The second biggest town in Libya, Benghazi, has been chosen for the official launching ceremony of the 25th edition of African Cup of Nations. From August 5th thru the 15th, ACN gathers 16 African countries previously qualified in local zone tournaments. This competition is taking place in the two main cities of the country, Tripoli (Capital city) and Benghazi. Group A and B are based in Benghazi while group C and D are established in Tripoli.
For their opening match, the Eagles of Mali played against the Champions of Africa, Angola, and lost 79-74. This result has been very appreciated by the technical staff of Malian’s team, because only two years they lost by 20+ points to Angola. And the coach Hugues Occansey thinks the qualification for the second round is possible even better. By the time, the outsiders are making their mark here in Libya.
Senegal vs. Congo: 95-68
Mozambique vs. Egypt: 62-72
Cape Verde vs. Tunisia: 71-52
Nigeria vs. Ivory Coast: 93-84
Cameroon vs. Centrafrica: 79-69
August 6th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Casey Lee says:
Nice recap Kondo! I remember when Angola made the Olympics but got blown out by other countries…but apparently the talent pool has been growing.
African nations like Nigeria, Senegal, and Congo have provided countless forwards and centers who made the move to college and eventually to the NBA.
I would like to see how these 16 African countries play out at the end of the tournament. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out!