Jioni ya Kupendeza Syndicate Family,
It’s a fantastic Friday
Evening stateside. Time to saunter on over to the pub and enjoy some temperate
weather. Chat with a few friends and let loose. Down a stout pint whilst
looking forward to some of the fantastic football coming up over the weekend.
Life’s good…irrespective of what a few disconcerting newspaper articles you’ve recently read may lead you to believe. ; )
Work on the mailbag section has ground to a rather morbid halt. In large part, it relates to the fact that so many Syndicate Members find themselves in too much of a cynical mood. Though many Syndicate Members are understandably frustrated with the current domestic political “pendulum shift” this installment deserves neither a contemptuous introduction nor a mailbag full of misanthropic riffs. ; )
Life’s good…irrespective of what a few disconcerting newspaper articles you’ve recently read may lead you to believe. ; )
Work on the mailbag section has ground to a rather morbid halt. In large part, it relates to the fact that so many Syndicate Members find themselves in too much of a cynical mood. Though many Syndicate Members are understandably frustrated with the current domestic political “pendulum shift” this installment deserves neither a contemptuous introduction nor a mailbag full of misanthropic riffs. ; )
A delay is order. We’ll have
to flesh it all out next round.
Let’s stick to football for
now. Your friendly bookie made a valiant attempt to keep track of the number of
keepers injured in this tournament. I managed to lose count somewhere around
the 13th. What the El-Hadarying-fuck is going on with the goalies?
They’re dropping faster than Grandparents during Final Exams Week.
Alert the “International
Journal of Improbable Statistics”. We’ve an epidemic on our hands!
Still searching for the name
of the African Commentator on “Bein Sports” who is fond of using the phrase “Click…Click…BANG!”
whenever a goal is scored. Broadcast Media sucks. They’ll give you the full
roster of “Talking Head Studio Types” while forbidding the play-by-play announcers
from identifying themselves. What garbage!
Here are my updated stats:
Spread: 12-12
Straight Up: 12-6-6
Syndicate Member 31-M gets a “Mailbag
Mention”
Reader: You put me to sleep every night with
your boring blog, Vice. Congratulations on becoming Heinrich von Kleißt.
Vicey: Bwahahahahahha!
For all of the none of you keeping track, that’s
an ACTUAL Heinrich von Kleißt reference, pulled straight out of Heinrich Heine’s
“Atta Troll”. Hell’s to the yes!
ZING...Syndicate Member 31-M!
I refuse to adopt a pessimistic attitude about
current political trends. All of us will do just fine.
; )
Goodbyes
Section
16th
Place—Uganda
One was tempted to truly
start feeling sorry for the Cranes when one took a look at the Oyem Pitch on
Wednesday. Yikes. Talk about “Das Feuchgebiet”. Heavy rainfall and improperly
laid sod don’t mix. Thought we landed in the Everglades for a mite sec. Poor country
that can’t even get their football association to furnish them with proper
training facilities now has to bow out playing on a fetid marsh? Ouch. Seemed like the proper time to recall one of my old mentor’s favorite adages: “Peter…life’s unfair, and then you die”. Yep. That about sums it up. Impossible to dispute anything contained within that statement…most especially the “Peter…” part ; )
Indeed it looked like yet
another sad ending for an East Africn Nation. Your friendly bookie wondered
aloud what material might be useful for the write-up, given that virtually all
of the first half action involved little more than hydroplaning. The two
Kizitos attempted some really brave tackles, but how can one take footballers
seriously when they looked like they were leisuring at Schlitterbarn.
Thankfully, the moment came.
Miya’s diamond-cutter-strike from outside the 18 gave the Cranes their first
AFCON goal in over 39 years! Sweet. The enthusiastic fans kept the party going
even after their team conceded an equalizer some 40 seconds later. Party on!
And so this odd team
comprised of representatives from club teams all over the world—including the
MLS—exited our midst forever. Hey mates…Micheal Azira plays for the Colorado
Rapids…and I still can’t bring myself to care.
15th
Place—Togo
Why must all the nefarious
hate in the world always fall upon this poor forsaken country? To add to the
already long-list of malevolent misfortune that has befallen this team, veteran
keeper Kossi Agassi left the team and the tournament after a group of miscreant
fans vandalized his house and terrorized his family. Backup keeper Baba Tchagouni
then injured himself inside the first twenty minutes, forcing Le Roy to insert
third-stringer Cederic Mensah between the pipes.
