2013 Afcon's interesting numbers

Strong presence. . . Mali's Adama Coulibaly is one of six players sharing his surname in the 2013 Afcon.

NOW that the squads for the 16 teams which will be doing business in the 2013 Orange Africa Cup of Nations have been finalised, it is proper that interesting facts about the squads be closely scrutinised.

The excitement is beginning to rise as the teams arrive this week ahead of the big kickoff on January 19, now just five days away.

Here are some of the facts that emerged from 23-man squads of each national team:

• Like in the past editions, the South African, known as the Premier Soccer League, is providing the bulk of the players – 25. The breakdown is as follows: 1 in Ghana squad, 2 in Togo, 2 in Niger, 5 in Zambia and 15 in South African team, Bafana Bafana.
• Ethiopia has the highest number of players drawn from the team’s own national league – 20. (Cote d’Ivoire has the least – 1, third choice keeper Ali Badra Sangare from Academie Ivoire.)
• Africa has provided 7 coaches for the tournament; the highest number in many years. These are Gordon Igesund (South Africa), Rachid Taoussi (Morocco), Lucio Antunes (Cape Verde), James Kwesi Appiah (Ghana), Stephen Keshi (Nigeria), Sewnet Bishaw (Ethiopia), Sami Trabelsi (Tunisia)
• France retains the title of providing the bulk of foreign coaches – 5, namely Claude Le Roy (DR Congo), Patrice Carteron (Mali), Herve Renard (Zambia), Didier Six (Togo), Sabrir Lamouchi (Cote d’Ivoire)
• At 41, Lamouchi is the youngest coach at the tournament. The Lyon-born mentor is a former France international of Tunisian descent. Second youngest at 42 is Carteron
• The club with the highest player representation is TP Mazembe from Lubumbashi, DR Congo – 10. The breakdown is as follows: 4 in Congo (keeper Robert Kidiaba, defender Jean Kasusula, midfielders Deo Kanda, Tresor Mputu, striker Patou Kabangu); 6 in Zambia (defenders Stopila Sunzu, Hichani Himonde, Francis Kasonde, midfielders Nathan Sinkala, Rainford Kalaba, striker Jonas Sakuwaha)
• 6 – the surname with the highest representation, Coulibaly/Koulibaly. The breakdown is as follows: 4 in Mali and 2 in Burkina Faso. Traore is second best with 5 players in Mali team (1), Burkina Faso (2), Cote d’Ivoire (2). Interestingly, both surnames belong to Malian culture.
• 13 – the number of times the African coaches have won the Afcon in its past 25 editions; better by just one than foreign coaches 

Another point of interest, though not quantified with figures, is that there are more players based in Africa who will be in action in this tournament. Nigeria for example has selected six, something which was unheard of about the Super Eagles more than a decade ago.
Let the games begin!