Cup of Nations Preview: Group C

While Group A may be the tournament's more "competitive" group (and got off to a "crackin'" start), Group C is the deepest.

Egypt is the two-time defending champion, and Nigeria's depth and talent have made them a popular, non-Cote d'Iviore pick.  They are the favorites of Group C, but the other two sides are not be overlooked.

Though they did not qualify for the World Cup, Benin had an impressive two years of World Cup qualifying.  They lack the stars of a Nigeria, but they have a depth of talent that will force the group's favorites to play their best.

Mozambique is capable of preventing goals, and by deny Tunisia of a World Cup place on the last day of World Cup qualifying, the Mambas showed themselves capable of beating a continental power.

In a group with three strong defensive teams, we should see a number of tight affairs and possibly too many draws for the typical fans' liking.

Starting play on Tuesday, here is World Soccer Digest's break-down of the Cup of Nations' Group C.

Benin

World Rankings (Elo/FIFA/SPI): 93/59/96

World Cup Qualifying performance:  Went 3-1-2 in Group D during third round qualifying but never threatened to take the group from Ghana.  Mali was also in the group but finished third, behind Benin.  In second round qualifying, went 4-0-2 and won Group 3, beating out Angola and Uganda.

History, African Cup(s) of Nations:  This is Benin's second consecutive African Cup of Nations and their third qualification in four tournaments.  Prior to 2004, they had never qualified for the tournament.  They have never made it out of group play.

History, World Cup(s):  Benin has never qualified for a World Cup.

Coach:  Michel Dussuyer has been coaching Benin since 2008, managing AS Cannes before that.  He is a 50-year-old Frenchman who has experience on national team staff with Guinea and Cote d'Ivoire.

Key Players: Stéphane Sessegnon (25, M, Paris St-Germain, France), Seidath Tchomogo (24, M, East Riffa, Bahrain), Razak Omotoyossi (24, F, Metz, France), Damien Chrysostone (27, D, Denizlispor, Turkey), Jocelyn Ahouéya (24, M, FC Sion, Switzerland), 

Squirrels clamoring for a nut:  Benin has been overlooked by most because they are in a group with two proven commodities, but when you look at their talent and analyze their results, their recent performances merit consideration to get out of this group.  While they lack Nigeria's firepower, they have been more consistent in their attack, and against teams like Egypt and Mozambique that have diminished capacities to hurt you, Benin's weaknesses could be masked.

Egypt

World Rankings (Elo/FIFA/SPI): 39/24/29

World Cup Qualifying performance:  Egypt finished tied atop Group C with Algeria but lost a neutral site playoff.  They went 4-1-1 in the third round with nine goals for and four allowed.  Zambia and Rwanda were also in the group.

In second round qualifying, Egypt went 5-0-1 in a group with Malawi, Congo Dr and Djibouti.  They scored thirteen goals while allowing only two.

History, African Cup(s) of Nations:  Egypt has won the Cup of Nations a record six times, including the last two tournaments.  This is their fourteenth consecutive qualification.  Only four times in that span have the Pharoahs failed to reach the knock-out phase.

History, World Cup(s):  Egypt has not qualified for a World Cup since 1980.

Coach:  Hassan Shehata has coached Egypt since 2004 and has guided the team to their last two Cup of Nations titles.

Key Players: Ahmed Hassan (34, M, Al-Alhy, Egypt), Mohamed Zidan (28, F, Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Essam El-Hadary (36, G, Ismaily, Egypt), Eman Moteab (26, F, Al-Ahly), Abdel Zaher El Saka (35, D, Eskisehirespor, Turkey), Sayed Moawad (30, D, Al-Ahly), Wae Gomaa (34, D, Al-Ahly)

Key Absences: Mohamed Aboutrika (31, M, Al-Ahly), Amr Zaki (26, F, Zamalek, Egypt), Mido (26, F, Zamalek), Mohamed Shawky (28, M, Middlesbrough, England), Mohamed Baraket (33, M, Al-Ahly)

Entombed:  Egypt is the pedigree in this tournament, but they are also in a state of flux.  Their continued failure to qualify for the World Cup combined with the age of their squad brings a changing of the guard.  A number of key veterans in midfield are absent from this team, and Shehata still hesitates to reintegrate Zaki and Mido in the squad.  While they had success in qualifying, their groups look relatively weak, meaning a Confederations Cup victory over an experimental Italy is their best result in two years.

Mozambique

World Rankings (Elo/FIFA/SPI): 110/72/92

World Cup Qualifying performance:  Mozambique finished third in Group B behind Nigeria and Tunisia.  They are responsible for Tunisia's failure to qualify for the World Cup, defeating them on the last match day while Nigeria won in Kenya.  They would go 2-1-3 in the third round (3 GF/5 GA) after going 2-2-2 in the second round (7/5) in a group that included Cote d'Ivoire.  