It wasn’t long before he started to take a beating. Aargh. Watching it all fall apart for the Hawks is, of course, and all-too familiar scene. One essentially knew that it wouldn’t come together for them, but why must it always go to pieces in such a spectacular fashion?
It wasn’t long before he started to take a beating. Aargh. Watching it all fall apart for the Hawks is, of course, and all-too familiar scene. One essentially knew that it wouldn’t come together for them, but why must it always go to pieces in such a spectacular fashion?
Liked what I was from
Boukari, Ayite, and Gapke, though they basically did little other than try to
link up with the “Big Man”. Goodbye, Adebayor. It was fitting that the Togolese
“Sparrow Hawks” looked to the “Big Man” to secure their destiny. This bookie savored
every moment. The way he tenaciously inserted himself into every play counted
for much. I bid you farewell, brother. A “Big-Target-Man” can’t always hope to
keep the gears running, but you did your very best.
Time for a “re-post”:
From CAN 2017—“Round Three”
10) Togo
(Previously #10)
Certainly started off promisingly enough with
Dossevi’s fine finish as the trailer on those lightning-quick counterattack.
The standard Liege midfielder actually had a great game on the right flank.
Though the Hawks ultimately failed to establish a good rhythm, one couldn’t
accuse the wingers of ever laying down. Lots of sweat invested there. On the
topic of a player who simply refuses to quit, I miss Emmanuel Adebayor already.
; (
Why does this man have to go away? Why won’t at
least a second-tier European Club sign him to mentor the youngsters? The former
Premiership Star has been a favorite of this Sportsbook for nearly a decade.
His tenacious play and imposing physical presence make him one of my all time
favorite footballers.
Once again he was all over the pitch. His name
was called no fewer than 40 times in the first half alone!
14th
Place—Zimbabwe
Come truly cool names, an
exhilarating debut match, and…that’s about it for another African team that
never had the privilege of qualifying for this tournament before. Tragically
enough, they could have über-smacked the Algerians in that first match had Malajila
known how to pass and Mkurva known how to keep. That didn’t occur, and we’re
left to mull over some post-mortem musings. Damn us!
Might as well move the
discussion to the names of footballers we’re likely to hear from again. Trouble
is, that’s a horribly unjust “short-list”. Most of the Warriors are entrenched
at South African Clubs. Not to suggest that it isn’t a great league or
anything, but your friendly bookie hasn’t the time to follow the “Sundowns”,
“Kaizer Chiefs”, or “Orlando Pirates”. It’s likely goodbye forever to Danny
Phiri, Cuthbert Malajila, Khama Billiat, Onismor Bhasera, Kudakwashe Mahachi,
and Willard Katsande.
Nyasha Mushewki had a great
tournament, but he’s stuck in China for the foreseeable future. Knowledge
Musona routinely strode forward ambitiously to pickpocket every last man who
dared possess a ball on his pitch, but those damn Belgiums have him locked in
for a good while.
N’doro’s final strike wasn’t
much more than a sad whimper to end on. Won’t see these guys again soon.
13th
Place—Guinea Bissau
We hardly knew ye. Yet
another “Guinea” comes and goes. Little point in acting surprised. It remained
highly unlikely that a group of Portuguese 2nd Leaguers could propel
the “Djurtus Debutantes” out of a very tough group. For an obscure tiny West
African Side it almost seemed like a “Right of Inheritance” after what we
witnessed from Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea in years past. This time it
twasn’t to be. Congrats are very much in order for a performance not lacking in heart. The late set piece against the hosts as well as the Piqueti’s athletic finish in the losing effort against Cameroon furnished us with a couple of memorable moments to take along.
Hopefully Rudlinson Silva’s
nightmare of an own goal in the final match against the Stallions, won’t affect
his chances of finding a place with another professional club. He might have
redeemed himself had it not been for a questionable offside in the 37th
and kept feeding Toni Silva and Zezhinho useful balls and the outmatched eleven
showed great class by refusing to stop pressing in the latter 45. At the very
least he deserves a chance with a Second Tier Central or Eastern European Team.
