E K'ABO

Ahmed Al Muhammadi of Egypt and Opoku Agyemang of Ghana during the Africa Cup of Nations final match between Ghana and Egypt. GETTY IMAGES

The just-concluded 27th Africa Cup of Nations in Angola did not only cement Egypt's legendary status in African football but would also be remembered as one occasion when the round leather triumphed over terrorism.

The fireworks are over. The last whistle has since been blown. And history has been made in Angola, where the 27th Africa Cup of Nations was brought to a fitting climax with Egypt claiming the trophy for the seventh time. For the Pharaohs, it was also the third straight win, which means they now have the cup for keeps.

As happened during the Ghana 2008 Cup of Nations, Egypt's victory in Angola was achieved by a largely home-bred team handled by an indigenous coach, thus making the point that Africa's soccer salvation does not lie in the hands of foreign-based super stars or foreign coaches.

Put together by veteran coach Hassan Shehata, the Pharaohs beat all comers right from the preliminary rounds to the final, in which they overcame hard-fighting Ghana Black Stars via an 85th minute strike by substitute Mohammed Gedo, the tournament's highest scorer with five goals. Playing in Group C, Egypt started the competition on a bright note, overcoming a 12th minute goal to beat the Super Eagles of Nigeria 3-1. They thereafter defeated Mozambique 2-0 and meted out the same treatment to Benin in the other matches to top the group.

Egypt's next game (in the quarter-finals) was in a way a re-enactment of the Ghana 2008 final match, as it pitched the Pharaohs against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. Egypt had beaten Cameroon 1-0 in Ghana to lift the trophy for a record sixth time and the Cameroonians, who have not beaten the north Africans in five years, had hoped for a sweet revenge. But it was not to be, as the star-studded Lions captained by celebrated striker Samuel Eto'o could not find the net.

Unlike what happened in Ghana, the Egyptians this time scored four goals-one for Cameroon and three for themselves-to make it 3-1 in the highly explosive encounter at the Complexo da Sr. da Graca in Benguela. After heading into his own net for Cameroon's opening goal in the 26th minute, Egyptian skipper Ahmed Hassan made amends in the 37th minute when he fired home from 37 metres to beat goalkeeper Idris Kameni for the equaliser. No other goals came during regulation time but Egypt dramatically turned things around with two quick goals in five minutes of extra-time from Gedo and skipper Hassan.

Egyptian players and coaching staff celebrate winning the Africa Cup of Nations. GETTY  IMAGES

The semi-final match that pitched Egypt against Algeria was even more significant. Algeria had pulled off a mighty surprise by dismissing tournament favourites Ivory Coast, whom they beat 3-2 in extra time in the quarter-finals to set up the most tension-soaked match of Angola 2010. Algeria and Egypt had tied after a two-legged South Africa 2010 World Cup qualifiers last year, with the Desert Foxes winning the bad-tempered play-off in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, by a lone goal to muscle out the Pharaohs from the first World Cup to be held in Africa.

The Nations Cup clash in Benguela was preceded by boasts by both sides to humiliate the other. In the end, it was the Pharaohs who did just that, whipping the Desert Foxes 4-0. The Algerians had dug their grave through indiscipline, which saw them ending the match with only eight men. They started paying the price in the 39th minute when defender Rafik Halliche was marched off by centre referee Codjia Koffi from Benin after receiving a second yellow card for hacking down goal-bound Emad Motaeb in the box. The spot kick by Hosni Abd gave birth to the first goal.

It went from bad to worse for the Algerians in the 60th minute when Mohamed Zidan twisted past Nadir Belhadj on the edge of the box before firing home from 35 metres to make it 2-0. At this point, the Algerians literally lost their heads, resulting in the sending off of winger Nadir Belhadj in the 70th minute and goalkeeper Faouzi Chaouchi in the 88th. Not in the mood to show mercy, the Pharaohs completed the rout with goals from Mohamed Abdelshafy in the 81st minute and Gedo on the dot of 90 minutes.

