The Final countdown
So, here we go: after three weeks of intense, entertaining and occasionally bizarre action from Ghana, it's the final of the African Cup of Nations! (That sound you can hear is Premier League managers emitting huge sighs of relief).
Yes, it's goodbye to the tournament that turned Junior Agogo into a legend. Egypt, the holders, face Cameroon at 5pm UK time today. The Pharaohs are going for a record sixth win and will be confident since they beat their opponents 4-2 in the group stages and spanked Ivory Coast 4-1 in the semi-finals.
Alexandre Song, of Cameroon and Arsenal, should be fit despite picking up an injury in the semis, though the Indomitable Lions will indubitably be without Andre Bikey, of Reading, who is serving a two-match ban for shoving a medic in the win over Ghana.
Yesterday, the hosts came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 4-2 in the third-place play-off. Sulley Muntari opened the scoring for Ghana, but Boubacar Sanogo netted twice. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie equalised, then Agogo reclaimed the lead with ten minutes left and a long-range effort from Hamanu Draman made victory secure for Claude LeRoy's team.
"My players were fantastic," LeRoy said. He is to be offered a new contract running until 2010 and we must presume he is the first former Cambridge United manager to lead a team to the bronze medal in the African Cup of Nations.


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