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AFCON 2017


The Fish
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Mbemba played the full 90 as Congo beat Morocco 1-0 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKogrBaz5jQ

 

He got through the match unscathed 

 

Mo Diame's Senegal beat Tunisia 2-0 but he didn't feature (Saivet did though)

 

Ghana play Uganda today, no idea if Atsu will feature.

 

 

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I'm thrilled to bits we've lost an impactful player so the 15 people in that stadium got to watch that, what an utter fucking farce of a tournament. The fact that players risk bans for refusing to play in it is ridiculous, if you're going to hold a tournament in the middle of club football season every two years the players should be well within their rights to opt out.

 

Hold it in the summer every four years ffs, the excuse of it being too hot then is absurd as they played a summer world cup in South Africa and surely the players are more used to it seeing as they're from there. 

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I'm thrilled to bits we've lost an impactful player so the 15 people in that stadium got to watch that, what an utter fucking farce of a tournament. The fact that players risk bans for refusing to play in it is ridiculous, if you're going to hold a tournament in the middle of club football season every two years the players should be well within their rights to opt out.

 

Hold it in the summer every four years ffs, the excuse of it being too hot then is absurd as they played a summer world cup in South Africa and surely the players are more used to it seeing as they're from there.

I'd just try and avoid buying African players tbh.
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I'm thrilled to bits we've lost an impactful player so the 15 people in that stadium got to watch that, what an utter fucking farce of a tournament. The fact that players risk bans for refusing to play in it is ridiculous, if you're going to hold a tournament in the middle of club football season every two years the players should be well within their rights to opt out.

 

Hold it in the summer every four years ffs, the excuse of it being too hot then is absurd as they played a summer world cup in South Africa and surely the players are more used to it seeing as they're from there.

You mean in the middle of the European club football season. As far as I'm they've always held it at this time of year. Just because European clubs dominate the game now doesn't mean that they should change their tournament to accommodate.
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You mean in the middle of the European club football season. As far as I'm they've always held it at this time of year. Just because European clubs dominate the game now doesn't mean that they should change their tournament to accommodate.

It may not be the middle of others like the South American etc but it's still an important time for them as well. Regardless a high proportion of the players that play in the tournament play in leagues where it is the middle of the season, it also bucks the trend of basically every other International tournament. I don't see how them holding it in the summer puts the tournament in any undue hardship, it may even boost the ratings since they'd not be competing for air time with most leagues. 

 

Just because it has always been held at this time doesn't mean it can't change, the proposed change of dates for the world cup in Qatar shows that.

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I'd just try and avoid buying African players tbh.

Was it Ferguson that said something a long those lines? It's definitely something that should be considered for key players in a squad, I suppose it depends on if you think their talent is high enough that you're willing to forgo having them for a month or so every two seasons. 

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 I don't see how them holding it in the summer puts the tournament in any undue hardship, it may even boost the ratings since they'd not be competing for air time with most leagues. 

 

Just because it has always been held at this time doesn't mean it can't change, the proposed change of dates for the world cup in Qatar shows that.

 

I never said it did put them in any undue hardship, I said that it is their prerogative to host it at this time of year and I can see why they still want to keep it like that. It's hard for them to schedule it in our summer due to the various weather conditions on the continent, be that it being too hot or the rainy season. (The World Cup in South Africa wasn't in the summer as well, it was their winter)

 

The European clubs/leagues yield too much power as it is and the way you're going on smacks of that sense of elitism that's played a big part in ruining the game.

 

I agree that players should be able to opt out though if they don't want to go and clubs shouldn't be penalised unless they've put any pressure on the player to say they're injured or whatever.

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Was it Ferguson that said something a long those lines? It's definitely something that should be considered for key players in a squad, I suppose it depends on if you think their talent is high enough that you're willing to forgo having them for a month or so every two seasons.

Why would you want potentially one of your best players missing for a month? What if he's injured leading to the tournament? What's the point? It just isn't worth it.
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I never said it did put them in any undue hardship, I said that it is their prerogative to host it at this time of year and I can see why they still want to keep it like that. It's hard for them to schedule it in our summer due to the various weather conditions on the continent, be that it being too hot or the rainy season. (The World Cup in South Africa wasn't in the summer as well, it was their winter)

 

The European clubs/leagues yield too much power as it is and the way you're going on smacks of that sense of elitism that's played a big part in ruining the game.

 

I agree that players should be able to opt out though if they don't want to go and clubs shouldn't be penalised unless they've put any pressure on the player to say they're injured or whatever.

I didn't say you said it would put hardship on them I was just meaning that there are not many reasons for them to keep hosting it when they are. Of course it is their prerogative to a degree, the same way I'm well within my rights as a fan of a club it inconveniences to disagree with when they host it, but they should also factor in the fact clubs are paying these players wages while they are off on duty for their countries for a month.

