Cote d'Ivoire start defence of Cup of Nations title

Cote d’Ivoire start their quest on Monday to become only the fourth country to defend a Cup of Nations title. The Ivorians play Togo in Oyem. That clash is followed by games against Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco who are coached by Hervé Renard, who led them to their second continental crown in Equatorial Guinea in 2015.

Michel Dussuyer is attempting to lead Cote d'Ivoire to their third continental crown. AFP/Fadel Senna

Frenchman Michel Dussuyer took over from Renard in July 2015. His task is to maintain his compatriot’s successful formula.

But his mission has been complicated by the international retirement of the title winning skipper Yaya Touré and an injury to the experienced winger Gervinho.
Yet Dussuyer – who took Guinea to the last eight in Equatorial Guinea – has experience at his disposal. Midfielder Serey Dié has taken over duties as captain.

There is also an educated back line featuring Manchester United’s Eric Bailly and Paris Saint-Germain’s Serge Aurier. Up front Saloman Kalou has nous aplenty so too Max Gradel.

Egypt won a hat trick of titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010 and with Cameroon are the only country to defend a crown since the Africa Cup of Nations format was expanded to 16 teams in 1996.

When Ghana claimed back to back titles in 1963 and 1965, there were six teams at the competition. Egypt’s wins in 1957 and 1959 – as part of the United Arab Republic – came when only three teams took the field.

Sixty years on from Egypt’s victory at the inaugural Africa Cup of Nations in Sudan, the tournament has become a high profile event. On the eve of Gabon 2017, the Confederation of African Football – CAF – which organises the month long football fest – announced an eight year sponsorship with the oil firm Total.

With money pouring into CAF’s coffers from international backers, the competition opens up the fault lines in African football. Congolese preparations for the tournament were overshadowed by a row over unpaid bonuses. The squad refused to train in Oyem on Friday before the issue was settled.

"Our demands were listened to," said Leopards captain Youssouf Mulumbu. "In recent days people have talked about us more in terms of the bonuses and strikes but now we need to concentrate more on the football."

The DRC squad though was not the only team embroiled in a cash row. Zimbabwe’s players refused to leave Harare for Gabon because their football association had failed to pay appearance fees.

It emerged before the tournament that the Uganda Football Association had not paid the salary of coach Milutin Sredojević for several months.“Clearly the richness and complexity of African football cannot be reduced to these negative incidents,” said Peter Alegi, professor of African history at Michigan State University and the author of several books on African football. “But there is a long history of conflicts over payment.”

At the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, players from Zaire were in dispute over money owed and notoriously lost 9-0 to Yugoslavia. “That defeat really set back the status of African football several years. These rows do continue to occur far too frequently.”

It’s not just men’s football that is affected. After their victory at the women’s Cup of Nations in December, the Nigeria team occupied a hotel in Abuja for two weeks to highlight their plight over unpaid fees.

Alegri added: “It’s time for these national federations and officials to stop treating their players and their coaches in such an unprofessional way because in the end, the happier the teams are with the financial set up, the more likely they are to perform on the pitch and get positive results.”