Yeah, this Cameroon team does not look good.
AFCON 2023 / 2024
- Thread starter Rood
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
In the middle it looks that way but Senegal and Morrocco are clearly ahead of the pack so far.
Finally managed to catch some of it and yep, the mystique still going strong. Somebody seriously needs to study how this tournament keeps reverting highly paid, trained, experience professionals at the top of the game into a bunch of 5 year olds
Mendy was one of the best keepers in the league in the 21-22 season; he was frozen out in favour of Kepa last season. Last summer, Mendy left for Saudi Arabia and Kepa was loaned to Real Madrid, and Chelsea’s current starting keeper is Robert Sánchez, whom they signed from Brighton.
How so?
They just...somehow seemingly lose all decision making ability and just play like kids. It is something exclusive of this tournament which makes it even weirder because it's clearly not an issue of pressure to play for the NT, yet it keeps happening and it's maddening. Makes for great entertainment though!
Algeria vs Burkina Faso not on in the UK? Sky Sports said it's on the PL channel but it's just showing Soccer Saturday
This is my 2 cents as to why and my reasons here are largely anecdotal. African football at large, (basing my assumption on Ghanaian football, but it at least applies all sub Saharan football) is based on the idea of "childs play". It's fast, fun and largely unstructured. Not too much emphasis based on winning or tactical discipline, mentality and all that rather technique, dribbling, strength, showmanship. Now it doesn't mean the former things don't exist it's just that it's not what's really emphasised in at the grassroots and in the stands.
This response is already long but to take it on a further tangent... Football is becoming more homogenised. Back in the day, Brazilian flair was as successful as German organisation. Both could win, but there's only one style which captured the imagination. Nowadays Brazilian ergo African football is on a transition into European style football as that's the dominant market. Highly skillful players do not have such a place in modern. Globally we all most see and enjoy the tactical and effective machinery of organised team play over the unscripted, unstructured stuff hinging on individual brilliance.
To summarise, African players and teams play like a bad version of Europeans. often against their natural instincts. The result is we get more competitive games (as this Afcon is showing) but the "play" aspect is much worse. Now you get a bad version of both sides. The floor of African football is rising but the ceiling is also dropping. Just a decade or 2 ago you could count more players in the top 5-10 in their positions being African. currently I can only think of Salah and at a push Osimhen.
But soon the transition will complete and I think more Europeans will start to enjoy African football more and take it more seriously.
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This game is bad for my heart but what a game. Let’s go Angola
But then why does this only happen in this tournament? It doesn't happen in the WC, or qualifiers, or friendlies. And of course at club level it goes without saying.
So why?
I thought i was explaining the reasons why. I'm not sure if you watch many football games outside European contexts but different cultures enjoy different types of football. Many in England, used to the fast paced premier league and UCL football find and the slower tempo and dark arts filled games in La Liga and Serie A unwatchable. Doesn't mean those games are bad in itself. It's just different tastes.
Afcon is unique in the sense that it's played by majority players playing one style of football for clubs abroad seemingly switching to the African style football just for the tournament. This all affects the overall quality you see on the pitch but this hasn't affected the enjoyment of the competition for those who watch African football regularly only those who tune in to watch the odd game every 2 years.
That being said, the quality of football has certainly improved over last few tournaments and I think a lot of the "Only at Afcon" memes currently only exists as a part of general football meme culture and not reflective of what's generally going on on the pitch.
I think there’s also a great notion of national pride for these players.
One cannot underestimate the importance of football in Africa. Any player that shines for his national team becomes a hero in his country. Scenes in Morocco were absolutely incredible for the world cup, but even before that when the team had good runs in the AFCON you had players treated as heroes if they put in good performances.
I think this is why we feel they make poor decisions, as they all want to be their country’s heroes.
