Europe has been plundering Africa’s talents for so long now that we should no longer be taken by surprise by the African Cup of Nations. Yet here we are again, in the 30th edition of the continental tournament, astounded and mildly shocked by the way things have unfolded.
The 16 nations that started this event last month have been whittled down to four. The Democratic Republic of Congo plays Ivory Coast on Wednesday, followed by Ghana taking on the host, Equatorial Guinea, in the other semifinal on Thursday.
Ghana and Ivory Coast are longtime soccer powers in Africa. Their players are familiar faces on some of the world’s leading clubs, which isn’t that surprising given that 246 of the 368 men who began this tournament earn their fortunes with European teams.
But the other semifinalists? They do surprise.
