Afcon 2013; The best teams in the finals.

The poor officiating took shine off the best performance of the South Africa Afcon 2013 when Burkna Faso blasted Ghana out of the tournament to reach their first ever final that they will play against Nigeria on Sunday. While that bad and incompetent referee has been sent home, as if there was a chance he would stay and referee the final, his bad decision will directly impact on the whole history of the Africa football because, Pitriopa, a victim of his ineptitude will not take part in the final.

The Burkinabe was one of the brightest things left at the tournament and his charge at goal was unlawfully brought to a halt by a Ghanaian. The referee denied the player and Burkina Faso a penalty and adding salt and chillies to injury, Pitroipa was dismissed for simulation. Together with Traore, they would have been value for money against Super Eagles of Nigeria but the Stallions have enough ammunition to dispatch the super-charged former champions.

The soft penalty Ghana got was not anything close to a penalty, even from distance and at first glance. The denied goal Burkina Faso scored was legitimate. The referee could have awarded two penalties to the minnows, but the tall Bance could have scored four times at least. At the end of the day, while the match could have been wrapped up in 90 minutes or at worst in extra time by the Burkina Faso, poetic justice was served in the penalty shootout as Ghana were sent packing 3-2.

The match was the most entertaining so far and above all, very mature. Ghana showed some discipline in their operation as each man reasonably covered their spaces effectively as they attacked purposefully but patiently. They exercised their influence in strictly keeping their shape and temperament at all times. While this made them effective in their passing game and their shape, it allowed Burkina Faso to operate better with their physical approach.

The Burkinabe then found spaces to function and moved forward in compact units that did not leave open spaces in both offence and defence. This improved their efficiency in passing and receiving the ball and hence their attacking power was greatly enhanced. 

Ghana did not have easy access as a result of how Burkina Faso responded to the conditions. It would take the Black Stars some clinical efficiency to dismantle this cohesive unit, which they did not. The ping-pong match became conducive to how the Burkinabe played as they were presented with obvious goal-scoring opportunities which they failed to convert in regulation and extra time. Bance was the chief culprit but he made amends with the equalising goal after Ghana led for most of the match, and he put away his cheeky penalty to the delight of the crowd at Mbombela Stadium.

By any measure, the defending by both teams was atrocious while the finishing was appalling. The gravity of the occasion could be to blame as the nerves took their toll. The passing and reception was a little above board bit the marksmen were guilty on poor first touches. Tackles were cleaner and solid while the marking was reasonably structured. I must particularly mention that Burkina Faso blasted the ball on many occasions when placing it safely into the net could have done the business. Bance was the chief culprit.

Nigeria were at another level when they dispatched Mali maliciously with a solid display of football that they dished out with an unforgiving attitude. Victor Moses played a superb game with his runs with and without the ball. More than their shape and discipline of the strategy, the Super Eagles were clinical. They did not create an avalanche of chances but put away the vital half-chanes coming their way to put Mali on the back foot.

The opening minutes were evenly balanced until the first three quick goals dismantled the Malians. Nigeria were better composed in midfield as they supplied cleaner balls to forwards. Their defensive shape forced long range shots from the Malian midfield and that desperation continued and grew worse after half-time.

After the fourth goal, Mali were presented with many obvious scoring chances which they fluffed. If they managed to put away two or three of them, it would be interesting to see how Nigeria would react. The Super Eagles were fairly solid and disciplined but Mali did not seem to push hard to repel the firepower that came their way.

Their game plan was different from what was noticed in their group stages, where they played very slowly and waited for single opportunities to pounce. This might have invited Nigerians to threaten more and harder and move forward. 

In both semi-finals, decision-making improved from what we saw at the beginning of the tournament but there was much room for improvement, especially in the final attacking third. All teams respected each other and placed many men behind the ball. The solid defensive shapes were broken down by individual brilliance of the midfielders.

One specific tactic Nigeria used was the Malian left back position of Taumbura. Taumbura was always offensive throughout the tournament and left yawning gaps behind. Moses exploited the cavity in that flank, something that we cried about that Thuso Phala of South Africa should have done in the quarter final. That gap was the single most used channel and source of all Nigerian attacks. How the Malian coach did not adjust or react to it was surprising. 

Mali got ripped easier than they deserved as their crumbled like a sand castle or a deck of cards. The efforts to fight back were met by tough resistance from the Nigerian midfield and defense while the heads dropped for the Malians, a death knell to their ambitions to conquer Africa. More telling between the two sides was the believe and determination and it boiled down to the psychological edge that the Super Eagles had over the Eagles of Mali. #

The bigger story was to come, the defeat of Ghana by minnows Burkina Faso, a small nation previously known as the Upper Volta, whose name was changed by one Captain Thomas Sankara, whose African renaissance spirit truly came to the party and pulled the revolutionary victory for the Burkinabe, the upright men.