What’s always intriguing
about such squads pertains to the future many of the pitchers have earned
themselves after showcasing their skills on a larger stage. I fully expect to
see Zezinho and Toni Silva ink deals with better clubs over the summer. Both
are still young and still malleable enough to learn a new system. Abel Camara
is another one who might have finally made a name for himself. The Beleneses
striker has spent more than half of his professional career on loan waiting for
a call up back to his Base Club. He demonstrated enough maturity in this
tournament to warrant at a shot at a stable home.
One also wonders what will
become of the veterans. Mamadou Cande and Bocundji Ca are both shopping for
contracts after being written off as busts by multiple European Clubs. Did they
hustle enough to pique new interest? With it not looking likely that the
National Team will qualify again in two years, their careers come down to which
club emissaries eked out enough time to scout this competition.
That’s the beauty of it all,
gentlemen ; )
12th
Place—Mali
Your friendly bookie shall
always retain a special place in his heart for “Les Aigles”. Been through so
much with this team. FUCK ANSAR-DINE! Ooops. Did I let that slip a bit earlier
than I ordinarily do? It would appear so. Saw some promise from this team in
youngsters Moussa Marega and Adama Traore, but it’s not entirely worth
reporting too in-depth on a team that has almost zero chance to qualify next
Summer and looks to be in for a long rebuilding spell. I’d prefer to relish in a classic. Yes…a
“re-post” is coming. Avert your eyes!From CAN 2013—Semi-Finals:
Wednesday
Mali vs. Nigeria 
It’s the clash of the brave; two brave
countries locked in the intractable struggle for their basic liberties. Excuse
me one moment as we here at the Syndicate emphasize our allegiances thrice
more.
FUCK BOKO HARAM!
FUCK ANSAR DINE!
FUCK BOKO HARAM!
FUCK ANSAR DINE!
FUCK BOKO HARAM!
FUCK ANSAR DINE!
I’ll gladly continue to type those words until every last territorial hamlet dances just like the recently liberated citizens of Timbuktu. Got a problem with it? FUCK YOU. Send me a few more grossly misspelled death threats. You only embarrass yourselves.
As of this installment, the party in Timbuktu
rages on. Women proudly don their ritual dress for the first time in over a
year. Men publicly exercise their inalienable right to congregate in the pub
while watching a football game. On paper the “Super Eagles” out-class the
juxtaposing ragtag group one can only refer to as the “Regular Eagles”.
Many journalists surely salivate over the prospect of a Malian upset and the Pulitzer-worthy post-game wrap-up that would essentially write itself. Not only would the uplifting commentary about a country embroiled in civil strife “united in the implausible miracle of their team’s historic advance” magically appear on the page, the words, “The Nigerian curse endures” would pop-up without the writer having to bite so much as one measly cuticle.
Many journalists surely salivate over the prospect of a Malian upset and the Pulitzer-worthy post-game wrap-up that would essentially write itself. Not only would the uplifting commentary about a country embroiled in civil strife “united in the implausible miracle of their team’s historic advance” magically appear on the page, the words, “The Nigerian curse endures” would pop-up without the writer having to bite so much as one measly cuticle.
This bookie is prepared to buy stock in the
upset…and not for any of the inherently shallow reasons articulated above.
Presently “Five Reasons Why Mali Will Prevail”:
1) Keshi under Pressure
Keshi’s stubborn insistence on rolling out the
4-3-2-1 every match reflects a degree of terminal obstinacy. More
significantly, it tells us that he foolishly adheres to a “suicide pact” of
sorts. A certain someone has a certain something to prove. Could it be that
Mali was wrong to fire him just over three years ago? Is that why he’s unwisely
running his already half-empty tournament team through twice-daily practices in
the run-up to this match? Bad move. Mali coach Patrice Carteron, by contrast,
has the right idea. Let your players rest and reflect. Allow their touch to
sink in. Keshi may have a fully fit Kader, but it’s entirely predictable that
he’ll imprudently select a tired eleven…not to mention roll out the same
formation again.
2) Mahamadou Samassa (1990) is no Boubacar
Barry
Fresh off his suspension, the Malian Number One
won’t concede soft goals so readily; precisely the type of soft goals that led
the Super Eagles out of the group and through the Quarterfinal Stages.
3) The Keita/Maiga Dynamic
Traore who? These two are clicking in ways that
would induce wet dreams in most any obsessed
trainer/chemist/alchemist/chef/alcoholic…..you get the idea. Coordination
between opposite flanks remains the key. The wider one’s game is, the more
space for improvisation. Whereas chemists and alchemists may have less
flattering things to say on the topic on improvisation, chefs and alcoholics
will always be available to extol the virtues of chance. Mayonnaise and Gin? An
undercooked burger placed between two donuts? Stumble upon greatness. Keita and
Maiga have something in store for us. They’ll stretch the defense and open up
caverns of space. Keep an eye out for the “Goal of the Tournament”.
