What We’ve Learned From Day One Of The 2013 African Nations Cup

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana were sloppy and did not take their opponents seriously. It was a woeful display. Cape Verde on the other hand were purposeful and deserved their point. The way coach Lucio Antunes cast a gimlet eye over the proceedings was impressive. He seemed to have a five bar connection to his players. Captain Nando Nieves was a colossus at the back. Heldon, Mendes, Platini, and Soares all swam through the channels and each looked capable of scoring. One of them surely will against Angola and or Morocco. Cape Verde have been knocking on the door of the World Cup and African Cup of Nations Finals for almost a decade. Cape Verde are at the Afcon 2013 Finals because they knocked out the Indomitable Lions. It would not be a surprise to see them advance.

Angola 0 v 0 Morocco. Cautious Affair. Maybe the Atlas Lions have eyed up a meal of Bafana and Pap. The Palancas Negras probably feel they can handle the terrain better than the Blue Sharks.

* Davy Lane has a chapter in the new book Africa’s World Cup (University of Michigan Press, 2013).