Group C: Analysis

Cameroon (MTN): Four times Africa Cup of Nations winners. They failed in the last two events having won the 2000 and 2002 editions but were only eliminated in the quarter-finals in Egypt on post-match penalties.

With striker Samuel Eto’o expected to have recovered from injury to play in the tournament in Ghana, the Indomitable Lions will be among the tournament favourites.

Despite qualifying for the 2008 MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals in emphatic style, losing only the last of their six group matches, officials have made it clear that have been looking for a replacement for coach Jules Nyongha.

Cameroon’s captain Rigobert Song holds the record for the most number of MTN Africa Cup of Nations finals appearances and is also the first black African footballer to reach the milestone of 100 caps.

Egypt

: Had to ride on a late minute goal by substitute Mohammed Fadl to beat Botswana 1-0 in the ultimate qualifier to go through. The Pharaoh have made every event since 1984 and their qualification makes them the only team to have made the most appearances since its inception in 1957. The Defending Champions laboured through the qualifiers and had to organize late to snatch the sole slot ahead of ambitious Burundi.

Sudan: The Desert Hawks emerged as one of the surprise candidates for the finals of the 26th edition of Africa Cup of Nations. Sudan who last qualified for the continental event in 1976 had the resurgence of Al Hilal and Al Merrikh in club football playing a major factor in reaching their seventh final.

Not many might have tipped the Desert Hawks to topple a group that had 2004 winners, Tunisia as the favourites. Sudan beat Tunisia 3-2 to finish on 15 points, two more than the latter who grabbed one of the three second best placed teams. Doubles over lowly placed Seychelles and Mauritius played a pivotal role in the qualification of the continents biggest country.

Zambia: The Chipolopolos will be making their thirteenth appearance by confirming themselves as the most consistent team in Southern Africa as Group Eleven winners. Not many have tipped them to finish first in a group that had 2010 FIFA World Cup hosts, South Africa and Congo.

But the Chipolopolos turned on the flow by stunning the Bafana Bafana 3-1 in the final group meeting. Though the two teams finished on eleven points each, the defending Cosafa Champions went through via head-to-head. Zambias only defeat in the qualifiers was 0-1 loss at home to the 1996 Champions, South Africa.

Cameroon: The Indomitable Lions reached their fifteenth final unbeaten in five matches. The four-time champions only defeat was by Equatorial Guinea who posed the only serious challenge to the Egypt 2006 quarter-finalists. .

The 0-1 defeat came on the ultimate clash of the qualifying rounds. Cameroon won the group with 15 points, five better than Guinea. Rwanda and Liberia followed in that order on six and four points respectively.

Group C