terrible news, i wish the players a speedy recovery and that the driver R.I.P
IMO, setting the tournament in Angola was a terrible idea, the country's been in a civil war for ages and although it has ended, there are still rebels running about shooting everything and landmines everywhere. also planning t play quite a few matches in an area totally controlled by rebels is also a shocking idea.
2 players, the GK and a defender who plays in the Romanian league are both seriously injured with the former being shot in the kidneys.
I generally fear for all the players and people in the tournament, as this incident shows how dangerous Angola is and how dangerous most war-torn countires are.
i bet most nations will pull out now, i just hope nobody else gets hurt.
It was a shock to me at first. DRC, Angola, Mozambique and now Zimbabwe are the surrounding countries I've never been to for that particular reason (I've been to Zimbabwe numerous times, but this was before Mugabe went psycho). There are a bunch of refugees from these countries settled in Zambia, and I've heard sick stories.
This surely is an embarrassing development for CAF, and one that the should have taken precautionary measures against. I thought Angola had settled by now ... and that their economy (booming with oil and diamonds) was enough to settle the masses. Unfortunately that obviously isn't the case.
Best wishes to the Togo NT and hopefully this massive setback doesn't ruin the tournament, and more importantly, RSA 2010.
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In other news:
Nigeria, Zambia play 0-0
There was no victor no vanquished in In a pré Orange Africa Cup of Nations C friendly match between the national teams of Zâmbia and Nigéria played under closed doors at ABSA Stadium in Durban.
Post match echoes gathered after the match ,confirm that the two teams who confronted each other in the 1994 final in Tunisia, played a match that had all the qualities of a great encounter.
The starting line up was also an indication of the formation that will prosecute the nations cup for both countries.
On Zambias part, coach Herve Renard put together a highly attacking formation, with three attackers, James Chamanga, Jacob Mulenga and Chris Katongo.
Shuaib Amodu, on his part surprised many by lining out a 4-2-4 formation, a system he modified in the second half when he brought in Nwankwo Kanu.
The inclusion of Kanu changed things around positively and coach Amodu was all praise for the ageless star. “ he is incredible. He just came in and changed the game around” he said. This view was shared by Kalusha Bwalya, president of the Zambian Football Federation. “ Nigeria took control in the second half” he said.
This match marks the end of preparations for Nigeria while next Saturday,Zambia will play a South Korea that has come to have a feel of South African turf before the World Cup in June.
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Ivory Coast struggle to beat Rwanda 2-0
Skipper Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast side needed the last five minutes to beat Rwanda 2-0 in an International build-up game played on Thursday evening at the National stadium in Dar es Saalam.
On Monday, the Ivory Coast team who leave for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament today beat hosts Tanzania 1-0, courtesy of a Drogba goal.
Although Rwanda’s Amavubi were always on the back foot dealing with relentless pressure, they defended well in numbers. The most serious was when they survived a Salomon Kalou shot that was kept off by the upright in the 20th minute.
Rwanda cracked in the 85th minute when Souleyman Bamba converted with a header, the first of two goals scored in similar manner from corners.
Brou Angova got the second in the 90th minute beating Rwanda’s second choice goalkeeper Jean Luc Ndayishimiye alias Bakame.
The score line could have been a lot worse had it not been for a top notch performance from Amavubi’s first choice goalkeeper Jean Claude Ndoli in the first half. The APR shot stopper twice denied Ivory Coast’s skipper Didier Drogba and Bakary Kone.
Unlike in last Monday's game when Cote d’Ivoire pulled out virtually all the starters, including skipper Drogba, at the beginning of the second half, the tourists maintained almost the entire starting XI throughout the game. Apparently because of going scoreless for so long, they kept on Drogba -- a man they had indicated that he needed pretty of rest -- until the 75th minute apparently after it seemed goals would never come anyway.
Amavubi, the 2009 Cecafa Senior Challenge Cup runners-up however had chances of their own but couldn’t convert them with Abbas Rassou failing to hit the target with only the keeper to beat.