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Mabi and Marchand are unlikely Africa football heroes
JOHANNESBURG, (AFP) - Democratic Republic of Congo striker Mputu Mabi and French coach Bertrand Marchand were the unlikely heroes as African football turned 50 this year.
Mabi, from the Tout Puissant Mazembe club in the southern city of Lubumbashi, achieved the amazing feat of finishing leading scorer in the African Champions League and African Confederation Cup.
The international goal poacher topped the Champions League chart with nine, one more than Amine Chermiti from winners Etoile Sahel of Tunisia and Ezeh Ndubuisi from Al-Hilal of Sudan.
Tall, dreadlocked Mabi needed just six matches to compile his tally, including two hat-tricks, while rising star Chermiti and Nigerian Ndubuisi played 14 each.
Along with other clubs eliminated in the final qualifying round for the Champions League group phase, Mazembe entered the Confederation Cup and Mabi once more wreaked havoc with a 10-goal haul from eight outings.
Ivorian Blaise Kouassi, who had the advantage of playing six more matches than Mabi in the second-tier African club competition, managed nine goals for winners Club Sportif Sfaxien of Tunisia.
But when it came to nominations for the 2007 African Footballer of the Year there was no place for Mabi as a panel from continental controlling body CAF looked only at Europe for its stars.
Mahamadou Diarra and Frederic Kanoute of Mali, Emmanuel Adebayor of Togo, title holder Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast and Michael Essien of Ghana were chosen with the winner to be named on February 1 in Togo.
Injury plagued Samuel Eto'o of Cameroon, winner a record-equalling three times in a row before being pipped by Drogba, was a notable absentee from the line-up.
Marchand, a studious coach, switched Tunisian sides in mid-year, leaving Club Africain of Tunis for Etoile Sahel based in the Mediterranean resort of Sousse.
It proved a master stroke by Etoile as they won a Champions League final at the third attempt with a stunning 3-1 away triumph over Al-Ahly of Egypt, the hottest of favourites for a record third title.
Few gave Etoile any hope of survival in the intimidating Cairo Stadium after a goalless first leg, but stoppage-time goals by Chermiti and Moussa Narry sealed success for a slicker, swifter side.
Stunned Ahly coach Manuel Jose claimed bad refereeing in both legs cost the 'Red Devils' dearly, but had the Portuguese taken off his red-tinted glasses he would have conceded Etoile were worthy winners.
Marchand insisted long before the final that his team was the best in Africa and they went on to finish a creditable fourth in the FIFA Club World Cup after restricting Boca Juniors of Argentina to a 1-0 victory in the semi-finals.
While 12-title Ahly have won the most in Africa, only Etoile have won all the competitions - Champions League, Confederation Cup, African Super Cup and the now defunct African Cup Winners Cup and CAF Cup.
Sfaxien completed a Tunisian club double by defeating Al-Merreikh of Sudan home and away for a 5-2 aggregate success in the Confederation Cup, succeeding Etoile Sahel as title holders.
The 16 African Nations Cup finalists emerged with Sudan qualifying after a 31-year absence, Namibia snatching a last-gasp win in Ethiopia to pip DR Congo and Libya, and Zambia stunning South Africa 3-1 in Cape Town to secure a slot.
South Africa also made it as one of the best group runners-up and hosts Ghana, holders Egypt, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia complete a formidable line-up.
Congo, Mali, South Africa and Sudan won regional national team competitions and hosts APR of Rwanda triumphed over Revenue Authority of Uganda in the East and Central Africa club championship.
At age-limit level, Nigeria won the world junior championship after a penalty shootout against Spain in South Korea, but suffered a humiliating quarter-finals loss to Chile in the world youth championship in Canada.
Ivory Coast reached the Olympic tournament for the first time by whipping Zambia 4-1 and Cameroon are also through with Nigeria likely to complete the African line-up for 2008 Games in Beijing.
CAF held celebrations in founder countries Egypt, Ethiopia, South Africa and Sudan to mark its 50th anniversary while world governing body FIFA made good progress with a drive to give every African nation an artificial pitch.
The low point came in Lome during October when Togo supporters took revenge for losing a crucial Nations Cup qualifier by assaulting Mali players, injuring Kanoute and Mamady Sidibe.
Punishment from an often 'soft' CAF was swift and fitting - Togo must play its three home fixtures in the second round of 2010 World Cup-Nations Cup qualifying competition at neutral venues.
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