4) Moses/Mikel Fatigue Hell with the clichéd ruminations on “tournament football”. These guys are running on empty merely by virtue of the fact that they’re Premiership Players. England’s ardent football fans demand the most grueling schedule in all of professional sports. Their insatiable thirst is Africa’s loss. Calling it like I see it.
5) 4-3-2-1 vs. 4-3-2-1
The Royal “We” known as the Syndicate projects
a C. Diabate start at center forward. This notwithstanding, we’ll surely see
Mahamadou Samassa (1986) get a turn should the identical formations yield a
stalemate. In the event that you find yourself confused, welcome to the club.
At times it feels as if the Malian squad features 23 “Diabates”, 14 “Diakites”,
47 “Coulibalys”, and 22 “Diakites”, and 108 “Diarras”. As if all of that
weren’t enough, the current lead striker and first-string keeper are both named
“Mahamadou Samassa”.
The two happen to be cousins, and the only way of distinguishing them is to parenthetically note the year of their birth. Na, hevorragend. Will we see 1990 kick start a counter attack to his fresh-legged recently inserted cousin 1986 in the 102nd minute? Not giving odds on that one, but what would Carteron have to lose if the two sides canceled one another out?
The two happen to be cousins, and the only way of distinguishing them is to parenthetically note the year of their birth. Na, hevorragend. Will we see 1990 kick start a counter attack to his fresh-legged recently inserted cousin 1986 in the 102nd minute? Not giving odds on that one, but what would Carteron have to lose if the two sides canceled one another out?
Much respect for Keshi, who led Togo to a
heroic 2006 World Cup Qualification before the numbskulled football association
sacked him in favor of Otto “Iron” Pfister. The time will come for him to
finally exorcize his demons….just not yet.
Let’s hit the button…..UPSET ALERT!
Right…of course they didn’t
end up prevailing:
Editor’s retroactive notes:RESULT: Nigeria 4, Mali 1. Oh Christ. Not liking how much work explaining away this one is going to be. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Would an eloquently written contrition such as, “Duh….I done not thunk with my headbone” suffice? No…alright let’s break her down then.
1) Keshi under pressure
Keshi rolled out (more or less) the exact same
4-3-2-1 he used to defeat Cote d’Ivoire. (He simply flipped Onazi and John Obi
Mikel). If anyone was tired I must have missed it. Whether or not Keshi had
revenge on his mind turned out to be immaterial. The early lead allowed him to
play the safe tactician.
2) Mahmadou Samasssa (1990) is no Bobacar Barry
I’d have taken Barry in this one. Note that you
friendly bookie also misspelled the player’s name incorrectly……for he
352,234,984,912nd time.
3) The Keita/Maiga Dynamic At least I was right about mayonnaise and gin. These two did nothing other than get booked.
4) Moses/Mikel Fatigue
Moses only played 53 minutes, but he made it
count. Mikel did indeed mostly sit back and defend, but who the hell needed him
when Emmenike, Mba, and Onazi were in such fine form?
5) 4-3-2-1 vs. 4-3-2-1
This one was just plain fucking stupid. It’s
all fine and good to discuss formations when one squad relies upon an
unconventional one, but highly skilled internationals will make what they wish
out of twenty players assigned to standard fare. That being said, I’ll try no
make no more than 30 stupid fucking predictions based on formations in this
summer’s tournament.
One-way traffic for the Super Eagles even
before Elderson sent in the spectacular opener in the 20th. Moses outright
embarrassed Maiga by sweeping past him on the right flank. He then chipped a
low-driven cross that Echiejele did a superior job of anticipating. The Braga
Left Back dropped to his knees and headed home off of a bounce. Keshi’s lads
rolled with the momentum. Ideye Brown tipped in the second five minutes later.
Emmenike and Brown found themselves well ahead of the last line of defense. A desperate sliding tackle by N’Diaye couldn’t prevent Brown from collected Emmenike’s cross. It only served to prod the effort in. Capping a sensational half, Brown pummeled in a free kick in the 44th via a deflection off the wall.
