African Football

is it true that Nigeria didn't qualify?

Yes, it's true. Nigeria was eliminated.

I've had a BAD 'stress' fever since Thursday, but now I'm aigh so I'm asking:

While talking to my mum this morning on the phone she said something about CAF trying to work out two back to back Afcons..'12 and '13, then maybe it becomes a four-year event like the Euros. Anyone heard of that? Then we also talked a bit about whether we can still qualify for Brazil since we failed to qualify for Afcon...does the continental cup qualification have much of a bearing on the World Cup qualification? Because to me that's more important.

Just the facts anyone. And please cite your sources. Thanks.

Still hurts like Istanbul

I've never been a student of the Capello/Van Gaal school where you get all harsh and authoritarian with your players...Siasia is a great coach, just as Capello or LVG is, but they, to me, are bad (man) managers. And these days that's what matters so much.

I know FM is a virtual world but like it or not, it closely resembles what goes on here..it's a good simulation. You just have to spoil your players, that's the only way. Don't get too easy on them (I just fined Thiago Silva for getting a very unnecessary red card in a CI match v/Lazio..still have to do some explaining about that ) or too harsh with them (just allowed Jo a leave of absence for a month since he wasn't settling ok in Milan..and players like Amelia and Rufete got miffed too :/).

Man management is very important..Siasia desperately needed to stamp his authority in the dressing room but he could have gone about it with some more finesse. Odemwingie, then Enyeama?? Our major, KEY players? What was going on in his head?

Now we're out of Afcon '12. Hopefully not Brazil '14. Sometimes being a hugs-and-kisses L30 type manager is better.

The scoop:

thisdaylive.com/articles/siasia-apologises-for-nations-cup-exit/100042/

Corzioli said:

Still hurts like Istanbul

I've never been a student of the Capello/Van Gaal school where you get all harsh and authoritarian with your players...Siasia is a great coach, just as Capello or LVG is, but they, to me, are bad (man) managers. And these days that's what matters so much.

I know FM is a virtual world but like it or not, it closely resembles what goes on here..it's a good simulation. You just have to spoil your players, that's the only way. Don't get too easy on them (I just fined Thiago Silva for getting a very unnecessary red card in a CI match v/Lazio..still have to do some explaining about that ) or too harsh with them (just allowed Jo a leave of absence for a month since he wasn't settling ok in Milan..and players like Amelia and Rufete got miffed too :/).

Man management is very important..Siasia desperately needed to stamp his authority in the dressing room but he could have gone about it with some more finesse. Odemwingie, then Enyeama?? Our major, KEY players? What was going on in his head?

Now we're out of Afcon '12. Hopefully not Brazil '14. Sometimes being a hugs-and-kisses L30 type manager is better.

The scoop:

thisdaylive.com/articles/siasia-apologises-for-nations-cup-exit/100042/

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It could be worse, your team could have thought that a draw was good enough. Played for the draw, celebrated after getting the draw only to find out....

How did south africa get K.O?

Sage said:

How did south africa get K.O?

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Because their coach and their entire nation failed to understand basic rules of qualification, and being mediocre (seriously was it that much of an effort to just beat Sierra Leone?)


I can't believe there wasn't 1 person in all of South Africa that told them about the tie break.

crazy4milan said:

Because their coach and their entire nation failed to understand basic rules of qualification, and being mediocre (seriously was it that much of an effort to just beat Sierra Leone?)


I can't believe there wasn't 1 person in all of South Africa that told them about the tie break.

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Yes because its our job to do that and we all have a direct line to the coach ...

neutral said:

Yes because its our job to do that and we all have a direct line to the coach ...

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Well, considering the commentator was celebrating, I at least expect the perss to know the rules and to challenge the coach. And the whole stadium to start screaming "fuck score it's head to head what counts" (and someone in the federation to figure it out). Obviously biggest blame goes to the coach, like I said settling for a draw against Sierra Leone at home it's just a mediocre way of thinking.

crazy4milan said:

Well, considering the commentator was celebrating, I at least expect the perss to know the rules and to challenge the coach. And the whole stadium to start screaming "fuck score it's head to head what counts" (and someone in the federation to figure it out). Obviously biggest blame goes to the coach, like I said settling for a draw against Sierra Leone at home it's just a mediocre way of thinking.

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Commentator and crowd perhaps. Not even sure who commentated, but to blame that result on an "entire nation" is unfair. 100% of the blame lies with the coach and his assistants.

crazy4milan said:

seriously was it that much of an effort to just beat Sierra Leone?

