SPIRO BLOG: Out of Africa
08/02/2012
By M. Spiro
As the Africa Cup of Nations nears its climax, Ligue1.com's Matthew Spiro singles out five French-based Africans who have enhanced their reputation over the past fortnight.
Some 61 players left French clubs for Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. In Sunday's quarter-final between Mali and Gabon, 12 of the 22 starters were French-based. Inevitably, that particular game threw up some interesting reunions. I especially enjoyed the tussle between Gabon left-winger Eric Mouloungui and Mali right-back Drissa Diakité. Both play for Nice yet there was no love lost between them.
Club and country
Diakité was given the runaround and fouled Mouloungui four times before eventually getting booked! The pacy forward kept on taking him on and it looked certain he would get his club-mate sent off. But Diakité, like the rest of the Mali side, dug deep and pulled through.
If Diakité has won bragging rights on the Nice training ground, Abdou Traoré will no doubt greet André Biyogo Poko with a broad smile when the pair are reunited at Bordeaux. At 18, Poko could be seen as Traoré's understudy at club level, yet he outplayed the 24-year-old Malian last weekend. It was hilarious watching the Gabon teenager sheepishly pick Traoré up off the ground each time he had robbed his chum of possession. The past few weeks have been great fun and experience for many. Here are those who deserve a special mention.
1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Saint-Etienne, Gabon)
Football does cruel twists of fate better than any other sport. When one player has stood out above everyone else throughout a competition, you can bet your life he will be the one to miss the decisive spot kick. Ask Roberto Baggio. Ask Didier Drogba. Now ask Aubameyang.
The best player in the group stage - scoring in every match - the 23-year-old came agonisingly close to firing Gabon in to the the semi-finals. But his shot hit the post and the rest is history. As tears flowed down his cheeks, the Saint-Etienne ace looked inconsolable. But he will recover and return a better and strong player for the experience.
Already, this season looked like a breakthrough year for him. ‘Auba' had become fed up of being loaned to club after club by AC Milan, and was delighted when Les Verts signed him on a permanent deal. Finally feeling wanted, his club performances have improved immeasurably. He now combines his raw pace and power with an end product, and his new-found maturity was there for all to see during his superb tournament.
2. Andre Biyogo Poko (Bordeaux, Gabon)
What a find this young man looks for Bordeaux! He has not yet played for the first team but going on his performances in Gabon it won't be long before the teenager is snapping at the heels of Ligue 1 midfielders. Only 18, Poko starred in his country's triumph at the African Under-23 Championship in November. He passed and tackled immaculately throughout at the AFCON and already seems to have a tremendous engine. With the veteran Cédric Moubamba holding, flanked by Poko and another teenager Levy Madinda, Gabon's highly efficient midfield provided one of the highlights of the competition.
3. Abdoul Camara (Sochaux, Guinea)
Rennes may live to regret allowing this skilful forward to leave for Vannes in 2010. Camara did well enough in Ligue 2 to earn a transfer to Sochaux last summer but surprisingly hasn't featured for Mecha Bazdarevic's team. The French youth international, now 21, certainly looked fresh at the AFCON, darting up and down the left flank for a Guinea side that sparkled throughout. He was the inspiration in the 6-1 mauling of Botswana, then shone in the compelling 1-1 draw with Ghana. John Paintsil is widely regarded as a solid full-back but couldn't live with Camara's pace and trickery, and a steady stream of crosses arrived from the left. One of them even lobbed the goalkeeper and ended up in the net. If Camara meant that then he is very special indeed. Even if he didn't I think he has an exciting future.
4. Max Gradel (Saint-Etienne, Côte d'Ivoire)
Perhaps the biggest compliment you could pay to Gradel is pointing out that he has featured alongside Yaya Touré, Didier Drogba and Gervinho at the AFCON and not looked the least bit inferior. Au contraire. The former Leeds winger gave the Elephants more of a cutting edge when he came on against Sudan and Burkina Faso, and took full advantage of his first start against Angola. Using his low centre of gravity, excellent balance and trickery to fine effect, Gradel provides an additional attacking threat. Indeed, the Saint-Etienne man's form has been so striking that he started the quarter-final against Equatorial Guinea ahead of Salomon Kalou. That nobody is quite sure if that was because of Kalou's tight hamstring or Gradel's rise shows just how far the 22-year-old has come.
5. Cheick Diabaté (Mali, Bordeaux)
The tall striker is getting used to filling big boots. He was asked to replace local hero Marouane Chamakh at Bordeaux in 2010 and is now having to fill Frédéric Kanouté's prolific shoes with Mali. Although the 23-year-old has not set the world alight, he has shown he possesses considerable ability and a fine temperament. Mali were facing elimination when Alain Giresse sent Diabaté on for the closing stages of the quarter-final against Gabon. His clinical 84th-minute strike showed he is more than just a big target man who is good in the air. Diabaté controlled Modibo Maiga's header then, in one movement, swivelled and shot low beyond Didier Ovono. He has also been effective as a starting player at the AFCON - the striker was desperately unlucky when his sublime free-kick in the first half against Ghana struck both posts and stayed out - and his timely strike against Gabon has given Giresse a tricky dilemma ahead of the semi-final.