glamour expressed by the world leaders, I will attribute football as being a sport that is a unifying factor across the globe, cutting across boundaries and different works of lives .

“The G8 leaders, including EU commission president José Manuel Barrosso, German chancellor Angela Merkel and David Cameron, take their seats to watch the early stages of the match”

Image Source: The Guardian

As this work proceeds, 6 of the major football leagues in Europe and 2 National football tournaments will be treated. These leagues are the English Premier League, the German Bundesliga, the Italian Serie A, the French Ligue 1, the Spanish La liga and the UEFA Champions league.

The tournaments in view will be the Confederation of Africa football (CAF) Africa Cup of Nations and the UEFA Euro 2012 that kicked off on 8 June, 2012.

The 2012 beautiful game season, asides starting with the All Africa Cup of Nations that got Zambia crowned Africa champions, the 2012 football season across the first tier football leagues of major European football leagues as stated earlier witnessed one of the biggest twist, turns and surprises as these football leagues reached its crescendo with a number of teams, Zambia inclusive clinching their first ever title.

To this end, the 2012 African Cup of Nations will be discussed now and subsequently preceding the round off to the UEFA EURO 2012, the other leagues will also be talked about.

         

  
THE 2012 AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS     

The nations cup 2012 by the Confederation of African Football which was co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea is one that will forever be buried in ones mind without being forgotten. It is a tourney, one of a kind filled with an excitement prior to its kick off, extending to the glamour of its rounding off that marked the crowning of the new Champions of African Football, Zambia.

Making more spellbinding the AFCON 2012 was the surprise non-appearance of Egypt, Cameroon and Nigeria. These three countries have for long been the powerhouse of African football due to their dominance of the game in the continent.

Egypt, a record 7 time winner of the competition and 3 times consecutive defending champions prior to the 2012 tourney was the biggest shocker as they failed to qualify from Group G, finishing last in the four nation table, behind Sierra Leone, South Africa and Niger. In addition, Egypt has been runners – up twice and third place finishers 3 times.    

Next is Cameroon, another surprise absentee had previously won the tourney 4 times but in the qualification matches for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations the Indomitable Lions, due to the lateness in getting the results, finished in second place behind Senegal in Group E. The Senegalese were prior to the tournament considered as favourites.

The Cameroonians with their admired physical approach to the beautiful game, added to the likes of Samuel Eto’o, the highest paid African footballer in the world; is one team that indeed one wished had partaken in the tourney. Asides being 4 time champions, the Cameroonians have been two times runners up and finished in third place once.

The third absentee blow is Nigeria. The Super Eagles of Nigeria has a unique supporters club that adds spice to her (Nigeria’s) presence in not just the AFCON but other football tourneys, most notably the USA 94 appearance which was the first FIFA World Cup appearance by the most populous black nation in the world. 

Nigeria, the two time African champions have in addition, had 4 runners-up and 7 third place finish to their credit.

Noteworthy, though absent from the AFCON 2012, these three teams did not take away the excitement, glamour and unprecedented twist the beautiful game has ever witnessed in Africa, a twist that originated from the qualifying rounds as earlier briefed.

As against the backdrop of the absence of these football heavyweights in Africa, three other notable heavy weights that made it through were Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast. All these were the tournament favourites, taking the limelight off the earlier stated 3 absentees.

The Ghanaians have had 4 titles, 4 runner-ups and one third placed finish to their credit while the Senegalese have had 1 runner up to their credit and the Ivoirians whom have clinched the title once, added to being runners – up twice and third place finishers four times were all expected to bully the other teams.

Lastly, the Ivoirians which has over the last few years, precisely the 2006 and 2008 AFCON finished in second and fourth place respectively have been a force to reckon with in African Football.

The francophone African Nation, in addition to their talisman striker; Diddier Drogba  have a huge depth of talent that have got me in over the last six years perceive them to be the fastest evolving African Football Nation.

Asides these top challengers were the underdogs comprising the 2 host countries, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, not forgetting Angola and Niger which displaced Egypt.

Interestingly, the eventual winners of the tourney I bet were not in the minds and on the lips of most of the followers of AFCON, except maybe the compatriots and friends of the gaffer of the team.

As the tourney got underway, there was one team that no one considered winning, a team that had a tactical pacy approach to their opponents, hitting them on the counter- attack, causing the first upset of the tourney with the 2: 1 victory over Senegal. Zambia was a team that was not looked at, talkless of being considered to be the eventual winners of the competition.

The impressive performance of Zambia during the African Cup of Nations has transcended to the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking. In the December 2011 football ranking, Zambia was placed at 71 but sequel to the AFCON 2012, precisely in the June FIFA/coca-cola world ranking, Zambia was ranked 43^rd in the world.

As the AFCON climaxed into the other stages, the upset got bigger with Zambia defeating tournament favourites Ghana to reach the finals where they resiliently further extended the victory to the second tournament favourite, Ivory Coast in the penalty shoot-out having had the 2 goal posts begging in vain for the ball to get in all through the 90mins of play and the 30 minutes of injury time.

Though the Chipolopolo have been 2 times runners up and 3 times third place finishers in previous editions of the African Cup of Nations, the AFCON 2012 8-7 penalty shoot out victory of Chipolopolos over the Elephants of Ivory Coast got the East Africans their first triumph as they remarkably became the 2012 champions of African football in a grand style which marked the kick off to the twist and turns of the 2012 most beautiful game season.

                             

Image Source:    Google Image

In the next series... Never mind I will not let the cat out of the bag but keep you posted and get your fingers crossed on the next tournaments or leagues in focus.

Thank you!!!

REFERENCES

“2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification” Wikipedia 15 June 2012.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_Africa_Cup_of_Nations_qualification>

“Africa Cup of Nation”  Wikipedia 29 June 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa_Cup_of_Nations>

“G8 leaders watch the Champions League final - in pictures” Theguardian 20 May 2012. 29 May 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/may/20/g8-leaders-watch-champions-league-in-pictures#/?picture=390410646&index=1>

“G8 leaders watch the Champions League final - in pictures” Theguardian 20 May 2012. 29 May 2012. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2012/may/20/g8-leaders-watch-champions-league-in-pictures>

“What is the most popular sport in the world?” Answers 24 May 2012    <http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_most_popular_sport_in_the_world>

Please put down your comments and views on your perception of the 2011/2012 football year being one of a kind and filled with twist and turns.

Thank you...