How statistics can help you enjoy Africa Cup of Nations
Jan 17, 2008
THE 26th Africa Cup of Nations starts on Sunday and all focus is on the soccer show piece. There will be nostalgia among local fans though, after painfully watching South Africa and Zambia connive to deny us a berth in the finals.
By Jacobs Odongo
THE 26th Africa Cup of Nations starts on Sunday and all focus is on the soccer show piece. There will be nostalgia among local fans though, after painfully watching South Africa and Zambia connive to deny us a berth in the finals.
But when you decide to follow the tournament, do not be surprised when the person seated next to you wonders which country has played most in the finals.
Or when your child asks you a simple question on soccer and you cannot answer it, yet you spend your evenings watching soccer as an excuse to stay out late. So, having the soccer statistics on your fingertips will make the game more exciting. Here are some facts:
The 2008 finals
Ghana is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time, equalling the number of times the defending champions, Egypt, have hosted it.
Ghana will have the task of having to equal the record by Egypt as they bid to win the coveted title for the fifth time. Their previous wins came in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982.
The Egyptians who will be bidding to not only set the pace for the most titles , but also become the first country to successfully defend the title two times, won in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006.
Egypt (1957, 1959), Ghana (1963, 1965) and Cameroon (2000, 2002) are the only countries that have successfully defended their titles. If you do not love Egypt, I am afraid you will hate the recurrence of this name on this page.
The Pharaohs are at it for the most tournaments (21) meaning they have only missed five — 1965, 1968, 1972, 1978 and 1982. But it is Ghana that has played the most number of finals (7) in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1982 and 1992).
Egypt has played the most number of matches (77).
This comes with a record 40 wins, notching up to 121 goals (also another record), 54 of which came in a single tournament at home in 1974.
The pharaoh’s 6-3 humbling of the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Ghana (1963), takes the record for the most goals in a single match.
However, the biggest winning margin was posted by Ivory Coast in their 6-1 thrashing of Ethiopia in Sudan 1970. Burkina Faso 1998 stands out as the tournament producing the most number of goals (93 goals in 32 matches).
Alain Gouamene (Ivory Coast) and Hossam Hassan (Egypt) have played in seven tournaments. But the Ivorian pips his Egyptian counterpart in the most tournament matches’ record, after playing 27 times in six tournaments.
Four individuals share the record for the most number of appearances in finals. They are Ali El Fanageeli (Egypt), Cecil Jones Attaquayefio (Ghana), Charles Addo Odametey (Ghana) and Stephen Keshi (Nigeria).
Mulumba Ndaye of Zaire (now DR Congo) scored a record nine goals in the 1974 finals on home soil and Zaire won that tournament.
Laurent Pokou of Ivory Coast not only holds the record for the most tournament goals at 14 scored in 1968 and 1970, but also for the most goals in a single match when he scored five times in the 6-1 drubbing of the Rastafarians of Ethiopia in 1970.
With only 23 seconds into play, Ayman Mansour of Egypt rasped a goal as his country went on to drabu Gabon 4-0 in Tunis 1994. Ayman’s goal still stands as the fastest goal in the African Cup of Nations history.
At 16 years, two months and 30 days, Gabon’s Chiva Star Nzighou became the youngest player ever to play in the cup.
His debut, however, started on a sad note as his ‘age fortune’ could not help his country against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana who trounced them 3-1 in 2000.
Mahmoud Al Gohari of Egypt is the only individual to have won the tournament as a player and coach. He achieved this fete in 1957 as a player and 1998 as a coach.
And Charles Gyamfi of Ghana has lifted the title thrice as a coach (1963, 1965 and 1982). Claude Leroy has featured in at least five tournaments with three different teams.
He was in the league for Cameroon in 1986 and 1988, Senegal in 1990 and 1992 and DR Congo in 2006. These have earned him 22 matches which is also a record.
Where is Uganda?
Well, we have our own record of a single appearance that culminated in a finals loss to hosts Ghana in 1978.
Our last attempt to end the 30-year wait would have seen us in Ghana again, where we would have started from where we left off in 1978. They say:
“The more you know, the better it getsâ€. Now you know. Support the teams playing against Bafana Bafana and Zambia.