How hosts South Africa were embarassed by Mali

The first 45 minutes of the quarter-final at Moses Mabhida Stadium were the best football Bafana Bafana ever played since time immemorial. It looked like a solid game-plan. As it turned out, it was a fluke.

Champions in 1996, runner-up in 1998, quarter-finalists in 2000 and first-round participants in 2002, South Africa hosted a tournament they have not been part of for over 10 years. By the inverse proportioning the events, they reached the quarter-finals of Afcon 2013, they will be in the semi-final in 2015 and eventually win it in 2017.

Currently tagged perennial failures, Bafana Bafana surprised many by progressing past the first stage. That shock success came courtesy of an unbelievable 2-0 victory over Angola and draws against Cape Verde and Morocco.  

It has been proved how good the hosts were, given a false sense of security that the Islanders were a piece of cake. Cape Verde are probably the team of the tournament, given their other performances against Morocco, Angola and Ghana. They had eliminated Cameroon.

South Africa had enough manpower playing behind the ball and accelerating forward to attack. They employed this with and without the ball. This afforded them in equal proportions the liberty to attack and defend in numbers comfortably.

Scoring opportunities were created in a flurry of movements into the attacking third and penalty box in good measure. The composure and finishing put to waste the tactical advantage realised by the sound orchestration of offensive behaviour.

South Africa‘s tournament ended with a half-time whistle. With those fluffed chances gone begging, one assumes the coach in the dressing room had good words and praise for creating them. With that pat on the back, that was the last participation by the hosts.

Mali came in the second half getting the ball and sitting on it. They utilised the spaces every time they were invited by Bafana, which was too often for the West Africans to fully and comprehensively punish Bongani Khumalo and his troops.

That was a great piece of coaching in terms of playing hosts who were spurred by a vociferous crowd. It ensured the ground was even by eliminating the participation of the player number 12. As soon as the stakes were even, it was game on as they pushed to even out the score-line, which they did with a lot of ease.

A ball to the left wing took the right back out of the equation, drew both central defenders out position and attracted the left back into a situation where he could not make his mind to mark the man in front or behind him. In all their numbers, they ball-watched, giving their backs to the most treacherous situation.

As all this was happening, Seydou Keita trotted to the central attacking position to nod past Itumeleng Khune unopposed. Khune could have come out for the cross but he stayed rooted to his line rendering himself useful to a ball headed downwards with power.

Mali relaxed more and slowed down the match after their equaliser knowing the hosts would be frustrated chasing shadow and the fans would be agitated by lack of action. That is exactly the script for the rest of the match and extra time.  

The amateurish conclusion to the Bafana campaign left a huge lump in the throat of all South Africans. There is no doubt of the progress Bafana made throughout the 2013 Afcon and hopefully they will get the basic defending principles in place for the Brazil 2014 Fifa World Cup.

The nation is nursing a long hangover that may last the whole month, for some the whole year.

Many waited for the Kidiaba bum dance in vain

The scorer of the penalty that saw Ghana beat Mali 1-0 will miss the next match for celebrating that goal. Mubarak Wakaso had received a yellow card in the previous match for descent. Two articles ago, I questioned the wisdom, or lack of, punishing those overcame by the emotions of achieving the ultimate aim of the game.

Let us not get into the merits and demerits of pulling off the shirt in celebrating the goals. In his case, he might have drawn out a detailed plan of what he will do after the kick. Many players have not much luxury to stop the ball, scratch their heads and ponder what they will do after beating five defenders and scoring the winning goal. I wish football was like that.

Anyway, he scored and will miss the next game for being overjoyed. Many others infringing on the laws of the game, endangering the lives and health of others will go on unpunished and enjoyed an extra match of the 2013 Afcon.

Of that less enticing affair, that is all one can say. Did I write something about decision making at Afcon 2013? Niger saved the DRC from much trouble by poor judgement and decisions. It is their alarming proportions and consistency that I am compelled to repeat myself.

Niger could have been 3-0 up by the 28^th minute, having exposed the backside of DR Congo and failing in executing the finish or final pass. Congo had their moments but they were not clear-cut opportunities and they were far in between.

The defensive behaviour of Niger was impressive as they tracked down and chased every ball, winning essential possession nearer the opposition goal often. They failed to pay themselves for the efforts. They had commitment and fighting spirit to win back possession.

Penetration into the final third was however questionable.DRC were guilty of the same though they could not put away gilt edged chances of their won in the second half. The match was value for money. The transitions from defence to attack and reverse were quick and enterprising, the ball quickly being transferred into the attacking thirds of both teams and from right channel to the left.

With better precision in front of goal, the match would have qualified as a thriller. The technical and tactical aspect of detail was the usual big concern as many waited for that Kidiaba bum dance celebration. The 0-0 result was the fairest result under the circumstances, Niger earning their first ever Afcon point.

