Moments like these are dreaded especially after all the fallouts from Brazil 2014. I recall my conversation with Assistant coach Maxwell Konadu forty-eight hours before the draw in which he categorically stated that his charges were all up for it with regards to who ended up in Ghana’s Group. Bold comments I thought but was that what he really wished for?

It’s fair to say that the African game has evolved over the last generation. We have long moved on from the days of those incredible scorelines to very close and cagey encounters. A lot of funds have been invested in the sport coupled with technical expertise from all over the world. The opportunity for our heroes to test themselves against the very best in the world has only made the game a lot stronger.

Who would have thought that the Bafana Bafana, struggling to emerge out of the their glory days of the late 90’s and early 2000’s would have shattered Nigerian hopes of defending the trophy they incidentally won in the Rainbow Nation just under two years ago? Times have indeed changed

HISTORICAL ANTECEDENT

It has been thirty-two long years (thirty-three next year) when we last won our fourth nations Cup. Yes, that long. This was a time where we dominated all that we surveyed. Indeed, but for DR Congo and Sudan who did beat Ghana in the finals of 1968 and 1970 finals, we would have won the competition on six occasions within only twenty-five years of the competitions existence. That was how strong the Black Stars were. Solid football administration coupled with technical expertise and player development had made this happen.

How ironic that the likes of Cameroon who had barely come close to winning the competition(they hosted in 1972 and were semi-finalists) have been to six finals in the last thirty-two years, winning four in the process(1984,1988,2000 and 2002) and finalists on two occasions(1986 and 2008). Nigeria have bettered their lot after defeating Algeria 3-0 in the 1980 final by winning two additional trophies(1994 and 2003) and losing finalists in 1984,1988,1990 and 2000.

The story of the Egyptians is even more remarkable. Back to back champions in 1957 and 1959, they had to wait till 1986 to win for the third time and have since gone on to win four more trophies (1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010).  To be fair to the Stars though, she has made two final appearances in 1992 and 2010 and quite a number of semi-final appearances in 1996, 2008, 2012 and 2013).  This looks like, a win is as far as walking from Accra to Kolsomoskaya. How long can an expectant nation wait to win this?

THE DRAW

It is in the light of this that Ghanaians waited with baited breath for the outcome of all that transpired at the Sipopo Conventional centre in Malabo to get to know who the nation was paired with. Enter Senegal, South Africa and Algeria. I cringed like a baby when the names were pulled out for obvious reasons.

SENEGAL

They have been through a massive transformation since the days of Khalilou Fadiga, Ferdinand Alexander Coly, El Hajj Diouf, Salif Daio, Aliou Cisse and co and their tactical brain Bruno Metsu who took the continent and the world by storm just over a decade when they made it to the final of CAN 2002 and the quarter-finals of Japan/ Korea World Cup in 2002. Their colonial masters France have played a huge role in this transformation.

A number of French-born lads of Senegalese descent have been courted like Hull City’s Mo Diame and blended with emerging talents like Papiss Cisse, Mame Biram Diouf, Saido Mane and Diafra Sakho. They have taken the English Premier League by storm where they step up against the very best in the world on a weekly basis. Thirteen points from a possible eighteen, scoring eight goals and conceding one in the process saw them come second in the group that contained Tunisia, Egypt and Botswana. It is such massive side and how we are going to get past them would be such a big ask.

SOUTH AFRICA

They are the real deal these days. Coach Shakes Mashaba inherited a side that seemed to be going nowhere. A quarter-final placing on home soil last year had to be improved.Qualification had to be secured and boy did they do this with aplomb. Coming out tops in a group that had three-time champions Nigeria, a resurgent Congo-Brazzaville managed by the legendary Claude Le Roy and Sudan deserves some applause. That they had qualified with a game to spare and denied Nigeria the opportunity to defend the trophy on Nigerian soil should be highly commended. It is the side that has been built with pride and dedication which Mashaba has not lost sight of. How many wish Ghanaian lads were filled with such pride and dedication.

ALGERIA

North African countries have the penchant of not being good travelers (Egypt has been an exception though). The demise of Rabah Madjer, Sheriff Oudjani, Ahmed Quazzani, Djamil Menad and Moussa Saib left huge craters in Algeria Football that had to be filled. Twenty-four years since she last won on home soil in Algiers, a new generation of Algeria talent (quite a number born in France) has been courted by the Algerian Football Association to lead a renaissance.

Former manager Wahid Halilodzic had the Algerians buzzing at the World Cup and only inexperience saw them lose to eventual champions Germany in the Round of 16. The feel good factor around the side despite the exit of the Bosnian to Turkey saw them win their first five qualifiers for CAN 2015.

Belgium George Leekens is making things happen with the once dreaded side and with Yacine Brahimi, the star of their world cup heroics just being voted BBC African footballer of the year, you would bet on the Algerians making it through to the Round of 16.

GHANA

The Black Stars are struggling to win over an angry nation purely for what transpired in Brazil. It is refreshing to hear Management Committee Chair George Afriyie speak since his appointment. He appreciates the challenge and understands the anger of the people. Humble and thoughtful are his deeds. Only a win on February 8^th in the final game would be good enough to win back the hearts and minds of Ghanaians and he knows this. It is understandable why he is keeping expectations low going into the AFCON and why wouldn’t he? A difficult qualification process only conspired to widen the gap between the side and the fanatics. But there is a caveat. When the Stars up the anti on match days, they can be a delight to watch. When the going gets tough though, you never know which Ghanaian side would show up. Such is the inconsistency of the side these days.

On the back of all these challenges, it would be a big ask to demand the trophy on February 8^th. Qualification from the group would see us being pitted against either Ivory Coast, Guinea, Cameroon and Mali in Group D. What crime have the Stars committed to be placed in this kind of Dungeon en route to the Golden fleece? But it is possible. You only have to believe and I believe. Let’s make it happen. Oseey Black Stars, no size. Hehe

Group A comprising hosts Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo and Burkina Faso is as open a group than they all could ask for. They all should fancy their chances of progression. Only two though would make it. Tight one this.

2012 champions Zambia, DR Congo, Cape Verde and Tunisia make Group B another potential banana peel for all four nations. Cape Verde especially would have a lot to say about how they were “cheated” against Ghana in the previous edition. I cannot wait to see them again.

It’s an all West African and French speaking affair in Group D as Ivory Coast, Guinea, Cameroon and Mali. Cameroon got the better of the Ivorians in the qualifiers while Guinea and Mali would want to make an impression. The Malians have come third in the last two editions of the AFCON at the expense of a certain Ghana and how they would love to go a step better.

The battle lines have been drawn and the continent awaits her prima donnas to stand up in and be counted. Let the games begin!