African Nations Cup 2004 Group A

By John Brewin
(Archive)

January 20, 2004

Tunisia

Hatem Trabelsi (JamieMcDonald/GettyImages)

Coached by an extremely familiar face in former France coach Roger Lemerre and hosts this time around, the Tunisians will be hoping to go one better than their previous achievements of being runners-up in 1965 and 1996.

They will also be desperate to do better than when they last hosted. In 1994 they crashed out of the first round after a shock defeat to Mali.

The host nation featured in the last two World Cups but were highly disappointing at both France and Korea-Japan. Their traditional defensive quality let them down badly in 2002.

Lemerre is able to include naturalised Brazilian Francileudo dos Santos, a striker who spent two years at Tunisian club Etoile Sahel before joining Sochaux in the French league. Another Brazilian, Clayton, is a regular in defence.

Hatem Trabelsi, the much coveted attacking Ajax right-back is the star name, though he has struggled with injuries of late. Striker Ali Zitouni, a long-time hero at leading club Esperance has lost out to dos Santos.

Lemerre's job is to turn an ageing and creaking squad around. He himself has plenty to prove after France's disastrous last World Cup.

Goalkeepers: Khaled Azaiez (Club Africain), Ali Boumnijel (Rouen, France), Khaled Fadhel (CS Sfaxien)

Defenders: Anis Ayari, Khaled Badra, Clayton (all Esperance), Karim Hagui (Etoile Sahel), Radhi Jaidi (Esperance), Karim Saidi (Club Africain), Hatem Trabelsi (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands), Alaeddine Yahia (En Avant Guingamp, France)

Midfielders: Slim Benachour (Paris St Germain, France), Riadh Bouazizi (Gaziantepspor, Turkey), Adel Chedli (Sochaux, France), Kaies Ghodhbane (Diyarbakirspor, Turkey), Jaohar Mnari (Esperance), Mehdi Nafti (Racing Santander, Spain)

Forwards: Najeh Braham (Eintracht Trier, Germany), Francileudo dos Santos (Sochaux, France), Ziad Jaziri (Gaziantepspor, Turkey), Mohamed Jedidi, Imed Mhadhebi (both Etoile Sahel)

Rwanda

A country sadly rather more famous for tragic events of civil war than for sporting achievement. Like Zimbabwe and Benin, this is their first appearance in a finals tournament and their surprise appearance comes after a shock victory over four-times winners Ghana.

The country's current leader, Paul Kagame, is the presence that has pushed Rwanda on to becoming the smallest nation to reach the finals since Mauritius in 1964.

He has bank-rolled the side and employed the services of Serbian coach Ratmomir Dujkovic, who has been able to make the team into a unit largely as a result of being able to call on very few home-based players.

Dujkovic, former national coach of Venezuela and Burma, was a coach at Red Star Belgrade when they won the European Cup in 1991.

One of his homefront stars, Jimmy Gatete, scored the goal that beat the Ghanians in the final qualifier. Youngster Jean Lomani, a star in the Zambian league, has been the regular goalscoring hero in build-up games and World Cup qualifiers.

As a former Belgian colony, the destination for most Rwandan emigres is usually the Belgian league and Pape Mayele and Hamid Ndikumana play for Lokeren and Gent respectively.

Desire Mbonabucya and Claude Kalisa play for St. Truiden, who reached the Belgian Cup final last season. Kalisa has a reputation as one of the best defenders in the Jupiler league.

A 5-1 pre-tournament defeat to Egypt shows that this could be uneasy beginnings for the Rwandans at the tournament.

Goalkeepers: Patrick Mbeu (APR), Jean-Claude Ndagijimana (Rayon Sports), Ramadhani Nkunzingoma (APR)

Defenders: Canesius Bizimana (Mukura Victory), Jean Remy Bitana (Rayon Sports), Leandre Bizagwira (Kiyovu Sport), Hamad Ndikumana (Ghent, Belgium), Elias Ntaganda, Abdul Sibomana (both APR)

Midfielders: Joao Rafael Elias (Kortrijk, Belgium), Jean-Paul Habyarimana (APR), Karim Kamanzi (Vise, Belgium), Michel Kamanzi (SG 06 Betzdorf, Germany), Jimmy Mulisa, Eric Nshimiyimana, Frederic Rusanganwa (all APR)

Forwards: Said Abed Makasi (FC Brussels, Belgium), Jimmy Gatete, Olivier Karekezi (both APR), Jean Lomani (Power Dynamos, Zambia), Desire Mbonabucya (St Truiden, Belgium), Henri Munyaneza (Eendracht Aalst, Belgium)

Democratic Republic of Congo

Lomana Tresor LuaLua (JamieMcDonald/GettyImages)

The country formerly known as Zaire are twice previous winners of the competition, having been victors in 1968 and 1974.

