looking for the list of
players?
check also the other analysis
of the squads:
and the coaching situation:
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Where do they play?
An analysis of the 16 squads
based on the dates given
by C.A.F. (Confederation of African Football)
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remarks: 1) 3 players do have
no club actually 2) there might be some little divergence to the data delivered
by C.A.F. as this is based on Reuters
(Yellow(=homebased) means:
players play in their own country)
some necessary remarks:
-
Europe is not the same as
Europe
If it comes down to the
names of the clubs the players are playing at, the final should clearly
be Cameroon vs. Nigeria.
And as well Nigeria should
thrash Congo by 10 goals. The Congolese players (with exceptions) play
at Europe but they play at lower leagues, some of them 3rd, 4th, 5th level.
Anyway it can be predicted: It will be much closer.
-
Tunisians love to play at
home
This diagram does not necessarily
say something about the quality of the players or leagues. Tunisian clubs
are strong and potent and players have a good life at Tunisia, a strong
opposite to for example Congo. That is why many Tunisian players, though
requested, stay at home, while Congolese players even prefer lower league
jobs at Germany or France.
Nigeria on another side
has so many players abroad because of the huge number of (good) players:
Every fifth African lives at Nigeria
Each mix has its problems,
see preview/african-football
for this.
- Surprise?
All the last
four finalists 1996/1998, South Africa (2x), Egypt, and Tunisia, and also the
third placed teams, Zambia and DR Congo, had a big number of local players in
their squads. Neither Cameroon nor Ghana had made a huge impact, Nigeria had
been absent.
- Different this
time?
Ghana and Nigeria are favorites as hosts. But not only this gives
an edge to the 'non-locals': This Nations Cup is a test for that first generation of players
who were recruited in huge number by European clubs as teenagers and
'reconfigured' into 'European Africans' and now coming into adult players age.
In some way their careers resemble a bit those of some of the French World
champions, only that they decided to play for their home countries (f.e. some
Cameroon players). Others grew up in Europe as children of e(i)migrants right
away and opted to play for their root country (for example Otto Addo, Ghana and
Michel Dinzey, DR Congo). Will those 'genuine European' teams be
stronger? It will be especially Ghana and Cameroon to be watched concerning this question.
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