The five heavyweights that failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Looking at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying results drives home the theory that there is nowhere in Africa where one can be sure of taking full points. Below is a list of the African heavyweights that were punished for not taking heed of the changing football landscape. The teams are ranked from least to most surprising exits, with an analysis of which results cost them the most, as well as other issues that led to their respective continental disappointments. 5) SOUTH AFRICA Bafana Bafana’s ousting is probably one of the more bizarre tales of qualifying. It ended in Pitso Mosimane’s men celebrating with the fans after the final whistle, only to be informed thereafter that rival Niger had made it instead due to a better head to head record. Not only was it embarrassing, but it has also served as a somber reminder that reading the rules has not gone out of style. Looking back on their campaign, South Africans will feel that the points dropped in two goalless draws against Sierra Leone was where the team went wrong. The under-fire Mosimane even admitted that he adjusted his tactics at the end of Saturday’s qualifier to hold onto a point when his men really needed a win. The high point was definitely the last-minute victory over Egypt, but the euphoria clearly lasted longer than it should have. 4) ALGERIA From 2010 World Cup participant and 2010 Afcon fourth-place finisher to second last in Group D. That’s not what Algerians had in mind when the qualifiers began. Far from a fresh approach, Fennecs fans were treated to more of the same in their first home game against Tanzania (1-1), resulting in Rabah Saadane’s dismissal. Abdelhak Ben Chikha took over the reins only to lose 2-0 in Bangui and then lose his job two matches later when Algeria fell to a humiliating 4-0 thrashing to neighbor Morocco. An over-reliance on the same group that went to the World Cup has clearly been a mistake as many of them are past their prime. Vahid Halilhodzic has a rebuilding job on his hands. His 2-0 win over second-placed Central African Republic in his first official match at the helm is a decent place to start. 3) NIGERIA Prior to the 2010 World Cup, many Nigerians were clamoring for Samson Siasia to get the top coaching job in their country instead of Lars Lagerback. They finally got their man and things did briefly seem to be improving, but clearly they didn’t do so fast enough. A slender 1-0 away loss to eventual qualifier Guinea was tolerable, but the 2-2 draw in Addis Ababa against Ethiopia was arguably the game that lost it for the team. If the Super Eagles had earned full points in that one, then Ibrahima Traore’s last minute header in Abuja wouldn’t have mattered much. Now the question is whether or not the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) will resist the urge to fire Siasia and, for once, go for stability instead of completely wiping the slate clean. 2) CAMEROON If they were in another group, they may have qualified, but the Indomitable Lions suffered the bad fortune of competing with a revitalized Senegal team which seems to be scoring goals at will in these qualifiers. Aside from the away loss in Dakar and failing to win the reverse fixture in Yaounde, Cameroon’s 1-1 home draw against DR Congo was a pivotal result. Samuel Eto’o and his colleagues showed great resolve on the last day to obtain a hard-fought 3-2 victory against the same opponent in Kinshasa but it was too little, too late. Furthermore, this inability to qualify seems to have vindicated the large number of analysts who questioned the appointment of coach Javier Clemente from the moment it was announced. 1) EGYPT Given that it had won the last three editions of the African Cup of Nations and was naturally a heavy favorite to easily win its group, this was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of qualifying. Egypt’s dominance on the continental stage over the last six years made its finishing bottom of its group and elimination with two games to be played almost incomprehensible. However, a combination of political upheaval and an aging and perhaps unmotivated side ended up taking Hassan Shehata out of the picture. Notoriously a slow starter in qualifying, no one was too concerned when the Pharaohs drew 1-1 with Sierra Leone in Cairo. However, a 1-0 away loss to Niger sounded the alarm. Things went from bad to worse against South Africa in Ellis Park and nothing could be salvaged in the reverse fixture. The last two games were played with the Olympic team and at least things finished on a high with a 3-0 victory over the astonishing Niger.