2008 Gold Cup - January

wiredfalcon2 said:It’s a damn shame nobody is even broadcasting this on any of the channels I actually get around to watching.

Hopefully, someone will pick up the broadcast rights—perhaps ESPN or something similar. There should be some quality matches on the schedule. Honestly, both Zambia and Siudan have enough talent to potentially pull off an upset against the heavy favorites.

Roger Allen3 said:They aren't trash, but they aren't even close to being one of the top teams in the Gold Cup. Relying on Diouf and Niang won't cut it.

Issa BA? Amdy Fay? Who even are those guys?😕

So you're basically just some FM player 😁
and a Dinamo fan 😁

Amdy Fay from the Rangers, Issa BA from Auxerre...

mistycyclist51 said:So you're basically just some FM player 😁
and a Dinamo fan 😁

Amdy Fay from the Rangers, Issa BA from Auxerre...

Yeah, just like how Simic was a Milan player!🤣

mistycyclist51 said:Nobody’s actually claiming they’re some elite squad. Honestly, I haven't sat through one of their matches since the 2006 Gold Cup, so I really wouldn't know.
It’s probably a bit too early to start calling shots for the World Cup. Honestly, looking at that group with Algeria, Liberia, and Gambia... they’re definitely moving on to the next round. That much is easy. As for what happens after that? Who knows. Depends entirely on how the bracket shakes out.

And another thing...
Tunis, Angola, Senegal, South Africa... honestly, looking at that lineup, is it really just a weak group? Hard to say. Everything feels a bit underwhelming. 😕
Before the group of death...

Angola—regardless of their previous World Cup appearances, they are a subpar side, and frankly, I find their style of play quite unappealing.

Senegal—I have already expressed my view on them; while they have seen a decline in recent years, I still anticipate them moving past the group stage.

South Africa—this team is in an even deeper slump than Senegal. One only needs to look at their underwhelming performance during the qualifiers for the World Cup in Germany to see the reality of their situation.

Tunis—they are perhaps the only decent ones here, though I suspect they too are experiencing a slight downward trend, given they failed to make any real impact during the last World Cup.

Honestly, those three teams are definitely on the decline, and Morocco is right there with them... plus, Angola was never actually a powerhouse to begin with, so they aren't really "falling" from anything 🙂

Roger Allen3 said:Yeah, just like how Simic was a Milan player!🤣

Fair enough, I'll admit it... Amdy Fay was an absolute beast back when I was playing FM with the Magpies😁 honestly have no clue how he actually performs in real life🙈

And this Issa guy isn't half bad either...

Roger Allen3 said:Honestly, those three teams are definitely on the decline, and Morocco is right there with them... plus, Angola was never actually a powerhouse to begin with, so they aren't really "falling" from anything 🙂

Precisely. They essentially stumbled their way past Nigeria during the previous qualifiers, much like how Togo benefited from being grouped alongside Senegal.

I mostly just go by names at this point. Haven't really sat through a national team match since World Cup 2006, maybe longer for some... I guess my main metric is just seeing how many Europeans are on the roster.

As for who’s actually any good? Honestly, no clue. I mean, I was pretty caught off guard when Guinea pulled off those results during the last Nations Cup. Didn't see that coming at all.

mistycyclist51 said:I mostly just go by names at this point. Haven't really sat through a national team match since World Cup 2006, maybe longer for some... I guess my main metric is just seeing how many Europeans are on the roster.

As for who’s actually any good? Honestly, no clue. I mean, I was pretty caught off guard when Guinea pulled off those results during the last Nations Cup. Didn't see that coming at all.

Well, that shouldn't have come as much of a shock to you. There is a significant number of players from Guinea playing in European leagues, particularly in France and Turkey. 😁 You can always find those specific statistics over at www.transfermarkt.com!

Edward Wood64 said:Well, that shouldn't have come as much of a shock to you. There is a significant number of players from Guinea playing in European leagues, particularly in France and Turkey. 😁 You can always find those specific statistics over at www.transfermarkt.com!