Emmenike and Brown found themselves well ahead of the last line of defense. A desperate sliding tackle by N’Diaye couldn’t prevent Brown from collected Emmenike’s cross. It only served to prod the effort in. Capping a sensational half, Brown pummeled in a free kick in the 44th via a deflection off the wall.
Emmenike wasn’t finished yet either. He sprung
substitute Ahmed Musa past the offside trap at the hour mark. The CSKA forward
dribbled a full thirty yards and finished between Samassa’s legs to put matters
beyond any doubt. Musa might have grabbed a brace were it not for a borderline
offside call five minutes later. The consolation prize “Les Aigles” grabbed in
the 75th was wholly unremarkable. Chieck Diabate cut back for Chieck
Diarra. Ho hum.
11th
Place—Cote d’Ivoire
It’s official. A new
Continental Champion will be crowned on February 5th! Dussuyer went
with younger guns like Franck Kessie, Cheick Doukoure, and Wilfried Zaha on
Tuesday. To this mix he added veterans Bony and Saloman Kalou. That constituted his
much anticipated lineup…and it came nowhere close to working. Kalou spent most
of the match back on his heels, forced into hard defensive tackles. Doukoure,
Kessie and Serey Die couldn’t get anything constructive establish all afternoon
long. Once frustration boiled over and Zaha went slightly nuts in the 68th one knew it was over. Great football supplied over the first two fixtures. Decent tactical possession throughout, but still a rather meek exit.
Called this one rather early with the whole “The babies are teething” line a couple of rounds ago. This new incarnation needs time to gel. Time they shall have. They presently top their 2018 Qualification Group, though matches against the Moroccans and Gabonese loom next Autumn. Serey Die and Salomon Kalou will hang around at least through the qualification process. Gradel still looks good. Players like Kodja and Zaha still have their best days of football in front of them. Kessie, Kanon, and N’Guessan are practical infants!
Les Elephants should qualify
for their fourth consecutive World Cup. Sad to see one of my favorites go, but
this bookie knows they’ll be back in no time.
10th
Place—Algeria
Mahrez appeared willing and
able enough. Slimani, for all his narcissistic flaws in calling for the ball
too much, still provided us with an unforgettable tournament. Quality overlaps
from the Fennecs. Bentaleb and Brahimi never came close to losing their touch.
Captain Aissa Mandi tore forward like a champ. It was a truly great team, stockpiled with talents who seemed to be finding their stride over the opening two fixtures. This bookie didn’t anticpate them falling to the Senegalese reserves and crashing out of the tournament. What happened?
I’ll spare you the
suspense…it wasn’t Rais M’Bohli. ; )
It all came down to bad
sportsmanship. As soon as I saw Belkhiter give away that putrid penalty in the
first match, I knew this wasn’t a team to be trusted. Ghoulam and Guedioura
were cited one match later. Ghoulam, Bentaleb, Brahimi, and Bentaiba were
caught in the final match. There were no fewer than twenty fouls during the
first half of the Senegal fixture alone!
The fans, feeding off, the
suspect play, then decided to light flares in the stands. Dirty bastards You
know my feelings on that ; )
Head coach Leekens has
already tendered his resignation. His successor shouldn’t have to work to hard
to secure 2018 qualification. With the possible exception of 31-year-old Adlene
Guedioura, none of this team’s players are even approaching retirement age. Once
Tottenham recalls Bentaleb from the Bundesliga, all of the main catalysts will
be playing Premiership Football regularly. Looking forward to seeing the
new-look Foxes in Russia next Summer, where they should contend.
Until then, boys.
9th
Place—Gabon
Exhaustion and injuries took their toll for the ill-fated hosts. They afforded us more than a few glimpses of their potential. Aubameyang put it all on the line. Jose Antonio Camacho did his utmost as well, animatingly yelling instructions at players who had no hope of understanding his Spanish idioms ; ) Camacho seemed lost from the very beginning of this tournament. He eventually switched to a 3-4-3, long after it would have come anywhere close to making any sort of a difference. Plenty of reports suggests that players genuinely couldn’t understand the system he attempted to implement.
A resignation should be forthcoming. Perhaps it’s time for an African Coach? It’s worked thus far for Senegal and Congo DR!
It’s a much more optimistic
farewell I currently to the Panthers than the one I compiled two years ago. Back
then, practically the entire cast of characters were deemed duds. The current
team looks to be in much better shape. They exit, after all, only a few centimeters
from the Knockouts after uncharacteristically heavy touches from Aubemeyang and
Bouanga.
