The Africa Cup of Nations group stage draw was released on Friday at the Talatona Convention Centre in Luanda with the hosts Angola being drawn in a somewhat easy Group A alongside Algeria, Mali and Malawi. This tournament will be a must win for the 'Palancas Negras' after they failed to reach the Finals of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

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The groups for the Africa Cup of Nations 2010 were drawn today, which should go at least some way to cheering up teams like Egypt and Tunisia who very narrowly missed the World Cup 2010 boat.

The tournament takes place in Angola from January 10th to January 31st, 2010. We've got blogs and bloggers for 12 of the 16 teams involved in the tournament.

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When I wanted to write a preview of the Bafana Bafana vs Jamaica match in Bloemfontein this evening, I thought I would just go and see what the online experts say.

Kickoff.com Bafana's One problem is Two Shoes

Former Bafana Bafana midfielder John "Shoes" Moshoeu says that while South Africa has not been doing very well in their last few international games, all is not yet lost.

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The African teams are mostly set. After last weekend's final qualifiers, we know that Cameroon, Nigeria, and either Egypt or Algeria will join hosts South Africa, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana as Africa's representatives at the first African World Cup. But those qualifiers also served to decide the field for a more immediate event: the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Angola in January (shorthanded as CAN2010—for the Campeonato Africano das Nações em Futebol Angola 2010).

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This weekend was the World Cup qualifying climax in Africa, and there was plenty of qualification drama to go around. The winners of each of the five groups qualified for World Cup 2010, and everyone else missed out. But there was a pretty decent consolation prize for the ten second and third placed teams, as World Cup qualifying doubles as Africa Cup of Nations qualifying and the top three in each group qualified for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations (also known as the African Nations Cup, ACN and CAN) in Angola.

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It's the World Cup 2010 qualification finale in Africa this weekend, with three spots at the big show still up for grabs. South Africa are qualified as hosts. Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire join them having already won Groups D and E respectively.

That leaves three groups undecided with just one round of games to go, and those games are this weekend.

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by CARL ELDRIDGEÂ We're not quite in the doldrums as far as Arsenal coverage goes ahead of the international weekend but we aren't far off, folks. But there are a few tales pertaining to the glorious Gunners to bring you not least of which is the Daily Mail's yarn that both Arsenal and Manchester United have both lodged an interest in signing Yaya Toure from Barcelona at the end of the season.

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As we proceed, to buy what we need.

Diddy knows what is up. As you should have already heard, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has agreed to freeze the two-window transfer ban on Chelsea, as well as the four-month playing ban on Gael Kakuta. These bans, imposed by Fifa's Dispute Resolution Chamber, are temporarily lifted until the club's appeal has been heard and ruled on.

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During the summer Arsenal made one purchase, Thomas Vermaelen. Â A relatively unknown defender from Ajax, who according to most "experts", was too short to make it in the Premier League. Â Many Arsenal fans were rightly concerned that instead of a burly centre half in the mould of Hangeland, instead of a speedy defender we acquired someone who is as fast as Senderos and we let Toure leave.

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Has the transfer window opened again? I awoke to see the headlines about Arsenal being linked to three players. Bolton's Gary Cahill just as a back up centre half, he could be just the answer especially with Johan out until February with a knee injury, Song our other back up centre half going to the Africa Cup of Nations.

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This article in the Vanguard sums up the anguish and anger fans of the Super Eagles are feeling after their 2-2 draw against Tunisia in Abuja. Their faltering hopes for a World Cup berth now lie on the hopes of winning against Kenya and Mozambique and a Tunisian loss to either of these countries.

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The 2009-10 Premier League fixture list was released today. I must say, I like what I'm seeing.

The first two months look rather comfortable, away to Fulham and a home date with Tottenham looking the toughest of the lot. We play Liverpool and Manchester United at home in October and November, respectively, before closing out our Big 4Â slate with away matches against those two in April and May.

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After years of planning and with the eyes of international football focused on South Africa, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup officially gets underway this afternoon at 4 p.m. local time when the hosts take on Iraq at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. The headlines splashed across the papers this morning are equal parts excitement and concern for the prospects of the Bafana Bafana, who failed to qualify for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations. Click to continue reading...

Well as you expect within the middle of the summer transfer season Arsenal, as always have been linked with many players from around the world and also within England.

From the transfer rumours displayed so far this is who I would like to find lined up for the first game next season in the premier league:

Goalkeeper

Manuel Almunia:

Why?

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Luis Felipe Scolari has been approached by the Angolan FA to manage the Angolan national squad. His contract, if he accepts it, runs to the end of the Africa Cup of Nations which is to be hosted by Angola in January 2010.

Angola has been overshadowed by its West African counterparts and Egypt until recently when they qualified for the 2006 World Cup and entered the quarterfinals of the 2008 Africa Cup.

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Chris has already shared his favorite things of 2008 in Part I, so now it's my turn. There may be a little overlap, but my list is already better because I've spelled the second word of the title the way nature intended. Just saying. Anyway, here's what I enjoyed most in the year two thousand and [.. Click to continue reading...

Back in January we spent a month covering the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations on WCB. The three things I took away from this were: 1) African football is on the rise, 2) Manucho is a damn fine footballer, and 3) There's not nearly enough written about African football. What I mean by 3) is that [...] Click to continue reading...

Manucho, the Angola striker named in the Africa Cup of Nations Best 11, could make his Manchester United debut tonight Carling Cup against Boro. I didn't know too much about him so, to save you faithful readers the trouble, I researched him and have to say I'm looking forward to seeing him have a run out.

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Here, the latest scores from the latest round of 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers...

The joint qualifying campaign will decide which five teams will join hosts South Africa at the World Cup in 2010.

The qualification process will also decide the 15 teams who will join host Angola to take part at the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

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2008 Africa Cup of Nations Click to continue reading...

The Times reports (in a story that we are very surprised that the Daily Mail hasn't picked up and ran with) that John Obi Mikel reckons that he could have been blinded in a collision with Ghana's Anthony Annan at the Africa Cup of Nations. Mikel said that after Annan poked him in [...] Click to continue reading...

Watch the highlights here !!!

Cameroon - Egypt 0 - 1 Goal by Aboutrika
Uploaded by zerol7 africa cup of nations, cameroon vs egypt, english premier league, EPL

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Watch the highlights here !!!

EGYPTE 2 ANGOLA 1
Uploaded by MACI34 africa cup of nations, egypt vs angola, english premier league, EPL

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Catch the highlights here !!

Tunisia - Cameroon 2-3
Uploaded by robotdotcom africa cup of nations, english premier league, EPL

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With all the problems the Africa Cup of Nations has caused Premiership managers recently, you'd think Harry Redknapp and friends would swear off signing African talent for good. You'd be wrong. Though Premiership managers enjoy a little moan every time the tournament rolls around, they enjoy signing reasonably priced Africans a lot, lot more. Click to continue reading...

With the African Cup of Nations just a matter of thirteen days from opening in Ghana, I'm hoping to put together a chunky Pitch Invasion feature on African football to coincide with the event. As usual, we're looking for writing and photography that explores things not covered by the mainstream football media. Click to continue reading...