Nigeria Content Online

A
World Cup hangover continues to linger over several of Africa’s
footballing heavyweights who were humiliated at the weekend in the
early stages of qualifying for the 2012 African Nations Cup finals.

Algeria, Ghana and
Nigeria all paid the price for the uncertainty that has come with
recent coaching changes while Cote d’Ivoire and Cameroon were also
unimpressive as they looked to a new post-World Cup era.

Only hosts South
Africa seem to have kicked on from the tournament they hosted in June
and July, springing to the top of the qualifying group they share with
African champions Egypt.

Algeria’s 2-0
defeat on Sunday away against the lowly ranked Central African Republic
was one of the biggest upsets in Nations Cup qualifying history.

It marked only the
second time the Central African Republic, who rarely enter the
tournament and have only ever played in a single World Cup qualifying
campaign before, had won a competitive international. Their last
success was in 1973.

Algeria now have
just a single point from their opening two 2012 Nations Cup qualifiers
after being held at home by Tanzania last month in another upset
result. It led to the resignation of Coach Rabah Saadane.

The tenure of his
successor Abdel Benchikha could be over after just a single game in
charge with Algerian newspapers speculating on Monday he will be
replaced this week.

“I was shocked with
just how average the Algerian team looked,” Frenchman Jules Accorsi,
the coach of the Central African Republic, told reporters after the
match in Bangui.

Instability

Both Ghana and
Nigeria have yet to appoint new coaches after their World Cup managers
moved on and the instability showed on Sunday. Nigeria’s 1-0 loss in
Guinea was exacerbated by the uncertainty of the status of the game up
until Friday.

Nigeria was
suspended last week by FIFA for political interference in the running
of their football association, leaving the team’s preparations in limbo
until Friday when the ban was temporarily lifted.

Ghana played a
first match since coach Milovan Rajevac departed to a more lucrative
club job in Saudi Arabia and also looked lacklustre in a goalless home
draw with Sudan, a side they had dispatched with some ease both home
and away last year in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup finals.

Cameroon’s
qualification chances took a knock on Saturday in a tough group they
share with Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A first home game
for new coach Javier Clemente ended in a 1-1 draw with the Congolese,
allowing Senegal to go to the top of the group standings.

Cote d’Ivoire continues to battle without the presence of Didier
Drogba, who has taken time off from the national side after the World
Cup. They managed a pedestrian 1-0 win in his absence over Burundi on
Saturday.