Angola 2010: Africa Nation Cup Kicks Off

Stephen Okechukwu Keshi's Mali will today at the 50,000 capacity Estadio 11 de Novembro Stadium, Luanda, trade tackles with Angola's Palancas Negras in the opening game of the 27th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations tagged CAN 2010.

Keshi's Les Aigles (Eagles), who are perennial underachievers in the continents' soccer showpiece, will be looking to have a good tournament in Angola to ease the disappointment of failing to qualify for the 2010 World Cup. Already, Mali football authorities have set a quarter-final target for the team.Mali will be counting on Keshi's magic to rub-off on their 2010 campaign as the former Super Eagles skipper helped the team lift the trophy in 1994 in Tunisia. Keshi also achieved the seemingly impossible when he qualified the Hawks of Togo to their first ever World Cup at Germany 2006.

Aside from Frederic Kanoute, the 2007 African Footballer of the Year, Keshi has a plethora of players attached to major European clubs at his disposal.

The midfield is especially strong with the likes of Barcelona's Seydou Keita, Real Madrid's Mahamadou Diarra, and Mohamed Lamine Sissoko of Juventus.Similarly, the Palancas Negras have made four previous appearances but never won the cup before. As host nation, the southern African country would be hoping to repeat history as every host nation since 1992 has gone pass the first round in this competition.

Angola have their eyes fixed on the trophy and have prepared well for their home tournament with several friendlies-2-0 win over Togo, and draws with the likes of Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon.

Coach Jose Manuel knows there is little room for errors as the pressure mounts on them as host to keep the fans at the stadia. Reports have it that the 2010 tournament is likely to mark the end of the international careers for some of the current crop like Flavio, and they will be keen to bow out in style.

Kick-off for the big match is 8pm (local time).

AFCN 2010:Togo team to honuor mates

The Togo national football side will play in the African Nations Cup, one of the players Thomas Dossevi told AFP early this morning, despite an earlier decision to pull out.

"In memory of the dead, the national team has decided to play in the African Nations Cup," said Dossevi.

The players had initially said they didn't want to play in the tournament, and the government recalled the team, following Friday's machine gun ambush by Cabinda separatists that killed an assistant coach and squad spokesman.

"We are all heartbroken, it is no longer a party, but we want to show our national colours, our values and that we are men," he said."It was a decision taken nearly unanimously by the team which met during the night after having been reassured by the Angolan authorities," Dossevi added.

Three members of the Togolese contingent died following the attack by terrorists, who opened gunfire on the bus conveying the team from their training camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Rebels of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC) fighting for independence for the oil-rich enclave claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place as members of the team were completing immigration formalities at the border.

Among those killed in the shooting, which is said to have lasted for more than 15 minutes are the assistant coach, press officer and driver. Two players were also injured. Defender Serge Akakpo, who plays for Romanian club Vaslui, was hit by two bullets (including one in the stomach) and had to be flown to South Africa for treatment.

Reserve keeper Obilale, who plays for French club GSI Pontivy, was also wounded, while several other players sustained slight injuries. Some of them were later seen with bandages on their legs, hands and faces.

Following their decision to withdraw, Togo players admitted that they were trying to convince other teams in their group, which include Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Ghana, to also boycott the tournament.

Togo midfielder Alaixys Romao told French paper L'Equipe: "We're talking to the other teams in our group to try to convince them to boycott too."

Togo coach, Hubert Velud told French radio station RMC that he thought the Angolan authorities should consider cancelling the entire tournament.

"We can at least pose that question," he said. "It's an act of barbarism while we are here to celebrate African football.

"We left the hospital a short time ago to come to the centre for the teams in the competition. We stayed in the hospital a long time so that we could be very united.

Aston Villa's Togolese midfielder Moustapha Salifou was thankful for the presence of the security team after he emerged unscathed from the incident. He said he felt lucky to be alive.

He told Villa's website: "Our security people saved us. They were in two cars, about 10 of them in total, and they returned fire.