Africa Cup of Nations: Team Profiles

Algeria

Head coach: Rabah Saadane

Asst coach: Zoheir Djelloul

Captain Yazid Mansouri

Most caps: Mahieddine Meftah (107)

Top scorer: Abdelhafid Tasfaout (35)

Home Stadium: Stade 5 Juillet 1962

FIFA ranking 28

The Algeria national football team is nicknamed Les Fennecs (The Desert Foxes). It made two consecutive World Cups shows in 1982 and 1986 and lifted the African Nations Cup in 1990 as the host country.

Burkina Faso Head coach: Paulo Duarte

Home Stadium: Stade du 4-Ao°t

Fifa ranking: 49

The Burkina Faso national football team is nicknamed Les Etalons (The Stallions). They were known as the Upper Volta national football team until 1984, when Upper Volta became Burkina Faso. Their best finish in the African Nations Cup was fourth in 1998, when they hosted the tournament. They have never been to the World Cup.

Benin

Head coach: Michel Dussuyer

Home stadium: Stade de l’AmitiÈ

Fifa ranking: 59

The Benin national football team is nicknamed Les …cureuils (The Squirrels). They were known as the Dahomey national football team until 1975, when Dahomey became Benin.

They have never made the World Cup but have reached two recent African Nations Cups — 2004 and 2008.

Cameroon

Head coach: Paul Le Guen

Asst coach: Yves Colleu

Thomas Nkono

Captain: Eto’o Fils Samuel

Most caps: Rigobert Song (131)

Top scorer: Samuel Eto’o (42)

Home Stadium: Stade Omnisports

Fifa ranking: 11

The Cameroon national football team is nicknamed Lions Indomptables (Indomitable Lions) and is Africa’s most successful side. Cameroon has qualified for the Fifa World Cup six times — in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010— more than any other African nation.

They were the first African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup, in 1990, losing to England in extra time.

They have also won four African Nations Cups, as well as the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Angola

(The Black Antelopes)

Head coach: Manuel Jose

Captain: Manucho

Most caps: Akw· (80)

Top scorer: Akw· (36)

Home Stadium: Est·dio da Cidadela

Angola’s profile has risen remarkably in recent years, the Palancas Negras ditching their reputation as one of African football’s middle-ranked powers to become one of the continent’s leading lights.

Ghana

Head coach: Milovan Rajevac

Captain: Stephen Appiah

Most caps: Abedi Pele (73)

Top scorer: Abedi Pele (33)

Home stadium: Ohene Djan Sports Stadium

Fifa ranking: 37

Popularly known as the Black Stars.

Although they first qualified for the World Cup in 2006 they had actually qualified for five straight Olympic Games.Have won African Cup of Nations four times.

　

Egypt

Head coach: Hassan Shehata

Captain: Ahmed Hassan

Most caps: Hossam Hassan (169)

Top scorer: Hossam Hassan (69)

Home stadium: Cairo International Stadium

Fifa ranking: 29

Egypt, the king of African championships did not make it to the World Cup. Egypt is unquestionably one of the major forces of African football. Winners of the continental crown six times.

Gabon

Head coach: Alain Giresse

Most caps: FranÁois AmÈgasse

Top scorer: FranÁois AmÈgasse (31)

Home stadium: Stade Omar Bongo

Fifa ranking: 48

The Gabon national football team is nicknamed Azingo Nationale.

They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, but had fast start in the 2010 qualifiers and almost made it to the World Cup, only to lose to Togo in their last game, while Cameroon defeated Morocco 2-0, ruining their celebrations.

Malawi

Head coach: Kinnah Phiri

Home Stadium: Kamuzu Stadium

Fifa ranking: 94

The Malawi national football team is nicknamed The Flames.

Before 1966 they were known as the Nyasaland national football team. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.

Their best performance was winning the bronze medal at the 1987 All-Africa Games.

Ivory Coast Head coach: Vahid Halilhodžic

Captain: Didier Drogba

Most caps: Didier Zokora (75)

Top scorer: Didier Drogba (41)

Home stadium: Stade FÈlix HouphouÎt-Boigny (Abidjan)

Fifa ranking: 16

Nicknamed Les …lÈphants (The Elephants). Until 2005, their greatest accomplishment was winning the 1992 African Cup of Nations against Ghana on penalties at the Stade de l’Amitie in Dakar, Senegal.

Mozambique

Head coach: Mart Nooij

Captain: Tico-Tico

Most caps: D·rio (85)

Top scorer: D·rio (21)

Home stadium: Est·dio da Machava

Fifa ranking: 84

Popularly known as The Mambas.

They have never qualified for the World Cup, but they have qualified for four Africa Cup of Nations (in 1986, 1996, 1998 and 2010).

Tunisia

Head coach: Faouzi Benzarti

Captain: Radhi Jaidi

Most caps: Sadok Sassi "Attouga" (110)

Top scorer: Francileudo Santos (22)

Home stadium: Stade 7 November

Fifa ranking: 53

They are nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage (The Eagles of Carthage).

They have qualified for four Fifa World Cups, the first one in 1978. They created history in 1978 by becoming the first African side to win a World Cup match, beating Mexico 3–1.

Mali

Head coach: Stephen Keshi

Captain: Mahamadou Diarra

Home Stadium: Stade 26 mars

Fifa ranking: 47

Nicknamed Les Aigles (The Eagles).

They have never qualified for the World Cup finals, including the most recent competition in South Africa 2010. Despite not playing their first actual World Cup qualifier until 2000, Mali has a long and colourful football history.

　

Togo

Head coach: Hubert Velud

Captain: DarÈ NibombÈ

Most caps: Mohamed Kader (85)

Top scorer: Mohamed Kader (54)

Home stadium: Stade de KÈguÈ

Fifa ranking: 70

The national football team of Togo is nicknamed Les Eperviers (The Sparrow Hawks). They made their first Fifa World Cup appearance in their history in 2006, having been coached throughout the qualifying campaign by Nigerian Stephen Keshi.

　

Nigeria

Head coach: Shaibu Amodu

Captain: Nwankwo Kanu

Most caps: Mudashiru Lawal (86)

Top scorer: Rashidi Yekini (37)

Home stadium: Abuja Stadium

Fifa ranking: 22

They are nicknamed the Super Eagles. The highest position ever reached on the ranking was 5th in April 1994. The team’s first major success was a gold medal in the 2nd All-Africa games.

Three of the four African titles won by Cameroon have been won by defeating Nigeria.

　

Zambia

Head coach: HervÈ Renard

Asst coach: Patrice Beaumelle

Most caps: Kalusha Bwalya

Top scorer: Kalusha Bwalya

Home stadium: Ndola Stadium

Fifa ranking: 90

Before independence in 1964 they were known as the Northern Rhodesia national football team. The side is nicknamed Chipolopolo (the Copper Bullets). Its most memorable moments is a 4-0 victory over Italy in the 1988 Olympic football tournament in Seoul, South Korea.