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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Jogaram em Omdurman, no Sudão, no estádio Al Merreikh, pela última rodada das eliminatórias africanas, as seleções do Sudão (113º no ranking da FIFA) e a seleção do Benin (67º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções jogaram:
29-03-2003 – Sudão 3x0 Benin (Amistoso)
08-06-2003 – Benin 3x0 Sudão (Amistoso)
20-06-2004 – Benin 1x1 Sudão (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
17-08-2005 – Sudão 1x0 Benin (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
07-06-2009 – Benin 1x0 Sudão (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
O quarteto de arbitragem desse jogo, foi assim definido:
Árbitro: Slim JEDIDI (TUN)
Primeiro Assistente: Yamen MELOULCHI-TUN
Segundo Assistente: Chokri SAADALLAH-TUN
Quarto Árbitro: Aouaz TRABELSI-TUN
Aos 34 minutos, o Benin abriu o placar, com gol de Razak OMOTOYOSSI. Click to continue reading...

Jogaram em Omdurman, no Sudão, no estádio Al Merreikh, pela última rodada das eliminatórias africanas, as seleções do Sudão (113º no ranking da FIFA) e a seleção do Benin (67º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções jogaram:
29-03-2003 – Sudão 3x0 Benin (Amistoso)
08-06-2003 – Benin 3x0 Sudão (Amistoso)
20-06-2004 – Benin 1x1 Sudão (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
17-08-2005 – Sudão 1x0 Benin (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
07-06-2009 – Benin 1x0 Sudão (Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo)
O quarteto de arbitragem desse jogo, foi assim definido:
Árbitro: Slim JEDIDI (TUN)
Primeiro Assistente: Yamen MELOULCHI-TUN
Segundo Assistente: Chokri SAADALLAH-TUN
Quarto Árbitro: Aouaz TRABELSI-TUN
Aos 34 minutos, o Benin abriu o placar, com gol de Razak OMOTOYOSSI. Click to continue reading...

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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Manchester United have signed a 5 year sponsorship deal with Pan-African telephone company Globacom. The partnership was unveiled yesterday at Old Trafford. The amount involved in the deal is not yet known. As part of this deal young players from Nigeria, Ghana and Benin will train at the Manchester United Football Academy. Click to continue reading...

Jogaram, pelas eliminatórias africanas, em Cotonou, no Stade de l´Amitie, para um público de 20.000 pessoas, as seleções do Benin (67º no ranking da FIFA) e Gana (38º no ranking da FIFA).
Antes desse jogo, as 2 seleções jogaram:
Eliminatórias Copa do Mundo: 4 jogos, 1 vitória do Benin, 3 vitórias de Gana, 02 gols do Benin e 11 gols do Gana. Click to continue reading...

Here are the results from the 2010 World Cup CAF qualifiers ( third round) played on October 11, 2009 ( Sunday) Benin 1-0 Ghana ( Mohamed Aoudou 90+2′)- Group D Inconsequential game for the Black Stars as they had already qualified prior to the fixture. However Benin finish second in the group as a result of their [. Click to continue reading...

En esta jornada dominical de eliminatorias mundialistas, la selección de Ghana es la primera en África que logra clasificar a la Copa del Mundo del 2010, junto con el anfitrión que ya estaba. Esta es la segunda vez consecutiva que los ghaneses irán a un Mundial.

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Gale Agbossoumonde will not be going overseas just yet. Two days after USL-1 rival Puerto Rico Islanders advanced in the Champions League, Miami FC has upgraded its squad just before making the trip to face the Islanders.

Miami FC today signed the US U-20 team Central Defender who should fill in a key role as a defender for Thomas Rongen's side in the upcoming U-20 World Cup.

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The season lets out and internationals start up, and our players turn their attention to their national teams as they play qualifiers for the World Cup in 2010.
Alexander Hleb participated with Belarus against Andorra yesterday, his team won 5-1. Alex captained the team and played the full match. Click to continue reading...

The all new rumour reporting article system is in full effect! The Rumour CHELSEA and Liverpool are set to do battle for PSG ace Stephane Sessegnon this summer. The Benin international has refused to commit his future to the French club and would attract bids from the Premier League of around £12million. Click to continue reading...

Some news to read as you die from eating hot chili sauce Top 14 finishes from the past seven days (101 Great Goals) The ten most hated people in football (Caught Offside) Time for history lessons for Italian footballers? (SoccerLens) A touching man-love player video that may bring a tear to the ladies' eyes (HABs Offside) Video technology: [. Click to continue reading...

The Wasps, who have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup and who have only made one African Nations Cup (2004), have advanced into the third round of the Confederation of African Football's 2010 World Cup qualification tournament.
20 nations will advance into this third round hoping to land one of the 5 spots open for the 2010 World Cup. Click to continue reading...

*RAZAK OMOTOYOSSI (FW)* Benin/Al-Nasr Image:... Click to continue reading...