 

Fair enough you can say it's elitism, or arrogance, but in my opinion they're being fairly arrogant themselves holding it when they do knowing it is inconveniencing the clubs who pay the massive wages of the players that are the stars of their tournament for little reason other than it's when they've always held it. Just a quick look and it's in the 30's this week in Gabon, the average temperature in July is 25 degrees and the wettest month is November.

 

We both agree on your last sentence, although I don't like Liverpool I feel bad for them and Matip that they're going through the issue.

Edited by Howay
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Why would you want potentially one of your best players missing for a month? What if he's injured leading to the tournament? What's the point? It just isn't worth it.

Agreed, it's a bit easier to take when it's more of a squad player like Atsu but if it's someone like Mahrez it messes up the teams game plan etc for the time he's gone and then when he comes back he'll have to get back up to the speed of playing with the team, may have picked up a knock or need a bit rest after he comes back. 

Edited by Howay
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I can understand what Tooj is saying but the organizers should look at improving the value/prestige of the tournament at least. Holding it every 2 years and at a time when viewership is likely to be low just doesnt help at all. Seems to be lazy incompetence rather than sticking by tradition. 

Edited by aimaad22
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I didn't say you said it would put hardship on them I was just meaning that there are not many reasons for them to keep hosting it when they are. Of course it is their prerogative to a degree, the same way I'm well within my rights as a fan of a club it inconveniences to disagree with when they host it, but they should also factor in the fact clubs are paying these players wages while they are off on duty for their countries for a month.

 

Fair enough you can say it's elitism, or arrogance, but in my opinion they're being fairly arrogant themselves holding it when they do knowing it is inconveniencing the clubs who pay the massive wages of the players that are the stars of their tournament for little reason other than it's when they've always held it. Just a quick look and it's in the 30's this week in Gabon, the average temperature in July is 25 degrees and the wettest month is November.

 

We both agree on your last sentence, although I don't like Liverpool I feel bad for them and Matip that they're going through the issue.

 

That's a fair point. Clubs should be compensated for players missing out on matches due to international commitments. At least they should be made to cover their wages while absent. 

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I can understand what Tooj is saying but the organizers should look at improving the value/prestige of the tournament at least. Holding it every 2 years and at a time when viewership is likely to be low just doesnt help at all. Seems to be lazy incompetence rather than sticking by tradition. 

 

If it was every 4 years it wouldn't be such a problem. I suspect it actually harms the chances of African players in terms of their careers to a degree as well, a two-yearly mid season tournament to play in - with a chance of returning with an injury.

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I can understand what Tooj is saying but the organizers should look at improving the value/prestige of the tournament at least. Holding it every 2 years and at a time when viewership is likely to be low just doesnt help at all. Seems to be lazy incompetence rather than sticking by tradition. 

Oh aye I absolutely get Tooj's point, I'm just looking at it from the selfish point that it is an inconvenience to the club I support.

 

I also do find that modern football has made International football a bit of an issue in that clubs have to release multi-million pound assets to go and play for another team and still have to pay their wages while they're risking injury, tiredness, etc, obviously that has always been the case but the money involved nowadays is staggering, International friendlies and the AFCoN tournament are even more of an inconvenience than most tournaments due to their timing. 

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I was dead surprised at the time that we managed to rinse the FA out of so much for Owen.

:lol: It was somewhere around 10m wasn't it? That's staggering tbh. 

 

I like the idea of countries paying the players wages while they're away but I think the hard bit about instituting any rule that insists on wages being paid is it's hard on the smaller nations who have high paid stars (like Armenia with Mkhitaryan and Gabon with Aubemeyang), I suppose the world cups make FIFA a boat load of money and it could come out of that but I doubt it's enough to cover all of the Qualification, friendlies, etc leading up to it. It's a weird area really, I definitely think something needs to be done about forcing players to go if they're selected as we mentioned earlier at the very least (not just to AFCoN but all internationals, it was someone like Makelele who either was threatened with a ban or was banned for rejecting a France call up iirc).

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I like the idea of countries paying the players wages while they're away but I think the hard bit about instituting any rule that insists on wages being paid is it's hard on the smaller nations who have high paid stars (like Armenia with Mkhitaryan and Gabon with Aubemeyang), 

 

Their FA can ask them to take unpaid leave during international breaks. Let's see how desperate they are to represent their country then.

Edited by ewerk
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That's a fair point. Clubs should be compensated for players missing out on matches due to international commitments. At least they should be made to cover their wages while absent. 

Suppose that would be the compromise really, in that for International friendlies, tournaments and Qualifiers that cause players to be away from their clubs during the season the countries foot the bill (perhaps helped by a pot of the tournament profits).

 

Of course none of that will happen as FIFA currently boast tournaments featuring the best players in the world without really having to pay them and keep a good chunk of the proceeds from them.

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Their FA can ask them to take unpaid leave during international breaks. Let's see how desperate they are to represent their country then.

:lol: Imagine the plight of the England team (even more so than it is now).

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