The core group should be
retained as they possess decent chemistry and will only mature playing for
top-flight club teams.
Denis Bouanga should be called home soon. Didier N’Dong will keep Sunderland in the Premiership this season.
Palun and Evouna might get
better contacts as well, or so flows the rumor mill. Tanjigora might pop up in
Europe soon too.
It’ll be fun to follow the
progress of these players until the advent of the next tournament. 2018
Qualification remains a possibility. Should see them in CAN 2019 in any event.
All geared up for the
Quarters? Let’s go.
Saturday,
January 28th
Burkina
Faso vs. Tunisia
vs. 
The Burkinabés seek to reclaim glory. The Tunisians were eliminated at this stage last time under controversial circumstances. Both bases demand progress or this whole affair will count as a step backwards. This should be fun. Fingers crossed for Syndicate Member 1-X-M ; )
The Tunisians ride high on
what some eyes might see as a “Four-Goal-Explosion”. Your friendly bookie sees
it differently. It was by far the most mundane six-goal match he ever endured. Those
finishes weren’t worth much. Sliti may be the king of the “give-and-go”, but
his opening tally doesn’t deserve the same kind of plaudits that Musona’s did.
Khazri and Mskani are great technical players who did their part. That was
still a bullshit penalty in the 45th!!
Kasperczak has worked out
that a 4-3-3 provides the most fluid potential to players like Sassi and
Khadri. Kudos to him for pitching that godawful “False 9” formation that had
Akaichi pocketing for no reason whatsoever. In all likelihood he’ll deploy
Akaichi, Mskani, and Sliti in an attack-minded 4-3-3. He’ll give animated
instructions too ; )
Massive injury problems for
the Stallions, who might yet lose lionhearted keeper Herve Kouakou Koffi to
bruised extremities. Your friendly bookie reserves the right to roll the line
should the he, Yacouba Coulibaly, or Aristide Bance be ruled out of the crucial
encounter. Pitroipa and fellow attacker Jonathan Zongo have already been
officially sidelined for the duration.
Veteran leadership is needed on this team. They’re far too susceptible to being grinded out physically in midfield. Paulo Duarte’s 4-5-1, a cautious formation meant to obviate the disastrous consequences engendered by Paul Put’s absurd 4-3-3 from two years ago, bogs aging central midfielders like Kabore and A.B. Traore down into a grueling mire of short passes and demanding physical challenges.
Veteran leadership is needed on this team. They’re far too susceptible to being grinded out physically in midfield. Paulo Duarte’s 4-5-1, a cautious formation meant to obviate the disastrous consequences engendered by Paul Put’s absurd 4-3-3 from two years ago, bogs aging central midfielders like Kabore and A.B. Traore down into a grueling mire of short passes and demanding physical challenges.
There still may be enough
depth to pull them through. Bertrand Kabore, A.B.R. Traore and Prejuce Nakoulma
can play on either side of the pitch. Aristide Bancé didn’t look like a
“has-been” to this bookie. He may have bowed out early, but still looked like a
prime-time stud in the exchange that led to the second goal on Sunday. Yaago’s
return was stellar too.
Your friendly bookie refuses
to dismount.
Projected Lineups:
“The Stallions”—(4-5-1 )
Bertrand
|
Alain
|
Prejuce
Nakoulama Bertrand Traoré
|
A.B. Traoré Charles Kaboré
|
Y.
Coulibaly B. Koné I. Dayo S. Yaago
|
Kouakou Koffi
|
“The Eagles of Carthage”—(4-3-3)
Ahmed Akaichi
|
Youssef Mskani Naim
Sliti
|
M.A. Ben Amor Ferjani Sassi
|
Wahbi Khazri
|
A. Maaloul
A. Abdennour S. B. Youssef H. Nagguez
|
Rami Jridi
|
THE LINE: Burkina Faso +1 Goal
Prop Bets (as always, feel
free to offer your own)
Over/Under—4 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—2 to 1
Senegal
vs. Cameroon
vs. 
What a game! Two West African
Powerhouses, neither of whom have any real successes to tout over the last
fifteen years. Why, oh, why does this have to be a Quarterfinal?. This would
make an epic Semi. One of these squads will de-shackle themselves from a decade
and a half of obscurity. Accomplishment has finally arrived for whichever Lions
come out ahead. Hell yes! So much at stake. The winner of this one will
undoubtedly enjoy a big boost and elevated exposure over the next two years.
