World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

P R E V IE W

Itwas duetobehosted in 2 019
butdelayedby twoyearsbecausethe
Confederation of AfricanFootball(CAF)

• afternumerousnervousinspections–
  felttheywerenotready. Therewasa
  flurryofstadiumconstructionbutlittle
  elseinthewayofinfrastructure in a
  countrythathasseenlittleupgrade
  sinceindependence more thana
  half-century ago.
  TheCOVID-19pandemicthen
  pushedback thehostingofthe
  tournamenta further 12 months.
  Cameroon’s newstadiumsarenow
  readybutotherfacilitiesarepoorandit
  could provea realtestofendurancefor
  thosestayingpastthe openinground.
  Thetournamentwillkickoff andfinish
  atYaounde’snewOlembeStadium,which
  hasa capacityof60,000. Newstadia
  wasalsobuiltinBafoussam(Kouekong
  Stadium)andLimbe(LimbeStadium),
  whichisclosest to theseparatistfighting
  inthe English-speakingSouthern
  Cameroonsregion,wherethere
  isa breakawaybid.
  Therehavebeenthreats against
  thetournamentfromthe“Ambazionia”
  separatists,recallingthehorror attack
  byCabindaseparatistsontheteambus
  ofTogoatthestartofthe 2 01 0 Cup
  ofNationsfinalsinAngola.
  Itisagaina 24-teamtournament
  (forthesecondtime),which means 16 of
  the 2 4 countriesprogresspastthefirst
  phase– thetop twointhe sixgroups
  plusthe fourbestthird-placefinishers.
  Anadditionalknockoutround
  addstotheexcitement andopensup
  opportunitiesfor upsets,asseenatthe
  lasteditionwhenminnowsBeninand
  rookiesMadagascarmadeittothe
  quarter-finals,whilehostsEgypt

2017 underHugoBroos in whatwas

anupsetresultinGabon,will have the

burdenofhomeexpectation,butthis

generationhas littleofthequalityofpast

IndomitableLionsteamswhichthrilled

thecompetitionwith theiraggression

anddeterminedapproachtothegame.

Forthehoststo have anychancethey

willneedatideofhomesupportto

carrythemoverthefinishline.

Thiscould be thetournamentwhere

wereupended

bySouthAfrica.

Egypt will

havelegitimate

ambitionof

redressingthat

homefailurethis

timearound,

particularlysinceCarlosQueiroz

hastakenoveras coach.

However, thereis a longtradition

oftheArabic-speakingNorth African

countriesstrugglinginsub-Saharan

Africa.

Hosts Cameroon,wholastwonin

2021 AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS

Holders...Algerialiftedthetrophyin 2019

Underpressure...

hostsCameroon

Algeria’slongunbeatenrungoing

intothetournamentisno

guaranteeofsuccess