African Cup Of Nations News: Plenty for Milovan Rajevac to be proud and optimistic about

Internationals / Jonathan Wilson / 01 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Milovan Rajevac's Ghana had a super tournament but will have to figure out how to integrate Essien and Muntari in the side ahead of the World Cup

"Unusually in a young side, it was the defence that stood out. Samuel
Inkoom is a right-back of great poise, while David Addy and Isaac
Vorsah, look like a partnership that could dominate Africa for years to come."

Jonathan Wilson praises the effectiveness of an ageing Egypt side who won the ACON for the third consecutive time but is far more excited about a young Ghana side who excelled in defence and could have a really good World Cup in the summer.

And so as the golden ribbons settled and were swept from the grass, the Cup of Nations is over for another two years. Egypt, once again, were deserved winners, and so familiar has the sight of their captain Ahmed Hassan lifting the Cup become that it seemed CAF felt compelled to pull out all the stops to elevate the presentation ceremony above the level of the mundane. A laser show, fireworks and men flying around with jet packs - which are astonishingly noisy - just about succeeded.

The only thing that will taint Egypt's triumph is the thought that they will not be at the World Cup, and bewilderment at how that could possibly be the case. They were much better than everybody else they played here with the exception of Ghana, and they will reflect that they played four sides who will be in South Africa - Nigeria,
Cameroon, Algeria and Ghana - and beat all four by an aggregate score of 11-2.

Several of the Ghanaian players were in tears at the end of the final, but they have no reason to feel any sense of shame. They were bright and played with verve, defended magnificently, and were the one team who looked as though they might be able to achieve something at the World Cup.

"This was great experience for us," said their coach Milovan Rajevac. "It will be a big advantage for the World Cup." The difficulty now for him is, when his youngsters have played so well, how to reintegrate the more established stars such as Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari. Unusually in a young side, it was the defence that stood out. Samuel Inkoom is a right-back of great poise, while David Addy and Isaac Vorsah, look like a partnership that could dominate Africa for years to come.

Egypt, meanwhile, are at the other end of the cycle. Six of this side have played in the last three finals, and even Ahmed Hassan, at 34, must soon find the time has come to bid farewell. Hassan Shehata, remarkably still unbeaten in 18 nations Cup games, admitted he didn't know if he would still be coach in two years when the tournament is
hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. By then, it might be somebody else's turn.