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of course it was



They couldn't pass this man

neutral said:

Commentator and crowd perhaps. Not even sure who commentated, but to blame that result on an "entire nation" is unfair. 100% of the blame lies with the coach and his assistants.

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Didn't blame the entire nation (I did make an exaggerated statement sorry), but it just buggles my mind how not 1 person (in the federation mostly-someone there has to specialized in rules of the tournaments the NT is in- or at least the press, which would've created a rumour*) realized how fucked up your coach and his assistants were.

*And even if someone would've informed the coach and South Africa ends up winning, I would've fired him for settling for a draw like that without knowing the rules.

Ah man I forgot about Strasser, the only 2 Sierra Leone players I had in mind were Kallon and Michael Tommy (he was a keeper in our championship, now works at a call center, his BFF was Kallon).

Did we ever stand a chance ?????









no ....no we didn't

crazy4milan said:

Didn't blame the entire nation (I did make an exaggerated statement sorry), but it just buggles my mind how not 1 person (in the federation mostly-someone there has to specialized in rules of the tournaments the NT is in- or at least the press, which would've created a rumour*) realized how fucked up your coach and his assistants were.

*And even if someone would've informed the coach and South Africa ends up winning, I would've fired him for settling for a draw like that without knowing the rules.

Ah man I forgot about Strasser, the only 2 Sierra Leone players I had in mind were Kallon and Michael Tommy (he was a keeper in our championship, now works at a call center, his BFF was Kallon).

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Oh yes, i completely agree with you, it was such a failure. But the press creating a rumour isnt exactly correct. They couldnt write about stuff before it happened , its not like they knew the coach would go into the game without knowing the correct rules. I mean basically what you are asking is for the press to say "hey that coach of ours better know that we gotta get through on head to head". This is not realistic, as much as the pie looks like its on the face's of the whole of South Africa , its really just the coaching staff and the union.

Its such an embarrassing situation though, does make me just wanna

Ba Zambia, ta lelo yawina chipolopolo!!!

Senegal 1 - 2 Zambia.

Not too confident as some of our chances though. Lot of fuss has been made in the media over the 93 Gabon air disaster, but that squad was light years ahead of this one. Anyway, who knows? Competition has been stiff in Africa lately, witt all the ' small' nations taking large strides in the recent past. Anything can happen.

Thing is, even though Dario Bonetti qualified us to the CAF finals, he was sacked with the former coach, Renard, a physical trainer for Ghana not too long ago, as his replacement. I'm not taking anything away from him, cause naturally he improved physical aspect of a Zambian side that was used to being bullied off the pitch. Now, we are a much stronger team, but I still feel the quality is lacking.

I know Bonetti from his time at Dinamo Bucaresti, and I thought he deserved to lead the team into these finals. No surprise his departure had a lot to do with politics, with the ruling party for the past 20 years being displaced only last year.

So while South Africa keep their coach, who made a phenomenal error + made an utter ass of himself while doing so (ordering his keeper to fake injuries to pass time, defending deep with little to no attacking threat, jumping on the sidelines throughout the match, running to the pitch and celebrating with the players after the final whistle, cockly answering back to the reporters claiming that he had no idea of what was happening in the other game + laughing thereafter - sorry guys, couldn't resist ), we have fired the coach he led us to the finals as group leaders, with only one defeat in Libya.

I've always talked about African nations needing better administration before they are to achieve something spectacular on the world stage, and this has to start with a long term plan involving a good.coach with a vision to develop football in a country. May cost a lot more, but the benefits will be worth it.

Nevertheless, I can't wish ill on Renard, and I hope he has a spectacular tournament improving on the last edition's quarter finalist achievement. Ivory Coast are the clear favorites, alongside Ghana and Mali, but Zambia could certainly be labeled as a dark horse.

Go Chipolopolo!

Got to feel for the Atlas Lions ... Played some of the best football in the tournament thus far, only to end up losing. They have no one but themselves to blame for that. Chamakh I thought was more of a hindrance to their play, got to tighten things at the back + of course work on their finishing. They can still come back, but it will be difficult against hosts Gabon.

Pierre-Emerick just scored... Third victory for Gabon

What is up with the team Sapins in Gabon?

Looked and they have Willy and Catilina Aubameyang as well as Womé and Tchato. To have a team stocked with internationals, especially Womé, is surprising for Gabon.

