Africa Cup of Nations Notebook - Day 18

IN CAIRO

Kenyan journalists disappear

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When the 2019 Afcon started on June 21 there was a healthy contingent of Kenyan journalists here eager to cover Harambee Stars at the tournament for the first time in 15 years.

That coverage lasted just three matches before the team was bundled out in the group stages and left for home a day after.

Their home journalists followed, one after another leaving the Kenyan media representation here deeply depleted. Heading into the quarter-finals there is only yours truly working for Nation Media Group and the dynamic K24 crew of Shon Osimbo and Vincent Mutinda deeply entrenched on the ground.

Former KTN reporter Lyne Wachira is also here but with renown international media outfit BBC.

South African journalists conspicuously few

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Speaking of journalists, Egyptians as hosts have the most number of scribes covering the Afcon.

Favourites Senegal and Algeria also have a huge contingent that would each fill a large bus with a spill over. But a surprising observation is the rather small number of South African media professionals here considering, first South Africa, into the quarters, is the second biggest economy in Africa and should have the muscle power to have a huge media representation here.

Second, South Africa, despite a lean international run in recent years, are by their own right a big football nation in Africa with many aspiring players from the continent heading there for greener pastures.

In fact, 45 players registered for the 2019 Afcon ply their trade in South Africa.

LOC leader ex-Pharaoh international

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There was much debate when the head of the Local Organising Committee for the 2017 IAAF World U-18 Championships was given to a person with no background in athletics, same with the committee set to steer Kenya’s preps in that failed attempt to host the 2017 Chan that had a head with no football background.

Egypt bestowed the honour of leading the 2019 Afcon Local Organising Committee to an ex-Pharaohs player.

The chairman is none other than ex-international Mohamed Fadi who was capped eight times by Egypt. Fadi admitted that it was a challenge organising such a big tournament but everything was going just fine.

Egypt to wait longer for record extensions

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The 2019 Afcon hosts Egypt were looking to extend their multiple records at the tournament.

They were record seven times champions and were hoping for an unprecedented eighth crown. They were hosting the tournament for a record fifth time.

They hosted it before in 1959, 1974, 1986, and 2006, winning the crown thrice in ’59, ’86 and ’06 in front of their adoring fans.

The Pharaohs were hoping to improve on their home record with another triumph.

But it all came to naught on Saturday when a smart South African outfit bundled them out of the tournament in the round of 16 and in front of a packed Cairo International Stadium, a known slaughter house for visiting African teams.