Ghana fans celebrate during the Africa Cup of Nations. GETTY IMAGES

For Ghana, who surprised themselves by reaching the finals after their youngsters beat Nigeria by a lone goal in the semi-finals, Egypt was bound to be a tall order in the final match watched by a capacity crowd that included host President Eduardo dos Santos, FIFA President Sepp Blatter and CAF President Issa Hayatou. With big stars like Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, Laryea Kingston, John Pantsil and John Mensah unavailable due to injuries, Ghana paraded a squad largely comprising players of the U-20 side that won the Egypt 2009 Youth World Cup last October. Even so, the Black Stars held on bravely at the impressive Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda and the match could have gone either way.

By their slim victory over the relatively inexperienced Black Stars on January 31, the Egyptians have further stretched a record which began with them winning the first ever Africa Cup of Nations with a 4-0 thrashing of Ethiopia in 1957 in Sudan. The Pharaohs equally won the next edition, beating Sudan 2-1 when they hosted the championship in 1959. Their other victories came as hosts in 1986 (5-4 against Cameroon via penalties after a goalless draw); 1998 in Burkina Faso (2-0 against South Africa); as hosts in 2006 (4-2 against Ivory Coast through penalties after a goalless draw); in Ghana two years ago; and now in Angola.

Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor attends the funeral service of Togolese assistant soccer coach Amalete Abalo in the capital Lome, January 15, 2010. RUTERS

Ghana and Cameroon, both with four wins, come second in the Nations Cup hall of fame.

The day before the Egyptians took the cup home for keeps, Nigeria had clinched their seventh Nations Cup bronze and the fourth in the last five tournaments after beating Algeria in the losers' match in Benguela courtesy of a 55th minute strike by Obinna Nsofor.

The championship had gotten off in a most extraordinary way as Mali scored four goals in the last 11 minutes to draw 4-4 with hosts Angola in the opener at the Estádio 11 de Novembro in Luanda on January 10.

The continent's five World Cup-bound teams (hosts South Africa having failed to make it to Angola) recorded no victory in their early matches but overcame a bad start to stamp their authority on the championship, providing three of the four semi-finalists.

In all, 71 goals were scored during the championship, with Egypt accounting for 16 and conceding only two. Just like they did two years ago, the Pharaohs once more dominated the Best 11, providing five of the players.

Angola 2010 was the swan song for veteran players such as Nigeria's Nwankwo Kanu (33), Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast (32), and Mali's Frederic Kanoute (32), all of whom have won several titles with their clubs as well as individual accolades but have never won the Nations Cup with their countries. It also appears certain that one-time Cameroonian defence stalwart Rigobert Song (33), whose mistakes cost the Indomitable Lions dearly in Angola, has played his last Nations Cup.

Togolese government officials and relatives receive the remains of Togolese assistant soccer coach Amalete Abalo in the capital Lome, January 10, 2010. RUTERS

More importantly, Angola 2010 will be remembered as one occasion where football triumphed over terrorism. The championship went ahead after Togo's national soccer team flew back home on the orders of the Togolese government following a brutal attack on their bus by Angolan separatist rebels, killing the bus driver and two others, and wounding three players as they traveled to the Cabinda region for the preliminary games with Ghana, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.

The attack, claimed by the Front for the Liberation of the State of Cabinda, in a separatist struggle which has lasted decades but waned in recent years, had been aimed at sabotaging the championship, but the plot failed when all but Togo decided to go ahead and play-and actually did.

Fears in some quarters that the attack might force world soccer governing body FIFA to reconsider staging the World Cup in Africa in June were quickly dismissed by FIFA President Blatter, who said: "I have confidence in Africa and it's on the strength of this confidence that we will together organise the flagship competition of world football in 2010."

With the Angola party now over, Africa and the rest of the world now look forward to the biggest one of them all-the South Africa 2010 World Cup.