Decision-making pathetic at AFCON 2013

The African game currently displayed on the South African shores is exposing worrying trends of how much retarded the continental game has been since the turn of the century. It could be how much faster the world developed leaving Africa behind. Compare that with the 20 minutes display Arsenal played against Chelsea in the second half. It was the Gunners’ best football in over five years but it lasted 20 minutes.

Just before the beginning of the 2013 AFCON, South Africa fired blanks and hope was that things would pick up on the opening match of the tournament. They were sterile once more and to find the spot, maybe they need a GPS.

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s TP Mazembe were at different level a few years back, reaching the Fifa Club World Cup final. In a viral post I did about their adventure, I labelled them as the real deal. African football was supposed to be on the rise but what happened? TP Mazembe seems to have not filtered down or maybe swam upstream to the national team. They looked at home when they played the world’s best in that final at the United Arab Emirates.

The South African 2013 AFCON has so far produced a stalemate between the hosts and the tournament ‘minnows’, Cerpe Verde. The next match saw four goals as Ghana and DRC shared the spoils. Again, one needs to look at the Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 draw, basically when the ball is passed and where it goes.

What has been a glaring truth is how much regressing the game has been. For entertainment, maybe there was something to cheer in the four goals scored in Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Stadium. Except for playing by heart, DRC offered nothing at all, neither did the over-rated Ghana.

In the matches played so far, technically and tactically, this has been a sorry site and with common these trends, there is a lot to see. The standard of the game that is worrying extends to the psychological aspect, besides the technical and tactical awareness. The Central African nation depended much on counter-attacks, badly executed by wrong choices and losing of momentum.

The biggest problem is the decision-making. Africa is miles, thousands of miles away. When to and not to pass tops the list. Hanging on the ball too long and less often, playing too early need addressing so badly. There were moments where both teams were guilty of carrying the ball and then slowing down until defenders made recovery runs and retrieved the ball.

The poor decision making can be due to a few problems. The triggers that must come from supporting players are themselves either wrong or badly timed. Even then, one would expect to get one aspect right and then work on the other. Either way, the coaches are responsible for recognising and rectifying these.

Where there is a reasonable quality level of triggers and their timing, the passing quality and choices have been out. The extension of the problem automatically becomes the ball reception. The positive first touch is never a strong African attribute, but these teams have professional players.

It must be understood that some factors contributing to the technique is the quality of the above issues, but the decisions of the receiver, regardless, have been pathetic. Namely, the choice of the part of the foot to use among other things leaves a lot to be desired.

I will try to explain the point of a trigger. If one has to make a pass, there has to be a reason why that pass is played. It could be into space which teammates must create, to the feet of one who indicates or is positioned to receive or to a running player, in which case the decision still has to be made as to how close to feet the ball is played or how far into space ahead of the running player.

Many times, these can be predictable and it is not rocket science. Tactically aware players and teams have the understanding that certain events will follow a pattern which must be trained upon. The movements and timing become a little synchronised.

This is the big draw back in the African game. There is no harmony or synchronisation of anything. At higher professional levels, that is what coaches work on. African players plying their trades overseas know and use these methods daily.

The Mali and Niger match was an improvement to the first two matches but there is a lot of work to be done. The decision-making consistently lacked but was a little better. It could have been a fluke that a few things seemed right.

The match was obviously scrappy and no flow at all, but the efforts to decide on time and execute well was visible. By half-time, there was no shot on target. The two teams are tactically above what has been witnessed so far and cancel each other effectively. It takes a genius touch and approach to separate good organisation.

While Mali were superior in many ways, Niger had the commitment to fight for each other and getting first to the ball. They fought for the second balls and tried counter attacking. They were guilty of tough and late tackling, again, a decision-making issue.

When and where to tackle and how may be the problem African club coaches have to address, but a lot of these players come from big leagues. It boils down to the national team coaches being unable to diagnose and prescribe proper training sessions to deal with it.

If one asks me, these are the very issues national team coaches must address, but remember who hires them; laymen. Many times, Niger shot at goal desperately from distance when there were better options for an extra pass or space to attack. The anxiety reflected on the abilities or lack of, of the mentors.

Interesting enough, Mali withdrew into a cocoon while Niger settled and began to pass the ball. The lack of rhythm of these events shows that they just occurred by chance. Self-confidence and suddenly found belief can catalyse the reactions, both mentally and physically.

Mali got on the score sheet at a time they pressurised the naive Niger who were a little immature by depending on sporadic raids. Seydou Keita had hit the posts twice but managed to tuck in a loose ball fluffed by the goalkeeper. It was the first three pointer match and fittingly so. That goal was a result of bad decision making by the goalkeeper. He could have punched that ball.

Niger's undoing was the less than enough utilisation of opportunities that befell them. They really got a lot of things right, better than Ghana and DRC combined, yet they have nothing to show for it. That is the sad state of African football, but I will not crucify the continent’s game yet, given there is much room for improvement.