Africa Cup of Nations: Cape Verde face South Africa in opener

Debutants Cape Verde, who upset
Cameroon to make their first finals,
will play host South Africa in 2013
Africa Cup of Nations' opening match.
Morocco, due to host the tournament
in 2015, and Angola complete Group A.
Holders Zambia face two-time winners
Nigeria in an intriguing Group C clash,
alongside Ethiopia and Burkina Faso.
Ghana, who last won the trophy in
1982, face DR Congo, Niger, Mali in
Group B with Ivory Coast, Togo, Tunisia,
Algeria making up the final pool.
Cape Verde, with a population of about
500,000, shocked the Indomitable Lions
3-2 on aggregate to book their place in
the tournament and there were cheers
as they were drawn out by South
African president Jacob Zuma to form
the other half of the event's curtain-
raiser.
The match crowns a steep rise through
the Fifa world rankings for Cape Verde
who were ranked 182nd - 131 places
below their current standing - in 2000.
The tournament, which will be held
between 19 January and 10 February, is
set for some intriguing clashes - not
least in Group C where Zambia will
meet one of the traditional
heavyweights of African football in
Nigeria.
And Nigeria have a point to prove
having missed the 2012 finals in
Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Under coach Stephen Keshi, who took
over in October 2011 following the
sacking of Samson Siasia, the Super
Eagles are unbeaten in 2012.
Former South Africa captain Neil Tovey,
who lifted the Nations Cup in 1996,
believes Nigeria will be a team to watch
out for.
"They possess an abundance of talent
and my good friend Stephen Keshi is
settling down nicely as coach and
getting them well organised," Tovey
said. "He has so many good footballers
to choose from."
And Zambia will have to improve
significantly if they are to be contenders.
Their form since winning the
tournament in February has not been
good and they only squeezed past
Uganda in qualification, going through
9-8 on penalties.
Ethiopia, who are making a return to
the finals for the first time since 1982,
are also in Group C and coach Sewnet
Bishaw made it clear before the draw
that his side fear no-one.
"We respect every opponent we might
meet but already we've played the
hosts and they failed to beat us,"
Bishaw said, referring to a 1-1 draw
with South Africa in a World Cup
qualifier in Rustenburg earlier this year.
Title favourites Ivory Coast are in
perhaps the toughest of the groups,
and their opponents Togo have already
launched a warning in their direction.
Togo coach Didier Six told BBC Sport:
"We are not afraid of those big teams.
On the contrary all these teams are
rather afraid to play against us. I am not
worried with these teams. None of
them at all.
"Do you think that after the Ivorian
match that I watched we cannot beat
them? We will. There is no problem."
South Africa are utilising five 2010 World
Cup stadiums - FNB Stadium in
Johannesburg, Moses Mabhida in
Durban, Mbombela in Nelspruit, Nelson
Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth and Royal
Bafokeng in Rustenburg - for the African
showcase.

Group A: South Africa, Cape Verde,
Morocco, Angola

Group B: Ghana, DR Congo, Niger, Mali

Group C: Zambia, Ethiopia, Nigeria,
Burkina Faso

Group D: Ivory Coast, Togo, Tunisia,
Algeria

Bbc