2008 Africa Cup of Nations

Host selection

Bids:

• Ghana (selected as hosts)
• Libya
• South Africa (withdrew)

The organization of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations was awarded to Ghana on 8 July 2004 by the CAF Executive Committee members which are 12 in Cairo, Egypt. Voters had a choice between Ghana and Libya which was disadvantaged by the fact that two countries in the North Africa region had already hosted the last two editions (Tunisia in 2004, and Egypt in 2006).

South Africa, also a candidate at the start, eventually withdrew in May 2004 after being nominated for the organization of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

This was the fourth time that Ghana hosted the African Cup after 1963, 1978 and 2000 (jointly with Nigeria).

Qualification

Main article: 2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualification

The entrants were divided into 12 groups. All group winners and the best three runners-up from groups with four teams (groups 2-11) qualified for the finals. Host Ghana qualified automatically. Qualifying took place between 2 September 2006 and 13 October 2007.

Teams

• – Host, 16th appearance (4 titles)
• – Group 1 winner, 17th appearance (1 title)
• – Group 2 winner, 21st appearance (5 titles)
• – Group 3 winner, 15th appearance (2 titles)
• – Group 4 winner, 7th appearance (1 title)
• – Group 5 winner, 15th appearance (4 titles)
• – Group 6 winner, 4th appearance
• – Group 7 winner, 11th appearance
• – Group 8 winner, 9th appearance
• – Group 9 winner, 5th appearance
• – Group 10 winner, 2nd appearance
• – Group 11 winner, 13th appearance
• – Group 12 winner, 14th appearance (1 title)
• – Group 4 runner-up, 13th appearance (1 title)
• – Group 9 runner-up, 2nd appearance
• – Group 11 runner-up, 7th appearance (1 title)

Venues

Tournament ball

During the previous editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, the ball used was not a ball especially made for the tournament. As the tournament was held on even years, the same years big tournaments such as the UEFA European Championships or the FIFA World Cup were held, the official ball for the tournament held this year was used for the African Cup of Nations: the Adidas Roteiro in 2004, or the Adidas Teamgeist in 2006. However, for the 2008 tournament, Adidas made a special ball, clearly different from the Adidas Europass going to be used five months later for UEFA Euro 2008. The ball was named Wawa Aba and was designed to include host nation Ghana's red, yellow and green. The ball was later used for the other African competitions.

For the Akan culture originating from Western Africa, one of the Adinkra symbols named Wawa Aba is a symbol of hardiness, toughness, and perseverance. People there particularly believe in the strength and team spirit of a community. The Wawa Aba literally means "seed(s) of Wawa tree (Triplochiton scleroxylon)”, one of the strongest and most processible woods of Africa and whose seeds are very hard. For the population, the Wawa Aba mainly has mystical significance. These are people who don't let failure discourage them, who seize all opportunities successfully and who are thus just as strong and adaptable as the Wawa Aba.

Match officials

16 referees and 16 assistant referees were selected for the tournament, including two from Japan and one from South Korea.

Squads

Main article: 2008 Africa Cup of Nations squads

Draw

The draw for the tournament took place on 19 October 2007 in Accra. The sixteen teams were divided into four pots according to their performances in past Cup of Nations tournaments. Ghana, as hosts, were automatically seeded as the top team in Group A. Egypt, the defending champions, were seeded as the top team in Group C. Tunisia and Nigeria had the two strongest records and so completed the top seeded Pot 1. Each group consists of four teams, one drawn from each of the pots.

Group stage

Tie-breaking criteria

Where two or more teams end the group stage with the same number of points, their ranking is determined by the following criteria:

1. points earned in the matches between the teams concerned;
2. goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;
3. number of goals scored in the group matches between the teams concerned;
4. goal difference in all group matches;
5. number of goals scored in all group matches;
6. drawing of lots by the organizing committee.

