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The 2012 Africa Cup of Nations has been a fantastic tournament so far, African soccer at its most compelling, muddy and entertaining. The biggest surprise of the first round has to be co-host nation Equatorial Guinea's spectacular start. Who said lightning doesn't strike twice? The Nzalang Nacional (National Lightning) beat a shocked Libyan side 1-0 and, then went on to crush Senegal 2-1. You can credit a home crowd advantage, and even the million dollar payout by the President's son. But whatever the reason, the lowest ranking team in the tournament outplayed their opponents to make it through to the quarter final on Saturday (Feb, 4 2012), where they will face the Ivory Coast. This will be a tough match for the home team, since the Ivory Coast's Elephants easily won their first round matches (albeit against weak teams).
Gabon, the Cup's fellow co-hosts have also made it through to the quarter finals, another nice surprise for the home fans. Young Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, their key striker who is following in his father's footsteps, has been wonderful to watch. He'll be a key player if they are to defeat Mali in their match up on Sunday. Mali has lots of big stars, if they can gel together they could win. But Gabon will have the entire stadium blowing their vuvuzelas in support, and that's a powerful force if you've ever experienced an African international match yourself.
Ghana's Black Stars made it through the first round and will face Tunisia in their quarter final match up on Sunday. This should be a great game to tune into, they are both strong teams. Tunisia's young star Youssef Msakni has been very impressive, he'll be up against Ghana's veteran players like Kevin-Prince Boateng and the moral support of injured star Michael Essien.
Zambia's Chipolopolos (Copper Bullets) have shone brightly in the tournament so far. A cracking first game against Senegal (2-1) set the tone and they were only team to get over the noise of the home crowd and beat Equatorial Guinea (1-0). The Copper Bullets face Sudan in their quarter final. The Sudanese team is also a surprise winner in the first round, folks in Khartoum had a lot to cheer about last week. I was curious whether they would get support from South Sudan, but in this case it appears politics and football do mix, some South Sudanese will be cheering for Zambia (see full story).
The Lions and Zebras Bow Out...
This 28th Cup of Nations may well go down in history as one of the most entertaining tournaments, but there have been heartbreaks for some of the big teams. Morocco's Atlas Lions are on their way home after a disappointing start, losing to Tunisia and Gabon (a thrilling 2-3 match) in the first round. Senegal's Teranga Lions have also checked out of their digs in Equatorial Guinea, and are on a plane home. Other teams who will be watching the rest of the games on TV include the disappointed Libyans, Guineans, Angolans, Motswanas (Botswana), Nigeriens (Niger), and Burkinabes (Burkina Faso).
Check back for results and find out more about the: 2012 Africa Cup of Nations...
Protestors are getting tear gassed in Cairo tonight. They are angry about the terrible loss of life during a soccer match in Port Said that killed 74 people. Protestors have in fact been quite active in Cairo since January 26. So, I've had a few people ask me "is it safe to travel to Egypt right now"?
I was asked the same question a year ago, because the streets of Egypt were ablaze, and the US Department of State had not yet issued an official "Travel Warning". That's what happens when there's politics involved. However, being cautious before saying "don't go" is smart since many Egyptians rely on tourism to earn a living. An off the cuff remark about lack of safety can do a lot of unnecessary damage (think Kenya in 2008). So, is it safe to travel to Egypt?
In my humble opinion, if you have a Nile cruise booked, or a Red Sea beach holiday on the horizon, then I think the security risks remain quite low. However, unless you take a charter flight from Europe, you will be passing through Cairo, and it's a little combustible right now. I would also avoid soccer matches and anything that looks remotely like a political rally.
The revolution has brought a lot of change, but it is an ongoing process. And what generally tends to happen when you overthrow a dictatorship is that the crazy security system they upheld to stay in power, also goes out the window. Hence an emotional soccer match ends up in a tragedy. Not spending time in Cairo is what I would advise, but then you miss out on the Egyptian Museum and the Pyramids. That's a shame.
If I was booked on a trip to Egypt right now, I would check the news, and the US Department of State travel advisories. Also check other countries' foreign offices like Canada or Australia, that have less to lose politically by announcing travel warnings. Also, call the agency that booked you. Their people on the ground will have the best idea of what's safe. And if there is a travel advisory issued, here's what to do...
More About: Is it Safe to Travel to Egypt? l Current Africa Travel Warnings l BBC - Clashes in Cairo
Image of Protester at Demonstrations In Cairo Following Football Stadium Deaths - © Getty Images/Ed Giles
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