History, African Cup(s) of Nations:  This is only the fourth in over fifty years of the Cup of Nations that Mozambique has qualified.  The last time was 1998.  They have never advanced beyond the first round.

History, World Cup(s):  Mozambique has never qualified for the World Cup.

Coach:  Mart Nooji is a Dutch coach who has recently been connected with the Nigeria job, having admitted to meeting with the federation's head in November.  The 54-year-old has been on the job for three years has has overseen a drastic rise in the team's profile (and expectations) within the country.

Key Players: Tico-Tico (36, F, Jomo Cosmos, South Africa), Dário (32, F, Supersport United, South Africa), Kapango (34, G, Tersana, Egypt), Domingues (26, M, Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa), Paíto (27, D, FC Sion, Switzerland), Mexer (25, D, Sporting CP, Portugal), Dario Khan (25, D, Al-Kharitiyath, Qatar), Simáo Junior (21, D, Panathinaikos, Greece)

Venom-less mambas: Monzambique's rankings bely drastic improvement over the last couple of years, but they still lack an attack.  Still, they could be a major thorn in the side of the group's other teams, as their defense makes them capable of getting a draw at any time.  Against Nigeria in qualifying, they allowed only one goal in two matches (and that goal was three minutes into second half stoppage time).  Particularly for the Pharoahs, Mozambique will be a problem.

Nigeria

World Rankings (Elo/FIFA/SPI): 30/22/34

World Cup Qualifying performance:  Nigeria went 3-3-0 in Group B of third round qualifying, winning the group on the final day.  Along the way, they scored nine goals while allowing four.  In second round qualifying, the Super Eagles went 6-0-0 to win a group that included South Africa, scoring eleven times while allowing only one goal.

History, African Cup(s) of Nations:  The two-time champions qualified for their sixth consecutive championship.  In each of the last five tournaments, they have made it out of their group.  In the four tournaments from 2000-2006, they never finished worse than third (though never won the Cup).

History, World Cup(s):  Though they failed to qualify in 2006, Nigeria qualified in 1994, 1998, and 2002, advancing out of their group twice.

Coach:  Shaibu Amodu has been under fire, though qualifying for the World Cup has bought him time.  If the Super Eagles fail to meet expectations, he could lost his job, as the Nigerians hold aspirations of attracting a name coach before June.  Amodu is a 51-year-old Nigerian in his fourth stint as coach of the national team.

Key Players: John Obi Mikel (22, M, Chelsea, England), Peter Odemwingie (28, F, Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia), Obafemi Martins (25, F, Wolfsburg, Germany), Yakubu Aiyegbeni (27, F, Everton, England), Joseph Yobo (29, D, Everton), Taye Taiwo (24, D, Marseille, France)

Gliding Eagles: Nigeria's depth of talent may be the best on the continent, but they lack the cornerstone players that you see with Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon.  Moreover, their results have been lackluster, hence the speculation about Amodu's job.  They have lacked a cutting edge to their attack, making them susceptible to dropping points against the likes of Mozambique (as they did in qualifying).  

Worthless Predictions

January 12, Benguela - Nigeria 3, Egypt 1:  How can I say Nigeria lacks a cutting edge and them predict they score three goals against a strong Egyptian defense (and how can I ask myself questions - it's hacky!)? Egypt's thin midfield should have trouble stopping John Obi Mikel, who will be given many chances to pick out attackers through the Egyptian back.  Egypt has very good defenders, but with a player like Mikel given too many opportunities, the athleticism of the Nigerian attackers could make this ugly.

January 12, Benguela - Benin 2, Mozambique 1:  A surprisingly open match, given Mozambique, but the two team's inexperience at this level of competition leads to more goals than I would otherwise predict.  That helps Benin, who are able to get two against a Mambe side that's not used to give up a second.

January 16, Benguela - Nigeria 2, Benin 2:  For all of Nigeria's talents, Benin's the better organized squad, and while the Benin defense seems barely capable of containing the Super Eagles' forwards, Nigeria is unable to put the match away.  Ultimately, we see why Nigeria drew as many matches as they won in the last round of qualifying.

January 16, Benguela - Egypt 0, Mozambique 0:  Egypt just does not have the firepower, athleticism, or fluidity to break down Mozambique, and relying on pure ingenuity against a side that has become dependent on their defending leads to a nil-nil draw.

January 20, Benguela - Benin 1, Egypt 1:  I think Benin's a better side, but I also give Shahata credit as a man that has guided his team to two Cup of Nations titles.  Ultimately, I think the two factors cancel out, though I could see Egypt getting a very late winner and advancing.

January 20, Lubango - Nigeria 1, Mozambique 0:  While this could very well be another nil-nil drawn, Nigeria will know advancing is on the line, and against a vastly less talented side, they are able to will one near the end.  Still, it's not pretty, and Mozambique prove themselves a nuisance to their opposition.