Ask an African fan of a certain age what they think about the current AFCON and they will probably tell you it isn't what it used to be. African football, many feel, has been influenced to such an extent by Europeans that there is no longer a marked difference in styles between teams from the two continents. The spontaneity and flair have supposedly been coached out of the African teams, who are now more organised, press well collectively and know how to counterattack.

African resurgence

Yet Zambia's stunning performance against a Senegal team consisting of Ligue 1 and Premier League players suggested that a 'local' style (based on the speed and movement of their tiny attackers) can be successful against a more physical, one-dimensional team. The tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon is also showcasing some individual talent that could be described as 'typically African'.

Pitroipa is the most obvious example.

The Rennes winger may be enjoying his eighth season in Europe, having spent seven years with Freiburg and then Hamburg in the Bundesliga, but he has retained all of the style, trickery and unpredictability that he learned on the dusty pitches of Ouagadougou.

Fan favourite

The Rennes supporters took an instant shine to the 25-year-old in the autumn.  Frédéric Antonetti's team were accused of being dour and defensive last term. Pitroipa's arrival has changed that. He scored twice on his Rennes debut, in the Europa League, then scored a superb equaliser against PSG in his first Ligue 1 appearance at the Stade de la Route de Lorient. The goals have dried up lately but his willingness to dribble and entertain ensures his popularity has remained.

France Football magazine labelled him 'the new Gervinho', Pitroipa's direct running, his mesmerising ball skills and apparent insouciance evoking memories of the former Lille star.

Like minds

On Thursday, 'Pit' will cross paths with Gervinho in an eagerly anticipated derby match between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast that retains a veritable West African flavour. These two flamboyant players are a throwback to a not-so-distant era when the likes of Jay-Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Abedi Pele and Radah Madjer would light up the AFCON with their off-the-cuff skills.

There is no love lost between the Stallions and the Elephants but even the Ivorian fans will be looking forward to watching Pitroipa play. Indeed, after one game between the two nations in Abidjan, two Ivorian supporters - who happened to be professional musicians - were so enchanted by Pitroipa's dazzling footwork that day they wrote a song about him. Flamzy & Joskar's ditty, simply titled 'J. Pitroipa', proved quite the hit as well.

Give them what they want?

When I spoke to Pitroipa before the AFCON we talked about the different perceptions of fans in Europe and Africa. In Europe, he explained, people are more interested in stats (ie how many assists and goals a player registers). In Africa, they judge a player more instinctively, on what they see in front of them. Gervinho learned to become more 'efficient', as a European coach would say, contributing 15 goals and 10 assists in Lille's 2010-11 title win. Pitroipa admits he must still work on his efficiency if he is to follow Gervinho's path and join one of Europe's leading clubs some day.

Had Pitroipa been more efficient on Sunday, Burkina Faso would not have lost 2-1 to Angola. Angola's right-back Marco Airosa is probably still feeling dizzy after being turned repeatedly inside-out by the Rennes man. His performance was the highlight of the game for most of the fans in Malabo, yet his Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte will be frustrated none of his forays led to goals.

Burkina Faso's one strike came from the left boot of Alain Traoré. Like Pitroipa, the Auxerre midfielder learned his skills at the now defunct 'Planète Champion' academy in Ouagadougou.

True to his roots

Pitroipa was so distraught when he discovered that his country's leading football school had gone bankrupt he decided to join forces with former team-mate Wilfried Sanou and create a new one in its place. Thanks to the funding and enthusiasm of Pitroipa and Sanou, plus the hard work of the players' families on a daily basis, the new academy - which is called the Kada school and is built on the same site as Planète Champion - is thriving. It has already provided a host of youth internationals, and two graduates have recently signed for European clubs Anderlecht and Valenciennes.

Pitroipa has always remained close to his roots and not even eight years of European football, and the riches that come with it, have turned his head. He is proud of his origins and proud to be called a typical African footballer. Efficiency may not be Pitroipa's speciality, but anybody watching the galloping stallion at the AFCON must be grateful that this particular African has stayed true to his roots. 

>> PLAYER PROFILE: Jonathan Pitroipa

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