Ben Jackson, CAN specialist, exclusively: “I think Ivory Coast will win.”

11 months ago 77

What to do when you’re looking for a book that enlightens you about the history of an international football tournament and you can’t find any? For Ben Jackson, the answer was simple: he wrote the book himself.
This is the straightforward backdrop of “The Africa Cup of Nations: The History of an Underappreciated Tournament,” Jackson tells Tribal Football during a lengthy conversation about a tournament that never ceases to be controversial.

“I’m fascinated by African history itself, not just football, and I also did my master’s in African politics,” says Jackson, who found a publisher in Pitch Publishing very keen to satisfy his desire to write a book.

So, Jackson delved into the wealth of material at the FIFA Museum in Zurich and arrived at a complete history of the AFCON, from its inception to the latest edition in 2022. But what does he think of the current tournament in Ivory Coast? And can we expect a lasting legacy from the billion-dollar investment by the government in stadiums and infrastructure for the 2024 tournament?

“It’s been one of the best in terms of fan attendance at the stadium. We’ve had some mediocre turnouts in previous editions, where it really showed in the stadiums when the host country wasn’t playing,” says Jackson. “This time, neighboring countries were able to attend and support their teams. In short, Ivory Coast was a very good host. There wasn’t much controversy, and it’s been enjoyable to watch.”

Is there a lasting impact for countries hosting the AFCON?
I’m not sure. The most recent hosts like Egypt and Cameroon are already established nations, whereas countries like Equatorial Guinea and Gabon didn’t do much when hosting the competition. I’m interested to see what kind of impact it will have on Ivory Coast because this tournament has clearly captured the imagination of fans. But it’s one of those countries that has always been a footballing nation.
Is there untapped potential for revenue and gains from the AFCON?
Undoubtedly. I think this tournament should show that if we can make it accessible for other nations to travel to the country and attend the games, the atmosphere becomes more fun and engaging.
If you had an unlimited budget, what would you introduce to fulfill the AFCON’s potential?
Probably, I would focus mainly on the pitches. The fields have been the downfall of many AFCONs in the past. Thinking back to 2013, one of the pitches got so bad it completely changed how teams had to play. Another thing is investing in African coaches and giving them the ability and pathway to lead their national teams. There are plenty of names out there that aren’t African. Perhaps there are some very good African coaches on the continent who just haven’t had the opportunity.
Senegal, the current champion, and Egypt were knocked out early. What happened?
North Africa didn’t perform well and hasn’t had good results in sub-Saharan countries frequently. Senegal was too good in the group stage. After researching the tournament, I found that there are many examples of teams starting very well and then faltering at the first hurdle. Last time, Senegal was poor in the group stage but won the tournament. This time, Ivory Coast was poor in the group, but made it to the semi-finals. It’s the story of the tournament.
Morocco did very well in the last World Cup but disappointed here. It’s not the first time we’ve seen an African country perform well at the World Cup and fall short of expectations at an AFCON. Why do you think that happens?
There’s something about the level of competition in the AFCON. It seems like it’s the best kind of leveling of the playing field. There are players from the Spanish third division facing off against a Ivory Coast team with players from Serie A and Ligue 1 and giving them a run for their money. They have this will and this competitiveness of ‘we’re going to punch you in the mouth because we know we’re the underdogs.’ That happens a lot in the AFCON, it’s very tricky.
We had eight new quarter-finalists compared to just two years ago. Is that good or bad?
I find the debate very interesting because I’ve seen some people say it’s a bad thing, in the sense that the strong African selections aren’t as strong, and that’s why they struggle when they go to the World Cup. But for the AFCON, I think it’s great because it’s inspiring generations of players from these countries. Some of these nations will never make it to a World Cup, but they can celebrate success in the AFCON. Personally, I think it’s great, it just adds to the drama and the stories, which is very, very important.
South African football has been struggling since the turn of the century, but they’re in the semi-finals. Is that a surprise to you?
It’s partly surprising, but it’s also partly ‘finally’! It’s a country that completely dropped the ball. They have a very strong national league, and players don’t leave South Africa because, financially, they’re very well paid. But coming into this tournament, I felt they were going to do well. This team has something special. They weren’t very good against Cape Verde, but Ronwen Williams was incredible throughout the game. I didn’t expect them to make the final, but I had them as an underdog.
Even by AFCON standards, it’s quite bold to sack the coach during the tournament. Will Ivory Coast be able to win the competition now?
After what they did against Mali, who’s going to bet against them? DR Congo will have to take their chances, just like Mali didn’t. It’s a very, very good team, but it’s going to be dramatic one way or another.
What’s your impression of Nigeria?
It’s a very interesting selection for me. Before the tournament, I had no confidence in the coach (José Peseiro), to be honest. I didn’t see him as a coach who would win an AFCON tournament. So far, he’s proven me wrong. Osimhen has been playing very well and has probably been the best player in the squad. But there’s something there that I can’t quite grasp. I feel like a bad game from Nigeria is coming.
Who has been the standout player of the tournament so far?
I think there are a few. Fofana is one of them, Ola Aina too. Chancel Mbemba from DR Congo also deserves a lot of credit. I was very impressed with his performance in the defense for the Congolese team. And also Ronwen Williams, who made some important saves.