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Drama Rocking The Race For The 2015 Africa Cup Of Nations

Drama Rocking The Race For The 2015 Africa Cup Of Nations

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The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled for January 2015 in Morocco, may seem ages away, but teams are already battling for a place in the competition. And since we’re talking about African football, the controversy has already started. Here are 10 surprises, scandals and drama rocking the race for the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations — and it’s still more than three months away! If this is an indication, we can only expect more to come.

Sources: BBC.com, Sports.Yahoo.com, Goal.com, GhanaSoccerNet.com, TheGuardian.com, SBNation.com

TimesofOman.com
TimesofOman.com

Congo stuns Nigeria on the first-match day

On the first day of official play, Congo pulled off a stunning victory over defending champion Nigeria, which had also enjoyed success at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Congo surprised fans and players with seamless play and defense, netting a 3-2 away win and, undoubtedly, a significant amount of respect for the rest of the tournament.

TheStar.co.ke
TheStar.co.ke

Lesotho puts up a fight against Burkina Faso and Gabon, exceeding expectations

Lesotho, battling to earn a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament for the first time, came into the qualifiers as significant underdogs. However, an inspiring performance against 2013 runner-up Burkina Faso, though it ultimately ended in defeat, began to turn heads to the Likuena’s potential. Lesotho then went on to a 1-1 draw with Gabon, though they were just minutes away from an upset, after playing the majority of the game with just 10 men, when Gabon managed to score a late goal to draw.

ProgressRwanda.rw
ProgressRwanda.rw

Cape Verde shoots to the top of Group F

Cape Verde is quickly making its name as one of Africa’s rising stars, after demolishing Niger in a 3-1 victory, and then 2012 champions Zambia in a 2-1 win. Cape Verde now tops the pool with a maximum six points, and is looking to continue to strengthen its position as a force to be reckoned with throughout the rest of the tournament.

ZambiaReports.com
ZambiaReports.com

Zambia fails to impress

As Cape Verde’s star begins to rise, Group F favorites Zambia are on their way out, and the memory of their 2012 victory is fading with each passing day. After a goalless draw against Mozambique, Zambia lost to the Cape Verde team and is now sitting with only one point in Group F, along with Niger, at the bottom. Some blamed a botched travel itinerary that landed the Zambian team in Cape Verde only hours before kick-off, but the fact remains that the Chipolopolo is no longer a favorite in the tournament.

SandalsforGoalPosts.Wordpress.com
SandalsforGoalPosts.Wordpress.com

Egypt loses a shocker to Senegal

Seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt has had a disappointing tournament, losing to both Senegal and Tunisia in 2-0 and 1-0 defeats, respectively. The Pharaohs, despite reforms that had been carried out in the last two years as they remained absent from the tournament, have failed to make a showing this year, and are set to make an early exit.

TheMalaysianInsider.com
TheMalaysianInsider.com

Cameroon hammers early opponents to put its poor World Cup performance behind it

Cameroon came into the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers determined to put its poor showing in the 2014 FIFA World Cup behind it. Following a 2-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Cameroon Indomitable Lions went on to crush Côte d’Ivoire in a 4-1 victory that demonstrated the strength of their young team. Strikers Vincent Aboubakar and Clinton Njie both scored twice for the Lions, proving that they are not missing legendary striker Samuel Eto’o too much.

Zimbio.com, Fanshare.com
Zimbio.com, Fanshare.com

Three superstars are no longer competing

Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Côte d’Ivoire’s Didier Drogba, and Ghana’s Michael Essien will not be competing in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. While Eto’o and Drogba retired from international competition following the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Essien was dropped from the Ghanaian squad, along with Kevin Prince-Boateng and Sulley Muntari, due to disciplinary reasons.

Sports.NationalPost.com
Sports.NationalPost.com

The tragic death of Cameroonian player, Albert Ebossé Bodjongo

Cameroonian forward Albert Ebossé Bodjongo died tragically after being hit in the head with a rock thrown from the stands while playing at Algeria’s stadium during a JS Kabylie-USM Alger match-up Aug. 24. The Algerian Football Federation initially suspended all football indefinitely and ordered the stadium closed due to insufficient security. Though the Algerian national team has since resumed play, the AFF continues to face scrutiny about security. A police investigation is still underway.

GreatLakesVoice.com
GreatLakesVoice.com

Rwanda is disqualified for a dual-identity player

After beating Congo in the first match-up, it was discovered that Rwandan player, Dady Birori (also known as Tady Etekiama, the name he goes by for his club), was using a Congolese with a different name in club games. Both he and the national team were barred from the tournament. This allowed Congo a second chance to rejoin the group, as the Wasps will not be competing, along with Equatorial Guinea (for fielding an ineligible player) and Gambia (who has been banned from all competitions for fielding over-age players in a youth tournament).

Sports.Yahoo.com
Sports.Yahoo.com

Ebola forces Sierra Leone and Guinea out of their home stadiums

Due to the Ebola outbreak which has hit Sierra Leone and Guinea disproportionately among African countries, both teams faced extra scrutiny when it came travel plans. Games that had initially been planned at home were moved to other venues over fears of the virus, and the Sierra Leone team was almost banned from entering Côte d’Ivoire to play its match. They had to promise they would bring only foreign-based players that had been out of Ebola-affected regions for 21 days.