Wow, I'm really enjoying the Africa Nations Cup 2010, and from a personal point of view, I have got all my predictions right, as I put in my previews to the tournament. Group C and D are now completed, and now it is knockout football, teams normally have an easy passage out of the groups, not this time round though, all the groups have gone to the final day.


As happened in the other two groups, both matches started simultaneously to avoid funny business, Egypt had already secured qualification by beating Nigeria and Mozambique, Nigeria needed a point to get through. It was going to be a tall order for both Mozambique and Benin, 21 games between them now in this tournament, and no victories yet. Egypt lined up in their standard 4-1-4-1-1 scheme, Benin without their talisman Sessgnon used a 4-3-3, with 4 foot tall (yes, very very short) Arnaud Seka coming in for him. Nigeria started with a 4-4-1-1, Odemwingie playing behind captain Yakubu, Mozambique in a 4-4-2 scheme.


Egypt controlled the game from the start, keeping the ball very well, and being very compact when they lost the ball, and took the lead when Ahmed Al-Muhammadi did an impression of Ronaldinho 2002 against Seaman, lobbing a cross over the frankly disastrous Djidonou watching it float over his head with calm. He was dropped after the first game against Mozambique when he cost his side their first ever win, and was only playing again after Chitou was injured against Nigeria. Egypt scored a second after poor marking allowed Hassan to head the ball, and it hit the post and looked to have gone over the line, it came out and Motaeb shot and his shot cleared the line despite Djidonou clawing it out, 2-0. Benin never created much, but small Arnaud Seka on his first start for his national team showed a lot of skills, and even Egyptian fans were cheering for him. Nigeria on the otherhand were finding it hard to break Mozambique down, infact, Mozambique were breaking more effectively than Nigeria. Odemwingie gave The Super Eagles the lead just before half time, a left foot shot caught the keeper out, 1-0.


Nigeria raced to a 2-0 lead at the start of the second half, the Mozambique high line was caught out, Yakubu broke down the left, and fed Odemwingie who steered his tap in across and past the keeper. Egypt were content it seemed with 2-0, Seka breaking once down the right, but not much after that. Nigeria sealed their game when Martins slammed home a rebound, 3-0.


Group C was easily won by Egypt, they showed why they have defended the trophy already, and could break records if they win it 3 times in a row, the best team so far of the tournament. Nigeria on the otherhand, well they were outplayed by Egypt, lucky to beat Benin, and struggled for 45mins against Mozambique. They still have loads to fix, and it will be interesting to see if underfire coach Amodou selects with all his 8 strikers, Martins must not start ahead of Odemwingie.


Group D was a very open affair on the otherhand, Gabon needing a draw, Cameroon as well, Zambia and Tunisia needing victories to ensure progress. Cameroon elected to leave Rigobert Song on the bench and start with match winner  Idrissou with Eto'o up front in a 4-4-2 formation. Tunisia came out with a 4-4-2 as well. Zambia in the other game, 4-4-2 with Chamanga and Mulenga as strikers, Gabon in a 4-5-1 to try get the point they needed. Cameroon have started matches badly this tournament, and it only took 1 minute in the game, a cross from the right glanced home by Chermiti, 1-0. Cameroon couldn't get their passing game going, but when you have a genuine winner in Samuel Eto'o, you know he will start to show his quality, and he made a few dribbles and breaks to expose the Tunisian defence. In the other game, Zambia came with no fear again, and took the lead on 28mins after a neat passing move in midfield, maestro Katongo with a killer through ball that Katanga clipped over the keeper, 1-0.


The second half saw Cameroon come out like men possessed, Eto'o netting his 17th ANC goal, putting his shot into the far corner after a neat cut back, 1-1. Zambia scored another very good goal to go 2-0 up after 62 mins, Gabon failing to deal with a long ball into the box, Mulenga skinned his marker with a neat turn in the box, and played the ball across goal for Chamanga to tap into an empty neat, really good goal. Tunisia then took the lead in the corresponding game. Tunisia went ahead after a long ball was headed home by Chedjou for an own goal, Kameni must shoulder some blame for not communicating 2-1. However Cameroon roared right back less than 45 second later, Nguemo firing in with venom from the edge of the box beating the keeper, 2-2. Gabon then ensured it was squeaky bum time, with Marcolino capitalising from horrendous organization in the box to fire a goal with no one marking him in the box. Gabon kept lofting high balls for their much bigger players to try do something, Tunisia lost their composure and picked up a red card and another yellow card as time wound down on their presence in Angola.


I'd called it, I saw Cameroon and Zambia emerging, Gabon only have themselves to blame however, 4 points against Cameroon and Tunisia, both recent winners only to lose to Zambia is not good enough, and Tunisia threw it away by giving Cameroon the advantage straight after they had taken the lead, exactly how they threw away a place at the World Cup by not taking the match seriously enough. Big up to Zambia though, not many household names, but Mulenga-Katanga-Chamanga are surely going to be watched very closely by scouts in the quarter finals with their performances thus far.


I will have a preview of the knockout stages on Friday, before the matches resume on Saturday, Vive Afrique!