So ... Zambia in the semis, first time since '96. We were the favourites then, but went out to a shock defeat to Tunisia. That was a day full of tears for me. The only time I cried because of a football match's result. Coincidentally, we played Ghana in the third place match and won 1-0 via a stunning long range effort from Joe Bwalya, my younger brother.

Two years earlier, we faced Mali in the Semis and came out resounding 4-0 victors, only to fall at the hands of the Super Eagles 2-1.

Can we do it this time around? I don't know. Ghana can turn up their game to the next level, and have more experience in tournaments like this than our side. They are the beaten finalists of the last edition, and we all know of their world cup performance.

Doesn't mean they can't be beat. We'll rightly go in as underdogs, but if we play at our very best, avoid errors, and have luck on our side, anything is possible. All that matters is that we do our best. And I'm proud of the boys that have done their country proud.

To win the tournament in Gabon would be magical. The perfect way to pay tribute to our fallen heros. Ba Zambia, ta lelo yawina chipolopolo!

Great Kalu, congratsssssss!!!!!!! Zambia in the AFCON final!!!!!!!!

Only 'big name' team still left: Ivory Coast. But I believe so much in Seydou Keita.......do this for Barca!!!!!!!


Arrogant Ghana out.....was flipping btw the match and the Roma-----merda re-run, luckily I got the chance to see Muntari come in in the 88th minute. Apart from one good long ball and a great corner Ghana should have capitalised on, he was so-so. He didn't have much time to be much of an influence anyway.

Congrats again to Zambia, they deserved this.

Thanks man. We were lucky, but luck is part of football

Ba zambia ...

Ok, got to sleep and wake up for work tomorrow. Sucks about Juve, but that ain't ruining my night. One of the best I've had in years.

Emanuel Mayuka! King!

Our maestro is returning to save the day

All hail MUNTARI

GreatKalu said:

Thanks man. We were lucky, but luck is part of football

Ba zambia ...

Ok, got to sleep and wake up for work tomorrow. Sucks about Juve, but that ain't ruining my night. One of the best I've had in years.

Emanuel Mayuka! King!

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I won't say you guys were lucky..Ghana were lousy, that's more like it.

Unfortunately Keita alone couldn't save a star-struck Mali.


Fsr I get this feeling we'll be in the same group around this time next year..and if that happens, we do a neat Tunisia '94 on y'all all over again.

Hopefully by then Keshi would've sorted out our NT issues and Pete Odemwingie would be in the form of his life again.


God we need a new Okocha or Kanu again..extra-talented game-changing players; leaders.





Africa-related OT question I've been dieing to ask : why is it that only Nigerians speak differently among all the 54 countries on the continent (North Arab countries aside)? The accents are all the same..only Ghana have a much more refined tone, but nothing close to ours.

It's most noticeable going south after the equator..including Zambians.

Last year I went for an int'l conference..met some cute Zimbawean girls on the coach from the hotel..first time I heard that accent SO STRONG in real life..tbh I would've been quite turned off if I hadn't already had my eyes somewhere south of their necks....


Any explanation GK??

The stereotyped 'African accent' we see in the movies and TV, that's where they get them from. Pisses me off when they do a part of a movie in 'Nigeria' and the locals talk like that..we don't fucking talk like that at all. Nowhere in this country.

Can't say the same for SA or Burundi though.

This is just sad, just overboard. Thing is, the authorities in Russia keep claiming they're against it, but with no high-profile arrests or lifetime stadium bans made yet, anyone who trusts in them probably also believes Santa's working hard at the North Pole right now (except maybe Fredrick IS Santa Claus..who knows? ).

www.goal.com/en/news/1549/rest-of-e...-oliseh-racism-in-russia-no-longer-affects-me

I admire Oliseh's mental fortitude, but I'm scared that may strike at Ahmed Musa..he's still rather young, and has more like Dinho's jovial character not Charlie Adam's mind of steel. So Oliseh has to be his big brother, supporting him on the pitch and after.

He's an integral part of our new NT and we can't afford to have his fledging career stall because of some prejudiced bastards who grew under bad parenting. =/

Great Kaluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

You guys did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Deserved......Zambia win the '12 Afcon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kolo Toure and Gervinhio gave them the trophy on a golden platter.

Arsenal.

Zambia.

Zambi :')

acmilanking/Prez

Just opened a new chapter in their football history.