Can Ghana make it three in a row?

Football has many little quirks, one of which is the idea of home advantage. The idea that a team should become unbeatable simply because they are playing in their own stadium, in front of their fans is almost as ridiculous as the idea of lucky jockstraps for the players or the dozens of other little superstitions they have before a game.

However it is one that holds true and Africa is no exception. I don't pretend to have a vast knowledge of African football, which is why you will not see previews like I've done for the Premiership in the past on here, but I have watched a fair bit of African football, particularly the Champions League and it is often astonishing how teams will destroy a team one week, only to be totally inept against the same opposition the next week just because they happen to be away *cough*Enyimba*cough*. Want to make money betting on African football- just bet on the home team.

The last two editions of the African Nations Cup have been won by the hosts. Indeed, there have been many instances of the hosts winning the African Nations Cup. Teams like South Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia and Algeria all won their single titles at home, and of the traditional continental powerhouses like Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria only Cameroun can boast of going forth to conquer on each of their 4 titles.

Even minnows like Burkina Faso who when they hosted the Cup in 1998 had just come off from being whipping boys of their World Cup qualifying group (for France 98) got to the semis. It is hard to see a team of relative similar quality like say Austria doing the same in Euro 2008 despite their home advantage.

The thing is this year's hosts Ghana are more than the flat-track bullies Tunisia and Egypt, the hosts and winners in 2004 and 2006, were. They are actually very good, and even if this tournament were held on the moon, they would be one of the favourites. They open up the tournament versus Guinea and it should be a routine win for the hosts. Guinea have performed generally well at these tournaments over the past few editions and could make the next round even if they have lost a lot of experience (Diawara, Thiam, Titi Camara) over the last few years.

I am looking forward to watching this game, the first Nations' cup game I will see since the heady days of 2000.