By Paul Bassey

As you are reading this only four of the sixteen teams that dreamt of dethroning Nigeria as Africa Nations Cup Champions are still left standing.
For twelve others the dream has ended. Hopes dashed aspirations cut short.

By the time of filing this report, only two of the four quarter final matches had been played, the explosive encounters in Bata where RD Congo came from two goals down to beat Congo 4-2 and the ill tempered confrontation that saw the host Equatorial Guinea continue their fairy tale story, also coming from one goal down to send packing the favoured Tunisians 2-1.

Between Ghana, Algeria, Cote D’Ivoire and Guinea ( Ah! Guinea) whoever emerges will not punctuate the surprise that has ruled this Nations Cup from inception.

Ah Guinea. The rules and regulations of the Nations Cup, Article 74.1.1 says In case of equality between two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be ranked according to the following criteria in the order listed below:

The first order is greatest number of points obtained in the match between the two teams concerned, ( What is popularly known as head to head) then the goals difference in all group matches , the greatest number of goals scored in all group matches and FINALLY 74.1.4 “ A drawing of lots conducted by the Organising Committee.

The lots option was like the last resort, a deus ex machine of sorts. How were the authors of the text to know that a situation could arise where after three matches, two teams could not be separated, equal on points, goals scored and conceded? Yes it happened before, far in between, yet it happened here again and when the lot was cast, Guinea progressed and Mali rued her penalty loss.

For Seidou Keita this Nations Cup was to be curtains.Dedicated and loyal years of service to country was to be brought to an end here and team Administrator Moussa Kanoute was to regret, “…..if the lot does not favour us, I can see Keita going into retirement nursing forever the regret that he cost us quarter final qualification in Equartorial Guinea….”

Is CAF considering expunging article 74.1.4 from its regulations? Maybe, but someone has to come up with an ingenious replacement in a game that is so dynamic that even penalty kicks are considered a “lottery” an “unfair end to effort”

Back to the competition.

Wednesday in Bata and Thursday in Malabo, the game will resume with semi final confrontations, Equatorial Guinea travelling to Malabo to meet the winner of the Ghana -Guinea confrontation, while RD Congo waits in Bata for the winner of the Algeria/Cote Divoire match.

For Equitorial Guinea this is already a dream come true. A fairy tale. Not in their wildest imaginations did they believe that they will come this far. Thrown out for fielding an ineligible player, then re-assembled in a hurry to fill the gap of host, here they are in the semi final and suddenly believing they could lift the trophy.

No inferiority complex here. Fuelled by a very vociferous crowd, the fabled twelfth person, the hosts have taken every game with determination and a resolve not to disappoint and their victory over Tunisia has guaranteed them a place in the last day of the competition if not as finalists, as losing finalists!

A draw against Congo on Opening day, another draw versus Burkina Faso, they short circuited form books by beating Gabon 2-0 and ousted Tunisia 2-1. Yet to lose a match, they can dare to dream.

For a country ranked the 118th best football playing nation in the world, 36 in Africa, this is indeed a fairy tale. Incidentally the same FIFA Ranking seems to do justice to the teams that progressed in this competition to the quarter final stage.

Take Algeria, first in Africa Tunisia second, Cote Divoire third, Ghana fifth, Guinea sixth ( Cameroun 7th and Mali, 9th)
Equatorial Guinea is set to dislodge that myth. Also in that list add RD Congo, 13 in Africa, (57 in the world). So much for those who believe FIFA Rankings are academic.

Has there been a favourite match for me? All, all the matches have come with their individual and distinct flavouring, yet none may beat the six goal thriller of a quarter final between Congo Brazzaville and Congo DR.

Goalless in the first half, the game came alive in the second  as Congo went two goals up. With experienced tactitian Claude Le Rois on the bench, nobody gave the modest Congo DR the opportunity of coming back.

Before now the Kinshasha guys had drawn all their three matches played against Zambia, Cape Vert,and Tunisia and managed to edge Cape Vert into the quarter final by Superior goals scored.

Pride was at stake against neigbhours and traditional foes. As the President of the Federation and CAF Executive Committee Constance Omari said later, losing to Congo was a big blow. “……However if we were to lose, we were to lose gallantly that is why the boys went all out, reduced the tally and suddenly found the adrenalin to equalize and pump in two more for a famous victory.”

He will do everything to get the match ball.
Equatorial Guinea? Ghana? Congo DR? Patience guys, until February 8, the Super Eagles of Nigeria are still the defending Champions.

See you next week.