GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music
No Result
View All Result
GhanaStar
No Result
View All Result
Home Sports

Four Lessons From the 2017 AFCON

February 7, 2017
in Sports
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The 31st edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) might have come and gone but the experiences will most definitely linger for a little while. Cameroon, against all odds, clinched the title at the expense of Egypt – the same team they lost to in the finals in 2008 – thanks to a 2-1 victory on Sunday.

You Might Also Like

The Top Young Players to Watch in the Premier League

Ghana Forward Caleb Ekuban Scores for Trabzonspor’s in Loss Against Denizlispor

African NFL Players You Need to Know

It was a fairytale end to an absolute improbable tournament for the Indomitable Lions who were written off by many even before kicking a ball in Gabon. Cameroon’s conquest is a prove that in the game of soccer, you ‘never say never’.

Aside from this obvious lesson, what else did we learn from the just concluded AFCON? Here are four others.

1 – No more minnows in football

There was a time when one could flawlessly predict the outcome of soccer matches even before kick-off, but this isn’t the case now especially when you consider the outcome of some games at the AFCON. Host, Gabon with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, previous winners, Cote d’Ivoire and star-studded Algeria all slipped against less-fancied sides and as a result failed to progress beyond the group phase. Instead, it was the likes of Cameroon, Egypt and DR Congo who were considered outsiders for the title that performed superbly.

2 – Best teams doesn’t always win

Football could be cruel at times in a way that the finest sides don’t always end up winning the title. Senegal, DR Congo, and Egypt were evidently the best teams from the group phase having garnered the most points. In fact, the trio impressed with their beautiful attacking style of play which caught the attention of many. However, it was a Cameroonian team that finished as runner-up in their group that eventually clinched the title. Senegal and Egypt were stopped by Hugo Broos’ lads while the Leopards fell to Ghana in the last eight.

3 – Long way to go for homegrown coaches

The just concluded AFCON absolutely echoed the obvious – which is the appalling standard of coaching in Africa. Out of the 16 teams that made it to Gabon, only four stormed the Central African nation with an indigenous coach; they include Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Zimbabwe and DR Congo. However, just two made it t the quarter-finals with none advancing beyond that phase. In over 60 years of the biennial showpiece, only 13 locals have led their nations to success – the most recent was Nigeria’s Stephen Keshi in 2013. This is a rallying cry for the continent’s coaches to wake up from their slumber.

4 – Never turn your back on your country

One shocking trend that surfaced prior to the commencement of the AFCON was that of top players turning their back on their nations. Cameroon was the most affected with as many as eight players pulling out from the competition. This left Broos with no option than to lay his trust on a young and inexperienced bunch who eventually got the job done.

Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.

Tags: africaAfrica Cup of NationsAlgeriaCameroonegyptfootballGabonghanaGuinea-BissauHugo Broosindigenous coachnigeriaPierre-Emerick Aubameyangrunner-up in their groupSenegalsoccersportsStephen Keshithe Africa Cup of Nationszimbabwe

Related News

The Top Young Players to Watch in the Premier League

The Top Young Players to Watch in the Premier League

by ghanastar
July 14, 2020
0

The 2019/20 English Premier League season comes to an end this July, with Liverpool already confirmed champions. Despite the unprecedented...

Ghana Forward Caleb Ekuban Scores for Trabzonspor’s in Loss Against Denizlispor

Ghana Forward Caleb Ekuban Scores for Trabzonspor’s in Loss Against Denizlispor

by ghanastar
July 14, 2020
0

Ghana forward Caleb Ekuban scored in the match with Denizlispor but it was not enough as Trabzonspor succumbed to a...

African NFL Players You Need to Know

African NFL Players You Need to Know

by ghanastar
June 12, 2020
0

The National Football League is the pinnacle of American football and a massive industry in the United States. The league...

Jerome Boateng Will Be a Part in Bayern Munich’s Winning Future

Jerome Boateng Will Be a Part in Bayern Munich’s Winning Future

by ghanastar
June 1, 2020
0

As rumours circulated surrounding the future of Bayern Munich’s key central defender Jerome Boateng, the man himself sets the record...

Next Post

Kanye West Deletes All Tweets Defending Trump Meeting

Finance Minister Outlines Plans To Stabilize Cedi

Categories

  • Africa & World
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business
  • Business Directory
  • celebrities
  • Computing
  • Diaspora
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Feature
  • Featured
  • Ghana Elections 2016
  • Headlines
  • Health
  • International
  • Internet
  • Jobs
  • lifestyle
  • Music
  • News
  • Offbeat
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Profiles
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Seth Terkper
  • Smart Home
  • Social Networks
  • Sports
  • Technology
  • Top Stories
  • World News

Tags

accra addo africa Association football Banks - NEC business Business_Finance chairman Donald Trump economy education Entertainment_Culture environment Geography of Africa ghana Ghanaian people government Government of Ghana Human Interest John Dramani Mahama john mahama Law_Crime mahama minister MPs elected in the Ghanaian parliamentary election Nana Addo Nana Addo Dankwa Nana Akufo-Addo National Democratic Congress National Democratic Congress (NDC) New Patriotic Party New Patriotic Party (NPP) nigeria politics Politics of Ghana president Social Issues Social Media Social Media & Networking sports United Kingdom United Nations United States Vice President War_Conflict

Recent Posts

  • Government of Ghana Unveils Official Portraits of President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang
  • Who Is the Woman (Sheena Gakpe) in Sarkodie’s Latest Hit “No Sir” and Why Everyone Is Talking about It
List of Ghana Holidays for 2020
Ghana Geocoding
Ghana Cedis Exchange API
Ghana Maps Service
Toyota Cars Auto Auction History
  • African Music Lyrics Directory
  • Business Directory
  • Diaspora
  • Top Stories

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Music

All rights reserved © 2021 GhanaStar.com