The most important qualifier for each region during the next week:
AFC: 9/6 - Saudi Arabia vs Iran
Three teams in Group 2 are expected to compete for the two automatic bids; they are these two and South Korea. Iran struggled a bit during the last round, waiting until the final matchday to advance. Click to continue reading...

Razak Omotoyossi (Helsingborgs IF / Benin) Realistically Benin were never going to make it out of an African Cup of Nations 2008 group that included Nigeria, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire and, as expected, this ultimately proved the case. Despite finishing bottom of Group B with no points on the board however, the team played with a tenacity and a lust for attacking football that was Click to continue reading...

Disgruntled Chelsea striker Didier Drogba scored just nine minutes in and two second half goals were added insurance for Ivory Coast yesterday as Les Éléphants, my pre-tournament pick to win the whole thing, cruised to a 3-0 win over Mali. Mali came into this game knowing they really needed a result because Nigeria was playing the lightweight of the group, Benin, but they just looked overmatched at times. Click to continue reading...

Nigeria survives to live another day, although it may be a short-lived experience.
With their 2-0 drubbing of Benin and Mali's inexcusable 3-0 loss to Ivory Coast (more on that later), Nigeria's Super Eagles scraped into the quarterfinals, where they'll meet hosts Ghana.
Nigerian midfielder Jon Obi Mikel, who plays for Chelsea said the team should savor today's victory some before thinking of their mega-encounter with Ghana's Black Stars. Click to continue reading...

Looks like Benin isn't the only squad being asked to throw a match.
Today, word that Namibia were approached to fix a match at the Cup of Nations, having been offered $30,000 per player to throw their final group game against Guinea in Sekondi on Monday.
"My players were approached by a man saying he represented a syndicate and offered them money to lose the game," Namibia Football Association president John Muinjo told Reuters in Accra on Saturday. Click to continue reading...

Ivory Coast became the first nation to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2008 African Cup of Nations today after a 4-1 romp over Benin, a game in which Benin needed a 90th minute goal to avoid a shutout and the Toure brothers combined on a nice goal for the winners.
Ivory Coast now need only a draw in their last group match against Mali to win Group B and the game against the runner-up in Group A that comes with it. Click to continue reading...

Nigeria are in serious trouble.
The Super Eagles' African Cup of Nations hopes suffered another blow on Friday after a 0-0 draw with Mali left them floundering in their opening round group.
Nigeria are third in Group B with just a single point, three behind second placed Mali. Click to continue reading...

Every tournament needs a little scandal. The African Cup of Nations has its first one. And it's not a good one.
Today, Benin coach Reinhard Fabisch said he'd been approached to fix his side's opening match against Mali.
"I was approached by someone in a hotel who said his name was Mr Andrews. Click to continue reading...

Day 3 of the African Cup of Nations didn't disappoint.
First off, defending champions Egypt routed pre-tournament favorites Cameroon 4-2. Striker Mohamed Zidan scored a double and Hosni Abd Rabou also struck twice for the five-times African champions with Samuel Eto'o netting Cameroon's two at the Baba Yara stadium. Click to continue reading...

The first important game of the 2008 African Cup of Nations took place yesterday and once again, a player who earns his paycheck in the Premiership took center stage. Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou capped a beautiful solo run by coolly slotting the ball past Nigerian goalkeeper Austin Ejide and into the net to give Ivory Coast a critical 1-0 victory. Click to continue reading...

The venues are being scrubbed clean, the tickets are printed and the cities are bubbling with anticipation.
The African Cup of Nations is but a mere 2 weeks and 2 days away from taking over the minds and hearts of football fans around the globe.
Cup finalists begin their pre-tournament preparations in earnest this weekend, led by defending champions Egypt who host Namibia in a friendly. Click to continue reading...

This is it!
We wind down qualification for the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana this weekend with the final games in Groups Two and Nine.
Reigning champions Egypt are favorites for one of the places, as they need only to avoid defeat at home to Botswana on Saturday.
Egypt will be without injured duo Mido and Mohamed Barakat for the match against Botswana but have Hamburg striker Mohamed Zidan back after he missed their last match in Burundi. Click to continue reading...

- Ugandans are awfully suspicious this morning. Needing South Africa to either beat or draw with Zambia in Capetown to qualify for the 2008 African Cup of Nations, the Bafana Bafana failed to do either, losing 1-3 to the Chipolopolo. The South Africans beat Zambia, 1-0, at Lusaka in October of last year. Does Uganda really have any right to complain? Click to continue reading...

We here at 2010 haven't looked at the FIFA world rankings in some time now. They're released every month, so let's take a peek and see where our friends in Africa rank with the world powers.
The Top Five of the August 2007 ranking are a Who's Who of world footballing giants, with Brazil ranked #1, followed by Argentina, 2006 winners Italy, 2006 finalists France and 2006 hosts Germany. Click to continue reading...