Hosts Nigeria and Ghana find themselves in tough groups

Co-hosting is a new concept with which fans will soon become quite familiar. Japan and South Korea share the responsibility for organizing the 2002 World Cup.

This year’s European Championship is a Lowlands special – held in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Co-hosting will get its first test when Nigeria and Ghana host the African Nations Cup, which runs Jan. 22-Feb. 13.

The 22nd edition of the African championship wasn’t intended to be a joint venture.

The African soccer confederation (CAF) had originally awarded the tournament to Zimbabwe but pulled the plug last March.

Nigeria and Ghana have had little time to prepare, necessitating the use of just four venues: Lagos and Kano in Nigeria and Accra and Kumasi in Ghana.

Fearful that the stands will be empty, like they were at the World Youth Championships last spring, Nigerian organizers have slashed ticket prices ($1-$10 for the African Nations Cup vs. $2.50-$30 at the U-20 games).

Nigeria and Ghana are under pressure to put on a good show because a smooth operation can go a long way toward convincing international observers that Africa can host a major event.

FIFA in July will decide who will host the 2006 World Cup, and South Africa is given a good shot at becoming the first African nation to be awarded soccer’s biggest event.

The 16-team tournament is wide open.

Here’s a look at the field:

GROUP A. Ghana doesn’t have a clear path into the second round. The Black Stars haven’t won since 1982, and they have embarked on a rebuilding campaign since the retirement of stars Abedi Pele and Tony Yeboah. Former Italian star Giuseppe Dossena is the seventh Ghana coach in a decade. He’ll build his team around young European-based stars such as Bayern Munich’s Osei Kuffour and Peter Ofori Quaye of Olympiakos.

Cameroon and Ivory Coast are both loaded with European stars.

Cameroon, a finalist at the last three World Cups, has a nucleus of experienced players. Ivory Coast is even deeper with such stars as Marseille’s Ibrahima Bakayoko and Feyenoord’s Bonaventure Kalou in attack and Italian-based defenders Cyril Domoraud and Salio Lassissi.

Togo’s Hawks are the weakest team in the field.

GROUP B. South Africa won the African Nations Cup in its first try in ’96 and finished second in ’98.

The Bafana Bafana should advance to the quarterfinals, but how much further they go is questionable.

The problem lies up front, where Benni McCarthy “retired” at the age of 22 and Phil Masinga is injured. The scoring load will fall on MLS alum Shaun Bartlett.

South Africa’s main challenge should come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire), which finished third two years ago in Burkina Faso.

Algeria, an African power in the 1980s, has finished in the top four since winning in 1990, while Gabon returns for the third time in the last four tournaments.

GROUP C. Defending champion Egypt changed coaches after a disastrous showing at the Confederations Cup last summer.

Frenchman Gerard Gili was brought in, but already he is in hot water after a series of run-ins with the local media and the Pharaohs’ poor results in friendlies.

Egypt is still favored in a group that features Zambia (without retired star Kalusha Bwalya), Burkina Faso (which fired Frenchman Didier Notheaux after the Stallions qualified) and Senegal (under German Peter Schnittger, whose first African Nations Cup was 1970).

GROUP D. There’s no way that anyone could charge the draw was fixed to benefit the co-hosts.

Nigeria’s group – Morocco, Tunisia and Congo complete the Group of Death – is even tougher than Ghana’s.

Tunisia and Morocco played at France ’98.

Morocco is the deeper of the two teams, though Coach Henri Michel will be under tremendous pressure to do well. The Lions of Atlas were jeered when they beat the United States, 2-1, in Marrakesh last fall.

Tunisia has a new coach in Italian Francesco Scoglio.

Nigeria is the obvious favorite, though, with Jo Bonfrere, who led the Super Eagles to the ’96 Olympic gold medal, back in charge.

The Eagles certainly have the most talent – Arsenal’s Nwankwo Kanu and Paris St. Germain’s Jay Jay Okocha lead the team – but they have a history of internal problems that have cost them dearly, most recently at France ’98.

by Soccer America managing editor Paul Kennedy