Come on, don't start going overboard now. 😉
Just a bunch of random clubs... Le Mans, Martigues, Rouen, Troyes, Lokeren, Kallithea... nothing really sticks. You just see the occasional Celtic, Toulouse, Trabzon, or Wolfsburg pop up here and there. Same old story.

Edward Wood64 said:Precisely. They essentially stumbled their way past Nigeria during the previous qualifiers, much like how Togo benefited from being grouped alongside Senegal.

Oh man, you're right, there's just no way 😲 what a shame, it actually wouldn't hurt if Emmanuel Adebayor took a month-long vacation 👋!

mistycyclist51 said:Come on, don't start going overboard now. 😉
Just a bunch of random clubs... Le Mans, Martigues, Rouen, Troyes, Lokeren, Kallithea... nothing really sticks. You just see the occasional Celtic, Toulouse, Trabzon, or Wolfsburg pop up here and there. Same old story.

Bangoura from Dynamo Kyiv isn't bad, and Feindouno is top-tier for me... I also know that Mansare guy from Toulouse. But wait... are we talking about THE Kaba Diawara? 🤣

All things considered, they don't even look average.

mistycyclist51 said:Come on, don't start going overboard now. 😉
Just a bunch of random clubs... Le Mans, Martigues, Rouen, Troyes, Lokeren, Kallithea... nothing really sticks. You just see the occasional Celtic, Toulouse, Trabzon, or Wolfsburg pop up here and there. Same old story.

And honestly, even Senegal isn't that impressive: look at Standard Liege, Montpellier, Fulham, or Hoffenheim...😂

Roger Allen3 said:Bangoura from Dynamo Kyiv isn't bad, and Feindouno is top-tier for me... I also know that Mansare guy from Toulouse. But wait... are we talking about THE Kaba Diawara? 🤣

All things considered, they don't even look average.

yeah, the legendary Kaba 😁

but honestly, the real star is probably Pablo Thiam 🙏

Edward Wood64 said:And honestly, even Senegal isn't that impressive: look at Standard Liege, Montpellier, Fulham, or Hoffenheim...😂

...Newcastle United, Parma, Dynamo, Beşiktaş, Bordeaux, Portsmouth, Rangers, Bolton, Genoa, Marseille, ...

I'm not saying they’re actually better than Guinea—though, let’s be real, they probably are—and I'm definitely not claiming everyone on that squad is a regular starter for their club teams. But you have to admit, the Senegal national team carries a certain weight in the football world just because of that whole "boom" they had back during the World Cup 2002. It gave them a level of recognition you just don't see with teams like Guinea or Benin. They've got that lasting footprint, whereas those other guys kind of fade into the background.

mistycyclist51 said:yeah, the legendary Kaba 😁

but honestly, the real star is probably Pablo Thiam 🙏

I missed his game 🤔 wasn't he the one who used to play for Bayern Munich? 🤔

Roger Allen3 said:I missed his game 🤔 wasn't he the one who used to play for Bayern Munich? 🤔

That's the guy. 👍

mistycyclist51 said:...Newcastle United, Parma, Dynamo, Beşiktaş, Bordeaux, Portsmouth, Rangers, Bolton, Genoa, Marseille, ...

I'm not saying they’re actually better than Guinea—though, let’s be real, they probably are—and I'm definitely not claiming everyone on that squad is a regular starter for their club teams. But you have to admit, the Senegal national team carries a certain weight in the football world just because of that whole "boom" they had back during the World Cup 2002. It gave them a level of recognition you just don't see with teams like Guinea or Benin. They've got that lasting footprint, whereas those other guys kind of fade into the background.

What kind of reputation are we talking about? These young lions are finally arriving...👍

Aside from Nigeria, you have Ghana and the Ivory Coast. I will concede that their national teams are looking incredibly formidable once again.

I'm leaning toward Ghana—mostly because home-field advantage seems to be the deciding factor lately—but I’ll give the Ivory Coast a look too. After that, maybe Cameroon, or perhaps Nigeria pulls off their fourth straight title.