Equatorial Guinea and Gabon set for a feast of football

For lovers of the beautiful game focus over the next three weeks falls on Gabon and Equatorial Guinea where from today the oil rich neighbours co-host the 28th Africa Cup of Nations.

Like a lord mayor’s banquet without the principal guest, this feast of football takes place bereft of continental kings Egypt, winners of the last three editions.

Adding further intrigue in a topsy turvy qualifying race, African superpowers Cameroon, Nigeria and South Africa have also failed to turn up.

In this quartet’s absence World Cup quarter-finalists Ghana and Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast are favourites to claim a prize that has eluded both for far too long.

The cast list is full of surprises, not least Libya, who qualified against the backdrop of the bloody overthrowing of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime.

Plaudits, too, should be flung at Niger and Botswana’s feet, these two minnows with Equatorial Guinea taking their place at the high table of African football for the first time.

Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have invested massively in improving or building from scratch stadia, roads and hotels to prepare for their sojourn in the spotlight.

Both nations have met the deadline, but it has been a close run thing – the keys to Gabon’s stadium in Franceville were only delivered on Monday.

Equatorial Guinea get the show on the road against the Libyans in Bata today with far more than national pride at stake.

The son of the country’s autocratic president Teodoro Obiang is offering the players a stunning $1 million cash incentive to win the Nations Cup curtain-raiser, and $20,000 for every goal they score.

President Obiang wants the Nations Cup to serve as a shop window for his country.

“The only reason for winning (the right to host) the Cup is to present the best image of our country, to sell our image,” he declared.

Pride, not money, is what is motivating Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Ghana last grabbed gold 30 years ago when pipping hosts Libya in a penalty shootout. Ivory Coast have earned the unwanted reputation as ‘chokers’ after fluffing their lines in the quarter-finals in the last two Cups.

A plethora of Premier League stars have answered their countries’ call to African arms, often at the frustration of their club managers back in England.

Man. City are harder hit than most, with coach Roberto Mancini resigned to losing Ivorian brothers Yaya Toure and Kolo Toure at a crucial part of the season.

As well as Cheik Tiote, Newcastle will miss in-form Demba Ba, the big centre-forward who has scored 15 goals in 19 appearances since his arrival.

If fortune smiles on Ba or new recruit Papiss Demba Cisse’s Senegal or Tiote’s Ivory Coast and they manage to make it to the February 12 final they can expect a familiar face in the crowd in Libreville.

“The one thing I will do is that if either is in the final I’ll be going out to make sure they come home straight after,” promised Newcastle manager Alan Pardew.

First Fixtures

Playing today

Group A: Equatorial Guinea vs Libya; Senegal vs Zambia.

Tomorrow

Group B: Ivory Coast vs Sudan; Burkina Faso vs Angola.

Monday

Group C: Gabon vs Niger; Morocco vs Tunisia.

Tuesday

Group D: Ghana vs Botswana; Mali vs Guinea.

KO stages

Quarter-finals: February 5.

Semi-finals: February 8.

Third place play-off: February 11.

Final: February 12.

Last 10 Winners

1992 Ivory Coast; 1994 Nigeria; 1996 South Africa; 1998 Egypt; 2000 Cameroon; 2002 Cameroon; 2004 Tunisia; 2006 Egypt; 2008 Egypt; 2010 Egypt.