Let’s begin.
Aliou Cisse has really put
together an excellent team. He rested most of his regulars in the Algeria Match
and gave Moussa Sow a most splendid opportunity to punch his weight. The
“projected lineup” that I’ve placed below assumes no place for Ismaila Sarr,
Saliou Ciss, Zargo Toure, or Mohamed Daimé. Sow’s tomahawk finish won't factor
in during the match that stands before us.
I’ll project a return to the
4-5-1 put forth in the second match. This time Diouf spearheads the attack
whilst Mané serves as a “Sprinting Anchor”. That should leave Saviet, Balde
Diao, and Cheikou Kouyate enough space to open things up laterally. Gana Gueye
and Papa Alioune Ndiaye fall back into “semi-sweeper” roles.
Projecting Hugo Broos’s lineup
proves much more challenging. He initially put Moukandjo and Zoua up front. He
then dropped the Lorient forward back, dusted off Aboubakar, and moved N’Jie
and Bassogog forward. The suspension of Georges Mandjeck led to a third unique
lineup with Tambe, Salli, and Bassogog up top in what looked like a modified
4-2-1-3.
Hmmm..what to do? What to do?
Moukandjo, N’Jie, and Bassogog
are all in the midst of splendid tournaments. Might as well reap the advantages
of their confident play by assigning them striking roles. Aboubakar deserves to
start at center forward with Moukanjo directly behind him, prepared to step up
should the offense fail to get going. This bookie likes the look of Mandjeck on
the right and Siani on the left in defensive midfield. They’re comfortable in
those roles and stand a decent chance of neutralizing Gana Gueye and Alioune
Ndiaye.
From a tactical standpoint we
have a very tight match, one almost certain to come down to penalties. Our
greatest hope, of course, is that the way these teams match up doesn’t lead to
a prolonged midfield stalemate.
So hard to pick a winner
between these two, but I think Aliou Cisse simply has a deeper bench from which
to draw. The Terrangans should prevail late.
Projected Lineups:
“The Lions of Teranga”—(4-5-1)
Mame Biram Diouf
|
Sadio Mané
|
Keita
Balde Diao H. Saviet Cheikou Kouyate
|
Idrissa Gana Gueye Papa Alioune Ndiaye
|
C M’Bengue K. Mbodj K. Koulibaly L. Gassama
|
Abdoulaye Diallo
|
“The Indomitable Lions”—(4-2-1-3)
Clinton
N’Jie V. Aboubakar Christian Bassogog
|
Benjamin Moukandjo
|
Sebastien Siani Georges Mandjeck
|
A. Oyongo Collins
Fai
|
Adolphe Teikeu M. Ngadeu-Ngadjui
|
Fabrice Ondoa
|
THE LINE: Senegal +1 Goal
Prop Bets (as always, feel
free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—Straight Up
Sunday,
January 29th
Congo DR
vs. Ghana
Another game that would make
for a historic Semi-Final Match. The tournament’s
two most electrifying players square off against one antoher. Christian Atsu
vs. Junior Kabanga! Strap in! Your friendly bookie finds the bracketing of
these tournaments to be highly inconvenient. Cameroon, Senegal, Congo DR, and
Ghana should be playing in the semis! As was the case last Summer, the
Quarterfinal Matches featured much better games than the Semi-Final-Round! Oh
well. At least Iceland isn’t involved this time. Take solace in what one can.
; )
The Congolese have more than
earned the distinction of being the tournament’s “most fun team to watch”. Junior
Kabanga has been an absolute beast! The manner in which he intrepidly
outmuscled Akapo hand finished with such finesse was jaw-dropping. Teammates
Bolingi, Kebano, Ndombe Mubele, Maghoma, and Mbemba have similarly demonstrated
zero fear in asserting their presence in possession. They’ve given us the best
“team goals” in the tournament along with an unrelenting pace impossible to avert
one’s eyes from.
Ibenge’s eleven can take
control if need be, as they did against the Ivorians/Togolese.They can also
play effectively on the counter, as they did short-handed against the mighty
Moroccans. Theirs is an exceedingly well-rounded and well-disciplined team. In
terms of the defensive corps, center and fullbacks can swap positioning
seamlessly. Even the much-talked-about “goalkeeping crisis” turned out to be
nothing more than hot air.
