2017 African Cup of Nations, Gabon

[Power Man]

Draw took place today

Click to read more...

 

[Power Man]

Now waiting for Hadjuksplit and Kabidjan to chime in



Also : lol Leicester

 

[kabidjan18]

You know CAF is rigged when Morocco cannot escape drawing the most powerful team in Africa no matter what prayers they pray. To some extent I pity them.

 

[HajdukSplit]

Algeria always seem to get these tough groups

Group D is essentially the World Cup qualifying group with Mali except Guinea

As usual the hosts get a relatively soft group

 

[Live in the Now]

Was hoping that Senegal would draw the toughest group possible but it is not to be.

 

[kabidjan18]

Was hoping that Senegal would draw the toughest group possible but it is not to be.

Well I'd say they drew the second toughest. A and D are cupcakes. What's your beef with Senegal?

 

[Live in the Now]

Wanted Mane back at Liverpool.

 

[Power Man]

Also : lol BVB

 

[kabidjan18]

Interesting potential scenario. Cote D'Ivoire boot Morocco next month in Morocco then help exclude Morocco from the out rounds of the 2017 AFCON. Morocco fires Renard, and Cote D'Ivoire decides not to renew Dussuyer and brings back Renard. I could see this happening.

Also, I never knew before today how fierce the rivalry is between Maroc and Algerie. I thought the north african teams would like each other more.

 

[Power Man]

It's not as fierce as Algeria vs Egypt

Morocco is gonna ne so good with Renard

 

[Savant]

Wanted Mane back at Liverpool.

Liverpool need to get at least one more winger in January

 

[MrFunnyWobbl]

I'm cheering for Team Africa.

You know, the country Africa?

 

[kabidjan18]

It's not as fierce as Algeria vs Egypt

Morocco is gonna ne so good with Renard

Renard's main attributes are his recruiting and his flexibility. He's not a tactical genius, his offenses have absolutely no form, hence why he's never been able to keep a Ligue 1 job. When he got here everyone celebrated him getting Boufal but I honestly thought securing Tannane was bigger. Boufal overlaps with Belhanda and Ziyech, he can't play all of them at once, kinda the Algeria dilemma with all the attacking midfielders. Tannane however is a true upgrade on that right wing and he was easily their best player against Gabon.

They need to do much better than they did against Gabon offensively, DR Congo's offense is actually marginally better than Gabon's, but if they beat DR Congo they could sneak into the out rounds.

I hope Algeria play Cote D'Ivoire in the finals, that or Senegal/Cote D'Ivoire. Far and away the three best teams in CAF. In AFCON for some reason upsets before 2013 were the norm (as opposed to WC qualifiers), hopefully we get none of those this year, just the best teams go through and win out.

 

[DoyleG]

Draw took place today

So, four groups of death then.

 

[Power Man]

Renard's main attributes are his recruiting and his flexibility. He's not a tactical genius, his offenses have absolutely no form, hence why he's never been able to keep a Ligue 1 job. When he got here everyone celebrated him getting Boufal but I honestly thought securing Tannane was bigger. Boufal overlaps with Belhanda and Ziyech, he can't play all of them at once, kinda the Algeria dilemma with all the attacking midfielders. Tannane however is a true upgrade on that right wing and he was easily their best player against Gabon.

They need to do much better than they did against Gabon offensively, DR Congo's offense is actually marginally better than Gabon's, but if they beat DR Congo they could sneak into the out rounds.

I hope Algeria play Cote D'Ivoire in the finals, that or Senegal/Cote D'Ivoire. Far and away the three best teams in CAF. In AFCON for some reason upsets before 2013 were the norm (as opposed to WC qualifiers), hopefully we get none of those this year, just the best teams go through and win out.

Nice post

But finals?

Us?



Hahahahahahahahaha

 

[kabidjan18]

Nice post

But finals?

Us?



Hahahahahahahahaha

Why not? Algeria are the prohibitive favorites (as nominated by others) to win, they were last time too. Most people think they're head and shoulders above the others. What I've read most people think 1. Algeria 2. Senegal 3. Cote D'Ivoire

But there's a reason people keep rating Cote D'Ivoire so low, they can't identify the strength of the team. The strength of the team is the defense, they haven't conceded more than a goal in the last 19 games, 19. Of course streaks are built to end, and records are made to be broken, eventually it will happen, however, Algeria and Senegal are the only two teams that have a realistic shot at scoring 2 goals against Cote D'Ivoire, and then they must hope they don't concede 2 to Gervinho, Kalou, Gradel etc.

