African Cup of Nations 2004
Controversies over Frederic Kanoute and Jay Jay Okocha have overshadowed this tournament before it has even begun. The haves of the European leagues have not been slow in levelling criticism at the have-nots of the African federation.
With the big European clubs' often open disdain for international football, this comes as little surprise and is all really rather predictable.
A tournament which rarely receives positive coverage in the British press, the African Cup of Nations is actually an older competition than the European Championships and has been played every two years since 1957.
In recent years African players have become far more prevalent and successful in European football and since Italia '90, African national sides have been making significant waves in World Cups.
In such a light the complaints and disdain that many a Premiership boss or pundit has greeted mention of the competition is somewhat misplaced. Any manager who buys African internationals should always be mindful of his new player's commitment to his country and that this competition is going to take place every second January.
A player is always likely to want to play in his continental championship - usually the smaller the country, the more he will want to play. The English media, ever the John Bulls when it comes to national pride, seem conveniently to forget patriotism's existence whenever non-European competitions rear their heads.
Arguments about playing the tournament post-season instead are rather shot down by the climatic differences in playing in African mid-summer. The competition is here to stay at this time of year, and its existence is fully supported by FIFA. The world governing body's leadership cannot afford to do without the support of the African confederation (CAF).
The likes of Sam Allardyce, open dissenters speaking in their own self-interest, would do well to remember such factors before they dismiss this tournament as players 'swanning off to Africa', or some such barb.
Mali 2002 was perhaps the highest profile tournament yet but followed its two predecessors in being a poor spectacle as a series of dire and goalless matches filled the competition. The final, between Cameroon and Senegal, was a case in point and was settled by a penalty shoot-out in favour of the Cameroonians.
North Africa plays host this time around so perhaps the likes of hosts Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria will have an advantage in terms of adapting to the playing conditions. Egypt are perhaps the best equipped to go far with proven class in most positions. Tunisia, the 'Carthage Eagles', will be playing under the control of Roger Lemerre, the coach whose France team lifted Euro 2000, and are bound to be well-prepared.
The holders are favourites, as a team that has plenty of experience, star names from the European scene and burgeoning talent too. There is also the Marc-Vivien Foe factor. The 'Indomitable Lions' will want to lift the trophy in the memory of the tragic loss of the former Manchester City and West Ham midfielder at last year's Confederations Cup.
Nigeria are a team of well-known players though their chaotic organisation has again counted against them in preparation. Some of their big names will be missing too.
So too the South Africans. After years of being a real force in African football, turmoil over coaches and fall-outs and injuries costing them stars like Quinton Fortune and Steven Pienaar, little can be expected from them. Team spirit in the rump of their squad may not be nearly enough.
It seems an open tournament and surely cannot be as poor a spectacle as it was two years ago. Perhaps the likes of David Pleat and Allardyce may enjoy the football on show. Though imagine the outcry if one of their stars was to get injured.
Profiles, squads and fixtures
Previous winners:
1957: Egypt
1959: Egypt
1962: Ethiopia
1963: Ghana
1965: Ghana
1968: Congo (Kinshasa)
1970: Sudan
1972: Congo (Brazzaville)
1974: Zaire
1976: Morocco
1978: Ghana
1980: Nigeria
1982: Ghana
1984: Cameroon
1986: Egypt
1988: Cameroon
1990: Algeria
1992: Ivory Coast
1994: Nigeria
1996: South Africa
1998: Egypt
2000: Cameroon
2002: Cameroon