Avram Grant has his work cut
out for him, especially if Asamoah Gyan’s thigh injury ends up sidelining the
captain. Yet another strong performance from Christian Atsu in Wednesday’s
match leaves one feeling optimistic about the Black Stars’ chances, but let’s
not forget that the FC Chelsea Prospect has now logged the full 270 minutes.
Fatigue will catch up with him at some point. He’s been running his ass off
here AND in the physically demanding English Championship.
Four changes for the “Gold
Coast Playas” in their final Group Stage Fixture, mostly experimental and
insignificant in this oddsmakers eyes. Unlikely that we’ll see Tetteh, Yiadom,
or Jonathan Mensah in a match with elimination consequences. Something tells
me, however, that Agyemang-Badu will return to fill Partey’s spot. He matches
up better against Mbemba.
An excruciatingly difficult
one to handicap. The Black Stars feature so much talent that simply hasn’t
manifested itself in the competition yet. They could conceivably catch fire at
any moment. Nothing really prevents them from reaching their potential. Fully
acknowledging that I may be proven dead wrong, I’ll tip the Leopards to keep
riding the wave.
They sure as hell better come
out swinging.
Projected Lineups:
“The Leopards”—(4-3-3)
Dieumerci Mbokani
|
Ndombe Mubele Junior Kabananga
|
Youssef Mulumbu Chancel Mbemba
|
Neeskens Kebano
|
M. Tisserand J. Ikoko I. Mpeko M. Bokadi
|
Ley Matampi
|
“The Black Stars”—(4-4-2)
Jordan Ayew Asamoah Gyan
|
Andre
Ayew Cristian Atsu
|
Wakaso
Mubarak E. Agyemang-Badu
|
F.
Acheampong H. Afful
|
John Boye Daniel Amartey
|
Brimah Razak
|
THE LINE: Congo DR +1 Goal
Prop Bets (as always, feel
free to offer your own)
Over/Under—4 Goals
120 Minutes—Straight Up
Penalty Shootout—2 to 1
Egypt
vs. Morocco
vs. 
Something of an anti-climax
beneath such proud flags. This one has the look of a bit of a snoozer. The
Pharaohs have just been outright boring in their two 1-nil victories and one
goalless draw. Even Salah’s touted set-piece goal exhibited power past a
hopelessly-screened keeper, there’s no flair to this team. El-Neny and Hamed
shut down most traffic in front of the 18 while Fathy and Elmohamady play
“Switch-Field Catch” while El-Haday—the “old man in the show”—comes forward for
the odd touch. Yawn.
They’ve surely met their
match in Herve Renard’s 5-3-2 that features mobile fullbacks. The Atlasers
appear set to dominate just about every tactical matchup all over the pitch.
Mendyl and Dirar, assuming they continue their fine form, should have it picked
apart early. Renard, who coached Les Elephants to the title two years ago,
knows just what to do. The Moroccans should amass an early lead and then
proceed to hit the “Cruise Control Button”. Renard’s Eleven absolutely pummeled
his former team on Tuesday. Had it not been for some unfortunate encounters
with the woodwork, we could have had a 3-nil or 4-nil scoreline.
Very impressed with the
“Lions of the Atlas”…and I who doesn’t wish they looked like Herve Renard when
they turn 48?
: ) : )
It’s the “Anti-Claude-Leroy
: ) : )
Projected Lineups:
“The Lions of the Atlas”—(5-3-2)
Aziz Bouhaddouz Youssef El-Arabi
|
Karim El-Ahmadi
|
Omar El-Kaddouri Faycal Fajr
|
Hamza Mendyl Nabil Dirar
|
Manuel da Costa Medhi Benatia
|
Munir Mohand
|
“The Pharaohs”—(4-5-1)
Marwan Mohsen
|
Mahmoud Hassan Mohammed Salah
|
Abdallah Said
|
Tarek Hamed Mohammed El-Nenny
|
A. Fathy A. Hegazy
A Gabr. A. Elmohamady
|
Essam El-Haday
|
THE LINE: Morocco +2 Goals
Prop Bets (as always, feel
free to offer your own)
Over/Under—3 Goals
120 Minutes—2 to 1
Penalty Shootout—3 to 1
GENTLEMEN,
ENTER YOUR WAGERS.