Its football is perhaps best remembered for the moment at the 1974 World Cup when Mwepu Ilunga chose to run and smash a Brazilian free-kick back down the pitch and was consequently booked for his moment of comedy genius.

The Congolese are best known for two men with close links to Newcastle United. Coach Mick Wadsworth was once Sir Bobby Robson's assistant at St James' Park and is a former Huddersfield Town boss too. He replaced Joseph Mukeba, who led the team through the qualifying and seems likely to quit after the current campaign is ended.

Forward Lomano Tresor LuaLua is best known as the Toon supersub, and his unpredictable skills are sure to grace this tournament.

Perhaps better known on the European continental scene is striker Shabani Nonda, but the captain, one of the best strikers in France at champions Lyon, will miss out with a serious knee injury.

Organisation has long been a problem for the boys from the Congo though playing talent usually sees them through. This is their 14th appearance in the championship.

Goalkepeers: Muteba Kidiaba (TP Mazembe Englebert), Papy Lukata (AS Aviacao, Angola), Paulin Tokala (Priiero Agosto, Angola)

Defenders: Herita Ilunga (St Etienne, France), Jean-Paul Kamudimba (Nice, France), Mundaba Kisombe (AS Vita Club), Franck Matingou (Bastia, France), Michel Mazingu-Dinzey (Eintracht Braunschweig, Germany), Cyrille Mubiala (Ajax Cape Town, South Africa), Felix Mwamba Musasa (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Camille Muzinga (Lokeren, Belgium)

Midfielders: Tresor Luntala (unattached), Alain Masudi (Sturm Graz, Austria), Marcel Mbayo (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), Ngoy Mbomboko (TP Mazembe Englebert), Kangana Ndiwa (Bolton Wanderers, England), Olivier Nzuzi (SW Bregenz, Austria)

Forwards: Dieudonne Kalulika (TP Mazembe Englebert), Lomana Tresor LuaLua (Newcastle United, England), Biscotte Mbala (Daring Club Motema Pembe), Kabamba Musasa (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), Marlin Piana (Otelul Galati, Romania)

Guinea

Bobo Balde (StuForster/GettyImages)

The imposing figure of Bobo Balde will be most familiar to British football fans amongst the Guineans. His tough-tackling, take-no-prisoners, approach will provide a ballast for a side reckoned to be one of the most attacking at the Tunisia finals.

In attack is Aboubacar 'Titi' Camara, a name familiar to Liverpool fans and perhaps one that West Ham fans will want to forget. The veteran now plies his trade in Qatar. Pascal Feindouno, of Bordeaux, provides the bullets for Camara and Souleymane Youla, who plays in the Turkish league.

Kaba Diawara, himself once of Arsenal and West Ham became the seventh former former French junior international to have opted to play in the tournament but the striking quality of Youla and Standard Liege's Sambegou Bangoura saw his ambitions dashed.

Balde's Celtic club-mate, midfielder Momo Sylla, asked to be dropped from the squad for 'private and personal reasons'.

The Syli Nationale are in their first tournament finals since being suspended by FIFA after the disbandment of their football federation in January 2001 but are generally reckoned to have a chance of going far in the competition.

Goalkeepers: Abdallah Bah (Nice, France), Kemoko Camara (Hapoel Bnei Sachnin, Israel), Mohamed Keita (AS Kaloum)

Defenders: Schumann Bah (Metz, France), Dianbodo Balde (Celtic, Scotland), Kader Camara (Cercle Bruges, Belgium), Ibrahim Sory Conte (Lokeren, Belgium), Mamadi Kaba (AS Kaloum), Morlaye Soumah (Bastia, France), Kanfory Sylla (Charleroi, Belgium)

Midfielders: Mangue Camara (AS Kaloum), Ousmane Ngom Camara (unattached), Sekou Oumar Dramane (Luthianas, France), Pascal Feindouno (Girondins Bordeaux, France), Abdoul Salam Sow (Al Ittihad, Qatar), Abdoulaye Capi Sylla (Tours, France), Abdoulkarim Sylla (Lokeren, Belgium)

Forwards: Sambegou Bangoura (Standard Liege, Belgium), Aboubacar Titi Camara (Al Siliya, Qatar), Alhassane Keita (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Fode Mansare (Montpellier, France), Souleymane Youla (Genclerbirligi, Turkey)