All times given as local time (UTC+0)

Group A

Muntari Sektioui
Zerka

Bangoura Ouaddou

Muntari

Group B

Y. Touré
Keïta
Dindane

Yakubu Zoro
Sanogo

Group C

Zidan J. Mulenga
F. Katongo

Job
Emana
Eto'o Aboutrika

El Khider

Group D

Traoui D. Kamara

Flávio Ben Saada

Knockout stage

| 3 February – Accra | **** | 2 | | 1 | 4 February – Tamale | | 2 | ** **| 3 | 3 February – Sekondi | **** | 5 | | 0 | 4 February – Kumasi | **** | 2 | | 1 | 7 February – Accra | | 0 | **** | 1 | 7 February – Kumasi | | 1 | **** | 4 | 10 February – Accra | | 0 | **** | 1 | 9 February – Kumasi | **** | 4 | | 2

Quarter-finals

Agogo

Drogba
Kalou
B. Koné

Zaki

Chikhaoui Geremi

Semi-finals

Zaki
Aboutrika

Third place match

Owusu-Abeyie
Agogo
Draman

Final

Main article: 2008 Africa Cup of Nations Final

Awards

Player of the tournament

• EGY Hosny Abd Rabo

Top scorer

• CMR Samuel Eto'o – 5 goals

Best Goalkeeper

• EGY Essam El Hadary

Best XI

The following players were selected as the best in their respective positions, based on their performances throughout the tournament. Their performances were analysed by the tournament's Technical Study Group (TSG), who picked the team.

;Substitutes

• GHA Richard Kingson
• EGY Hany Said
• EGY Ahmed Fathy
• TUN Saber Ben Frej
• CMR Stéphane Mbia
• CMR Samuel Eto'o
• CIV Didier Drogba
• CIV Kader Keïta

Goalscorers

• CMR Samuel Eto'o

• ANG Manucho

• EGY Hosny Abd Rabo

• EGY Mohamed Aboutrika

• EGY Amr Zaki

• CIV Didier Drogba

• CIV Salomon Kalou

• CIV Kader Keïta

• CIV Boubacar Sanogo

• GHA Junior Agogo

• GHA Sulley Muntari

• MAR Soufiane Alloudi

• CMR Geremi

• CMR Joseph-Désiré Job

• CMR Stéphane Mbia

• EGY Mohamed Zidan

• GHA Michael Essien

• GUI Pascal Feindouno

• NAM Brian Brendell

• NGA Yakubu

• RSA Elrio van Heerden

• TUN Chaouki Ben Saada

• TUN Francileudo dos Santos

• ZAM Chris Katongo

• ANG Flávio

• BEN Razak Omotoyossi

• CMR Achille Emana

• CMR Alain N'Kong

• CIV Aruna Dindane

• CIV Bakari Koné

• CIV Yaya Touré

• CIV Marco Zoro

• EGY Ahmed Fathy

• GHA Haminu Dramani

• GHA Asamoah Gyan

• GHA Quincy Owusu-Abeyie

• GUI Ismaël Bangoura

• GUI Oumar Kalabane

• GUI Souleymane Youla

• MLI Frédéric Kanouté

• MAR Hicham Aboucherouane

• MAR Abdeslam Ouaddou

• MAR Tarik Sektioui

• MAR Monsef Zerka

• NGA Mikel John Obi

• SEN Moustapha Bayal Sall

• SEN Henri Camara

• SEN Abdoulaye Diagne-Faye

• SEN Diomansy Kamara

• RSA Katlego Mphela

• TUN Yassine Chikhaoui

• TUN Issam Jemâa

• TUN Mejdi Traoui

• ZAM James Chamanga

• ZAM Felix Katongo

• ZAM Jacob Mulenga

• SUD Mohammed Ali El Khider (against Cameroon)

Tournament rankings

References

References

1. "Ohene Djan Stadium will last "forever"- Micheletti". ghananewsagency.org.
2. Willis, W. Bruce. (1998). "The Adinkra Dictionary: A Visual Primer on the Language of Adinkra". The Pyramid Complex.
3. Azindow, Yakubu M.. (1999). "Philosophical Reflections of Adinkra Symbols".
4. [http://www.cafonline.com/?lng=1&opt=94139&cmpt=21&titre=Referees Referees]
5. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/7050974.stm ''Caf release Cup of Nations' seeds''], "BBC Sport", 18 October 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
6. Article 5, paragraph 13 in the [http://www.cafonline.com/modules/documents/upload/1260.pdf ''Regulations of the XXVth Africa Cup of Nations''] guide.
7. Kick-off delayed by 15 minutes due to floodlight failure
8. (10 February 2008). "Abd Rabou wins best player award". BBC Sport.
9. (10 February 2008). "CAF names Best XI for Ghana 2008 ACN". cafonline.com.
10. "AFC Competition Operations Manual (Edition 2023)". Asian Football Confederation.