Having said that, I feel like this year teams are much more disciplined tactically, and overall level of the competition has gone up a notch compared to previous editions
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loving the Sky commentator for the Nigeria game
One of the favourites to win it heading out. Great freekick by Guinea
Cote d'IVoire in trouble here. Depends how the rest of the third placed teams end up but don't think the GD is looking good
I think their are 4 best 3rd placed teams that qualify so they may still have a chance. Usually 4 points is good enough but in this Afcon it may not be enough especially if you look at Algerias Malis and Egypts group. There's a high chance there may be teams from those 3 groups that are in 3rd and have 5 points or 4 with a higher goal difference.
Edit: Just realised they're on 3 points and losing 3-0. Don't think there's any chance of them qualifying now.
Ivory Coast getting humiliated here. Nigeria playing ok but will need to up their game to win the competition.
Ivory Coast in absolute meltdown. Went from celebrating an equaliser to being 3-0 down in what must have been about 5 minutes.
The third was school playground stuff as well, just aimlessly chucked everyone forward and pretty much conceded from their own kick off.
The third was school playground stuff as well, just aimlessly chucked everyone forward and pretty much conceded from their own kick off.
Argh. So theirs like a different table for 3rd placed teams and the top 4 of them go through?I think their are 4 best 3rd placed teams that qualify so they may still have a chance. Usually 4 points is good enough but in this Afcon it may not be enough especially if you look at Algerias Malis and Egypts group. There's a high chance there may be teams from those 3 groups that are in 3rd and have 5 points or 4 with a higher goal difference.
Edit: Just realised they're on 3 points and losing 3-0. Don't think there's any chance of them qualifying now.
0-4. This is a disaster
Wow
Yes. So there's 6 groups top 2 go through and 4 3rd placed teams. Then round of 16.
It's actually a good thing in this afcon as bizarrely many of the favourites are depending on it.
Wow Ivory Coast getting humiliated in their own back yard
Like all tournaments, this competition gets into gear today as teams start fighting for their survival
Like all tournaments, this competition gets into gear today as teams start fighting for their survival
What was that all about in the Morocco game??
There's an army of security staff looking like they're trying to quell a potential riot in the Ivory Coast game.
It must be their version of that Brazil/Germany World Cup semi.
It must be their version of that Brazil/Germany World Cup semi.
Equatorial Guinea is the absolute Cinderella of this tournament. Beating the hosts 4-0! And I swear I don’t know a single one of their players. Not one
Moron
What a tournament from Equatorial Guinea. Yaya Toure received criticism (bitter accusations) when he snubbed Ivory Coast as contenders for Afcon, and cited "Guinea" as contenders based on their qualifying form. Unfortunately for him, it was Equatorial Guinea that qualified with flying covers, and not Guinea Bassau who he predicted
Hoping Cape Verde can their own "Cinderella" story by beating Egypt and winning all three of their group games.
Now just need Ghana and Mali to qualify.
Hoping Cape Verde can their own "Cinderella" story by beating Egypt and winning all three of their group games.
Now just need Ghana and Mali to qualify.
This tournament has Senegal written all over it. Most of the other big teams don't look so good.
Isn't there another Guinea, the one in Cameroon's group?
Yes, that's the one with Guirassy, Moriba and Naby Keita.
I don’t do second teams but I’m gunning for Cabo Verde.. been there a few times, beautiful islands, fantastic people, love their football.
Cape Verde score. Good goal as well.
Not sure why the Egypt manager didn't start Trezeguet, especially after his performance off the bench against Ghana.
Not sure why the Egypt manager didn't start Trezeguet, especially after his performance off the bench against Ghana.
We're pretty bad. Just random long balls with no target or idea.
Getting out of the group will conclude such a crap football year after watching Man United torturing me every week for the previous 6 months.
Don't know what I did in my life to deserve all this.
Getting out of the group will conclude such a crap football year after watching Man United torturing me every week for the previous 6 months.
Don't know what I did in my life to deserve all this.
Because he's an idiot. Trezeguet shouldn't have been on the bench against Ghana either.
But it's not an individual issue. Our football is just awful and lack any tactical plan or strategy. Just long balls and crosses waiting for it to hit someone and go in.
And Trezquet turns on the game again.
God such an idiot coach.
God such an idiot coach.
And he scores !!!