- Ivory Coast, who have amassed three points so far, could still make the final cut to the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams.
- We need to start preparing our team early enough for the task ahead. Tanzania will have an edge over Kenya and Uganda in terms of preparations.
Image: FILE
Hosts Ivory Coast are facing a humiliating exit from the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
The pre-tournament favourites suffered a shock 4-0 thumping by minnows Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A game in Abidjan on Monday.
After scoring a hat trick during their opening encounter, Equatorial Guinea's 34-year-old razor-sharp striker Emilio Nsue proved to be the Ivorians' achilles heel once more.
The bald forward opened the floodgates with a splendid effort just minutes before the breather before Pablo Ganet unleashed a rasping shot from a set piece about 20 yards out to double the advantage.
Nsue proved to be the toast of the day, capping off his performance with his fifth goal of the tournament.
Jannick Buyla rode firmly on the back of the counterattack to complete the rout in stoppage time.
Ivory Coast, who have amassed three points so far, could still make the final cut to the last 16 as one of the four best third-placed teams.
They place third on the Group A log with a paltry three points behind leaders Equatorial Guinea and Nigeria who tie on seven points with the former basking in a superior goal difference.
Nigeria defeated Guinea-Bissau 1-0 in their final group encounter to place second, effectively punching a ticket to the next stage of the cutthroat competition.
Ivory Coast's debacle invokes the unpleasant memories of the kind of humiliation 2023 World Cup hosts Qatar had to face after exiting the stage early in the competition.
Inexperience
Traditionally, tournament hosts are expected to fend off intense rivalry on their way to the finals and ultimate glory. Several other host nations have previously lost the title on home soil but not in a harsh manner as did Ivory Coast.
We could see how passionate Ivorian fans were at the early stages of the game only to end up dejected and daunted a lot as the game wore on and their hapless team soaked in more goals.
The outcome perplexed me even more when it became evident from the final statistics that Ivory Coast relished better ball possession in the match.
My quick take is that inexperience took a huge toll on the Ivorians. Their strikers appeared naive and bereft of ideas in front of goal, and their predicament was made worse by the watertight Equitorial Guinea backline.
Such situations call for isolated moments of individual brilliance. However, this time around Ivory Coast lacked a Didier Drogba who could take on the defence single-handedly, dance around the goalkeeper and slam the back of the net.
Every coach must always equip his squad with a highly-skilled player who possesses the mojo to change the tide in favour of his team when push comes to shove — the likes of Messi and Ronaldo.
There are some pertinent lessons Kenya can glean from Ivory Coast's catastrophe as the East African nation sets the stage to co-host the 2027 Afcon alongside neighbours Uganda and Tanzania.
Tactical prowess
The economic benefits of hosting such a premier continental football showpiece aside, nothing massages the ego more than laying claim to the coveted silverware.
The reality of being turned into minced meat by opponents in our backyard could have prolonged devastating effects and it could take centuries before we smart from the agony.
We need to start preparing our team early enough for the task ahead. Tanzania will have an edge over Kenya and Uganda in terms of preparations given they are part of the ongoing competition.
We require more high-profile international friendly matches to sharpen the talons of our charges for the highly-anticipated biennial tournament.
Most importantly, we need a well-informed gaffer with the right credentials and tactical prowess to steer us to the ultimate glory that has eluded us over the years.