THE 26th Africa Cup of Nations starts on Sunday and all focus is on the soccer show piece. There will be nostalgia among local fans though, after painfully watching South Africa and Zambia connive to deny us a berth in the finals.
But when you decide to follow the tournament, do not be surprised when the person seated next to you wonders which country has played most in the finals.
Or when your child asks you a simple question on soccer and you cannot answer it, yet you spend your evenings watching soccer as an excuse to stay out late. So, having the soccer statistics on your fingertips will make the game more exciting. Here are some facts:
The 2008 finals
Ghana is hosting the Africa Cup of Nations for the fourth time, equalling the number of times the defending champions, Egypt, have hosted it.
Ghana will have the task of having to equal the record by Egypt as they bid to win the coveted title for the fifth time. Their previous wins came in 1963, 1965, 1978 and 1982.
The Egyptians who will be bidding to not only set the pace for the most titles , but also become the first country to successfully defend the title two times, won in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006.
Egypt (1957, 1959), Ghana (1963, 1965) and Cameroon (2000, 2002) are the only countries that have successfully defended their titles. If you do not love Egypt, I am afraid you will hate the recurrence of this name on this page.
The Pharaohs are at it for the most tournaments (21) meaning they have only missed five — 1965, 1968, 1972, 1978 and 1982. But it is Ghana that has played the most number of finals (7) in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1978, 1982 and 1992).
Egypt has played the most number of matches (77).
This comes with a record 40 wins, notching up to 121 goals (also another record), 54 of which came in a single tournament at home in 1974.
The pharaoh’s 6-3 humbling of the Super Eagles of Nigeria in Ghana (1963), takes the record for the most goals in a single match.
However, the biggest winning margin was posted by Ivory Coast in their 6-1 thrashing of Ethiopia in Sudan 1970. Burkina Faso 1998 stands out as the tournament producing the most number of goals (93 goals in 32 matches).
Alain Gouamene (Ivory Coast) and Hossam Hassan (Egypt) have played in seven tournaments. But the Ivorian pips his Egyptian counterpart in the most tournament matches’ record, after playing 27 times in six tournaments.
Four individuals share the record for the most number of appearances in finals. They are Ali El Fanageeli (Egypt), Cecil Jones Attaquayefio (Ghana), Charles Addo Odametey (Ghana) and Stephen Keshi (Nigeria).
Mulumba Ndaye of Zaire (now DR Congo) scored a record nine goals in the 1974 finals on home soil and Zaire won that tournament.
Laurent Pokou of Ivory Coast not only holds the record for the most tournament goals at 14 scored in 1968 and 1970, but also for the most goals in a single match when he scored five times in the 6-1 drubbing of the Rastafarians of Ethiopia in 1970.
With only 23 seconds into play, Ayman Mansour of Egypt rasped a goal as his country went on to drabu Gabon 4-0 in Tunis 1994. Ayman’s goal still stands as the fastest goal in the African Cup of Nations history.
At 16 years, two months and 30 days, Gabon’s Chiva Star Nzighou became the youngest player ever to play in the cup.
His debut, however, started on a sad note as his ‘age fortune’ could not help his country against South Africa’s Bafana Bafana who trounced them 3-1 in 2000.
Mahmoud Al Gohari of Egypt is the only individual to have won the tournament as a player and coach. He achieved this fete in 1957 as a player and 1998 as a coach.
And Charles Gyamfi of Ghana has lifted the title thrice as a coach (1963, 1965 and 1982). Claude Leroy has featured in at least five tournaments with three different teams.
He was in the league for Cameroon in 1986 and 1988, Senegal in 1990 and 1992 and DR Congo in 2006. These have earned him 22 matches which is also a record.
Where is Uganda?
Well, we have our own record of a single appearance that culminated in a finals loss to hosts Ghana in 1978.
Our last attempt to end the 30-year wait would have seen us in Ghana again, where we would have started from where we left off in 1978. They say:
“The more you know, the better it getsâ€. Now you know. Support the teams playing against Bafana Bafana and Zambia.