Angola's 2010 Election: Results And Reactions

The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, was the 27th biennial football championship of Africa (CAF). It was held in Angola from 10 January 2010 to 31 January 2010. Angola was chosen as the host country to encourage the country to move towards peace after the Angolan Civil War. The tournament was won by Egypt, their seventh ACN title and third consecutive win, after they beat Ghana 1-0 in the final.

Angola's 4-4 draw with Mali

Angola and Mali played out a thrilling 4-4 draw in the opening match of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, with the hosts blowing a four-goal lead to be held by Mali. The match was held at the 11 November stadium in Luanda, Angola, and was attended by 45,000 fans.

Angola raced into a 4-0 lead thanks to a brace from Flavio Armado and penalties from Gilberto and Manucho. However, Mali staged a remarkable comeback in the second half, with Seydou Keita, Frederic Kanoute, and Mustapha Yattabare getting their names on the scoresheet.

The match was overshadowed by the withdrawal of Togo from the tournament following a deadly ambush on their team bus, which resulted in the deaths of three people. The game began with a minute's silence in memory of the victims, and the players of both teams wore black armbands.

The opening goal came in the 36th minute when Flavio headed in a cross from Gilberto. Flavio doubled his tally just before half-time with another header, this time from a cross by Mabina.

Angola continued to dominate in the second half and were awarded a penalty in the 67th minute when Gilberto was brought down in the box. Gilberto stepped up to take the penalty and scored, but the referee ordered a retake due to encroachment. Undeterred, Gilberto stepped up again and coolly slotted home his second goal of the game.

In the 74th minute, Angola extended their lead to 4-0 after another penalty was awarded for a foul on Gilberto. This time, Manucho took the spot-kick and made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Mali began their fightback. Keita pounced on a mistake by the Angola goalkeeper, Carlos Fernandes, to make it 4-1. Kanoute then headed in a cross to reduce the deficit further, before Keita grabbed his second of the night with a volley.

In a dramatic finale, Yattabare scored in the 94th minute to complete Mali's miraculous comeback and leave the final score at 4-4.

The result left both teams with a point in Group A of the competition, with Angola and Mali joined by Algeria and Malawi.

Terrorist attack on Togo's team bus

On 8 January 2010, the Togo national football team was attacked by gunmen as their bus travelled through the Angolan province of Cabinda, on the way to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations tournament. The bus came under heavy machine-gun fire just after it had crossed the border from the Republic of the Congo into the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda.

The attack was carried out by an offshoot of the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda (FLEC), a group promoting independence for the province of Cabinda, known as the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda – Military Position (FLEC-PM). The siege lasted for at least 30 minutes, killing the bus driver, Mário Adjoua, and cutting off all possible means of escape. The passengers hid beneath the seats as a security team travelling with the team returned fire.

Nine people were wounded in the attack, including two players: Serge Akakpo and Kodjovi Obilalé. Emmanuel Adebayor, the captain of the Togo team, described the attack as "one of the worst things I've ever been through in my life". Thomas Dossevi, another Togolese player, described the attack as "a real hell. Twenty minutes of shots, of blood and fear". Richmond Forson, a midfielder, noted that the number of injuries could have been much higher, as the gunmen initially fired on the wrong bus, mistaking it for the team bus.

In the aftermath of the attack, the Togo team called for a boycott of the competition and subsequently withdrew from the tournament. Emmanuel Adebayor announced his retirement from international football, stating that he was "still haunted by the events I witnessed on that horrible afternoon".

Egypt's seventh ACN title

The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, was held in Angola from 10 to 31 January. The tournament was won by Egypt, who claimed their seventh ACN title and third consecutive championship. Egypt beat Ghana 1-0 in the final, with the decisive goal scored by Gedo in the 86th minute. This unprecedented achievement marked Egypt as the first African nation to win three consecutive cups, joining Mexico, Argentina, and Iran with the same feat in their respective continental tournaments.

Egypt's road to the final began in Group C, where they faced Nigeria, Mozambique, and Benin. Egypt won all three group stage matches, scoring four goals and conceding none. In the quarter-finals, Egypt defeated Cameroon 3-1, with Mohamed Zidan and Mohamed Abdel-Shafy among the scorers. In the semi-finals, Egypt faced Algeria and won 4-0, with goals from Ahmed Hassan, Mohamed Zidan, and two from Mohamed Gedo. This set up the final against Ghana, who had overcome Angola in the quarter-finals and Nigeria in the semi-finals.

The final was a tightly contested match, with few clear-cut chances for either side. However, Gedo's late strike secured the title for Egypt, making them the most successful nation in the cup's history. This triumph cemented Egypt's dominance in African football at the time, and they became the first nation to lift the cup seven times.

Angola's encouragement of peace

Angola was selected to host the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, to encourage the country to move towards peace after the Angolan Civil War. The tournament was the 27th Africa Cup of Nations, a biennial football championship of Africa (CAF). It was held in Angola from 10 January 2010 to 31 January 2010.

The tournament was a significant step towards peace and reconciliation in Angola, which had suffered a devastating civil war that lasted from 1975 to 2002. The war resulted in the death and displacement of millions of Angolans and left the country deeply divided. By hosting the Africa Cup of Nations, Angola sent a strong message of unity and reconciliation to the world.

The tournament also provided an opportunity for Angola to showcase its progress in rebuilding and developing the country after the war. The country invested in infrastructure and upgraded its stadiums to meet international standards. The tournament matches were played in four stadiums across Angola: Estádio 11 de Novembro, Estádio Nacional do Chiazi, Estádio Nacional de Ombaka, and Estádio Nacional da Tundavala.

The selection of Angola as the host country was also intended to recognize and celebrate the country's rich cultural and sporting heritage. Football is a popular sport in Angola, and the country has produced talented players and teams that have competed on the continental and international stages. Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations allowed Angola to further promote and develop football in the country and inspire young Angolans to pursue their sporting dreams.

The 2010 Africa Cup of Nations was a successful and peaceful event that contributed to Angola's encouragement of peace. It brought together people from different backgrounds and communities, fostering a sense of national pride and unity. The tournament also served as a platform for Angola to showcase its resilience and capacity for organizing major international sporting events.

Angola's qualification

Angola qualified for the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations as the host nation. The tournament, also known as the Orange Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship reasons, was the 27th edition of the biennial football championship of Africa (CAF). It was held in Angola from 10 to 31 January 2010.

The process of selecting Angola as the host country was motivated by the desire to encourage new countries like Angola to host the tournament and to promote peace in the country following the civil war. Angola was chosen over other bidders, including Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, and Zimbabwe.

In addition to Angola, 15 other nations participated in the tournament after advancing through a rigorous qualification process involving 53 African national teams. This qualification process also served as the qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Despite being the host country, Angola also had to participate in the World Cup qualification matches.

Unfortunately, the tournament in Angola was marred by a terrorist attack on the Togo national team bus upon their arrival, which resulted in the withdrawal of Togo from the competition.

Frequently asked questions