I think Cote D'Ivoire will win, because I'm biased, but Algeria have a good shot. Senegal is also an incredibly dangerous team, the 3 are in their own tier.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Nice with arab nations like Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. They are better than most people think.....probaly on the same level as Belgium and Croatia.

But why is other arab nations like Libyia, Iraq, Syria, Saudi, Lebanon etc so bad?

 

[Ceremony]

Nice with arab nations like Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. They are better than most people think.....probaly on the same level as Belgium and Croatia.

But why is other arab nations like Libyia, Iraq, Syria, Saudi, Lebanon etc so bad?

Have you ever heard of a television programme called 'The News?'

 

[kabidjan18]

Nice with arab nations like Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. They are better than most people think.....probaly on the same level as Belgium and Croatia.

But why is other arab nations like Libyia, Iraq, Syria, Saudi, Lebanon etc so bad?

*drops phone and chokes on water*


By the way @PowerMan
https://jnewsfoot.com/2015/03/03/na...sri-qui-ma-convaincu-de-jouer-pour-la-france/
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...has-no-intention-of-playing-for-france-again/
Oh the irony...

 

[kabidjan18]

Group C Probable Depth Charts

CIV Probable Depth Chart

Gervinho - Kodjia - Kalou (Gradel - Bony - Sio)
Serey - Kessie - Seri (Doukoure - Angban - Gnoukouri)
Kanon - Bailly - Kone - Aurier (A.Traore - Djidji - Viera - Bagayoko)
Gbohouo (Mande - Badra)

I want Lacina Traore and Seydou Doumbia as well but it looks unlikely. Brice Dja Djedje will be starting with Watford so I'd like him as well but it also seems unlikely, he'll be back. Kodjia will get shut down by the good countries, but will feast on the easy ones. Also, Dussuyer is recruiting some personnel for this tournament, but until they commit I won't update.

MAROC Probable Depth Chart

Amrabat - El Arabi - Tannane (Hadad - En-Nesryi - Carcela-Gonzalez)
Ziyech - El Ahmadi - Belhanda (Fajr - Boufal - Boussoufa)
Lazaar - Da Costa - Benatia - Ait Bennasser (Mendyl - Abdelhammid - Saiss - Chafik)
Munir (Bono - El Kharroubi)

DRC Probable Depth Chart

Bakambu - Mbokani (Assombalonga - Bokila) (Bolingi)
Bolasie - Kebano (Mpoku - Botaka)
Mbemba - Maghoma (Mulumba - Bokadi)
Mutambala - Tisserand - Zakuani - Mpeko (N'Simba - Botuli - Oualembo)
Matampi (Kudimbana - Lomboto)

They might get Dodi Lukebakio, we'll see, even so he has work to do to make the Toulouse roster.

Togo Probable Depth Chart

Ayite- Adebayor - Gapke (Dossevi - Fessou - Abraw)
Nouwoklo - Romao - Atakora (Eniful - Wome - Amewou)
Mamah - Akapko - Amevor - Djene (Ouro-Akori - Bossou - Kodjo - Mensah)
Agassa (Djehani - Yacoubou)

 

[Evilo]

If Boufal is healthy, he's the best Maroc player. Don't see him not start.

 

[kabidjan18]

If Boufal is healthy, he's the best Maroc player. Don't see him not start.

Perhaps, but in the Gabon game Renard started Boussoufa and Belhanda and sat Ziyech, why is beyond me. Because Boufal is a Renard recruit though now that I think about it he should be getting the start.

 

[Evilo]

Boufal is a special player.

 

[kabidjan18]

Ok, Cote D'Ivoire were just dealt a blow. Eric Bailly had the injury today, he'll probably be back in time for the AFCON but he will for sure miss the match in Marrakesh. That means Wilfried Kanon will slide over to his natural position at CB, and Adama Traore (LB for the team that PSG destroyed in the UCL last week) will fill in at LB. The drop-off shouldn't be large, if noticeable, I fully believe someone is going to shell 20 million for Kanon in the next few years. Problem is that it displays our lack of depth. Dja Djedje is hurt so we don't yet have a good backup for Aurier, CB backups after Kanon are Ousmane Viera (team daddy, mascot) and Simon Deli (Dussuyer recruit in Czech Republic).

There's Koffi Djidji, Evilo any thoughts? I hear from the Ivorian crowd that he's the best player at Nantes but I can't imagine that being unbiased. He finally healed up so he's an option.

 

[Evilo]

Best player in Nantes is Amine Harit, though he struggles in the last play.
Djidji has been pretty decent, but this is a team that doesn't work well, so it's hard to say.