Wich African will you go for

[Rooz]

arash, how do you know their team so well?

i dont care, i dont know enough about them

i just dont want ivory coast to get anythign cuz i hate drogba

[zereshk-ali]

Good post Arash jaan.

I've personally always felt that Ghana are more of a danger team than Ivory Coast.

People could well be surprised by Angola too. They play good, attractive, technical football which is probably partly a legacy of the Portuguese colonial influence.

[zereshk-ali]

I'd be interested to know who Pharoah is rooting for and who he tips...

Pharoah?

[Pharaoh]

I think you all have it right. CIV and Ghana are the teams with the most upside from the African crop this time around.

Togo and Angola, save for some exceptional fortune, will likely be eliminated in the first round. Neither of them is a top 5 African team.

Tunisia probably plays the most consistant football in all of Africa at the moment. Roger Lemeire has really transformed this side from an uptight, defensive squad that couldn't score into a cohesive, attacking unit.

To me, Ghana is the most dangerous of the African contingent. They have the best balance. Solid at the back, solid up-front, with a solid supporting midfield that can keep possession for long spells.

Ivory Coast have a solid, organized backline and a lightning-fast strikeforce that can find the back of the net out of nowhere. The problem for the Elephants is their midfield. They can't seem to string more than 3 or so passes together before getting disposessed. Their game is the long-ball. They smack it forward from defense and have Drogba and Dindane use their speed to run under it. If not for solo efforts from their strikers, CIV gets its goals from defensive blunders.

We'll know what to expect from Tunisia. They'll beat the teams theyre supposed to beat, and lose to the teams they're supposed to lose to. It's rare for an African team not to be erratic, but Tunisia fits the bill. The Carthage Eagles have no chance of scoring without the presence of their Brazilian duo Clayton and Dos Santos. Their midfield and defense are nothing to write home about, but both are adequate. They'll be in their games next summer; it'll be hard for them to win more than the odd match, but I don't see any team running over them, even the so-called powerhouses will have to play well to beat them.

Angola, the obscure Portuguese speaking nation of Africa, together with Togo, are the unknown entities.

In the few matches I was able to watch of each... neither team was very impressive and I'm not sure how either qualified. Angola is the better side. Both are fast and strong, but neither posesses the technical prowess to survive the group stage.

5-star rating of the teams:

1) Ghana
defense: ***
midfield: ***
strikers: ***
chance of advancing: ***

2) Ivory Coast
defense: ***
midfield: **
strikers: ****
chance of advancing: **.5

3) Tunisia
defense: ***
midfield: ***
strikers: **
chance of advancing: **

4) Angola
defense: **
midfield: **.5
strikers: **
chance of advancing: *.5

5) Togo
defense: **
midfield: **
strikers: **
chance of advancing: *

[zereshk-ali]

Ivory Coast have a solid, organized backline and a lightning-fast strikeforce that can find the back of the net out of nowhere. The problem for the Elephants is their midfield. They can't seem to string more than 3 or so passes together before getting disposessed. Their game is the long-ball. They smack it forward from defense and have Drogba and Dindane use their speed to run under it. If not for solo efforts from their strikers, CIV gets its goals from defensive blunders.

Thanks Pharoah jaan - great summary.

I agree particularly with your assessment of Ivory Coast and their long ball play. I didn't enjoy watching them, and those who have seen Drogba play will have an idea of what they're about. Although I was impressed by Dindane. He looked class.