Zambia,
Cote d’ Ivoire, Gabon and Ghana appear the likely winners of the 2012
Cup of Nations quarter-finals across central Africa this weekend.
The football feast begins Saturday with two fixtures
in Equatorial Guinea — Zambia and Sudan in mainland port city Bata
followed by the co-hosts and Cote d’ Ivoire in island capital Malabo.
Gabon stages both Sunday showdowns with the co-hosts
playing Mali in coastal capital Libreville before Ghana tackle Tunisia
in south-eastern city Franceville.
Ghana have won the biennial African football
showpiece four times and Cote d’ Ivoire, Sudan and Tunisia once, Zambia
and Mali were runners-up, Gabon reached the last eight once before and
Equatorial Guinea never.
While title co-favourites Cote d’ Ivoire and Ghana
are still on course for the February 12 final, Morocco and Senegal
failed to match expectations that they would go far and were the biggest
first-round casualties.
Equatorial Guinea provided the biggest surprise,
defeating Libya and Senegal to secure a knockout place despite changing
coaches less than three weeks before the tournament began, and lacking
any big-name footballers.
Source: PUNCH
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