Sport
Africa cup of Nations 2012 Update: Ivory Coast advance to semis
Equatorial Guinea has finally bowed out of the African Cup of Nations after overcoming a last-minute coaching change and a disrupted buildup to provide some of the tournament’s most memorable moments.
Following a stunning qualification to the knockout stage, the tiny co-host came unstuck against cup favorite Ivory Coast as Didier Drogba inspired a 3-0 win in Saturday’s quarterfinal.
The loss put an end to the Equatorial Guinea fairy tale, but the dramatic late winning goals to beat Libya and Senegal in the group stage have already entered African Cup folklore.
“In one month we managed to get to the quarterfinals and I think we could have done more if we had had more time to prepare,” said coach Gilson Paulo, who took over just a few weeks before the tournament began.
Paulo arrived in Equatorial Guinea at the beginning of January to replace former coach Henri Michel, who quit unexpectedly with the tournament just round the corner.
The Brazilian had barely any time to assess his squad or make detailed tactical preparations, while logistical problems also disrupted the buildup.
“Some players arrived late from Europe so there were lots of problems,” Paulo said. “We also had problems finding somewhere to train, so we ended up training at the main stadium in Bata.
“A lot of the foreign players had already been chosen by the previous coach, but I got almost all the players available that were based in Equatorial Guinea to see who would be possible for the team and watched previous games on DVD.”
