JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Didier Drogba warned his Ivory Coast team mates about their billing as African Nations Cup favourites when he said top sides do not always live up to expectation.

“I must remind you that Netherlands had a side everyone said was the best for years and they never won a trophy,” said Drogba, sitting alongside Yaya Toure and coach Sabri Lamouchi during a rousing airport welcome in South Africa on Wednesday.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 (Reuters) – Morocco cannot afford another disastrous African Nations Cup finals campaign after last year’s premature exit, midfielder Younes Belhanda said on Wednesday.

“We have no right to fail this time round. We have a debt to the Moroccan people after what happened at the last tournament,” the 22-year-old told reporters three days before the team’s opening match against Angola at Soccer City.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – There is a heavy French influence in the coaching ranks at this year’s African Nations Cup finals, but unusually some of the continent’s heavyweights have plumped for local expertise to lead their squads.

The majority of the 16 finalists are employing an expatriate coach at the tournament in South Africa, with seven hailing from France and one from Belgium.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 16 (Reuters) – There is a heavy French influence in the coaching ranks at this year’s African Nations Cup finals, but unusually some of the continent’s heavyweights have plumped for local expertise to lead their squads.

The majority of the 16 finalists are employing an expatriate coach at the tournament in South Africa, with seven hailing from France and one from Belgium.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Zambia say they are happy with the opportunity for their key defender Stopilla Sunzu to go to Reading this week, even though he is a key component of their squad for the African Nations Cup finals.

The centre back travelled to London at the weekend for a trial with the Premier League strugglers with the blessing of his football association, a week before his side begin their defence of the African title at the tournament in South Africa.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Africa’s premier football competition has come a long way. From two matches in 1957, captured on grainy black-and-white newsreel footage, this year’s African Nations Cup will feature 32 matches and attract billions of global television viewers.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it was confident of exceeding the record 6.6 billion television viewers who watched last year’s edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Africa’s premier soccer competition has come a long way. From two matches in 1957, captured on grainy black-and-white newsreel footage, this year’s African Nations Cup will feature 32 matches and attract billions of global television viewers.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said it was confident of exceeding the record 6.6 billion television viewers who watched last year’s edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – Managers’ complaints across Europe as players jet off for the African Nations Cup every two years have become the norm in soccer in recent years.

This time, the problem has been exacerbated by the change in staging the tournament from even to odd years, meaning there have been just 12 months between finals.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 14 (Reuters) – Managers’ complaints across Europe as players jet off for the African Nations Cup every two years have become the norm in soccer in recent years.

This time, the problem has been exacerbated by the change in staging the tournament from even to odd years, meaning there have been just 12 months between finals.

JOHANNESBURG, Jan 13 (Reuters) – Togo’s football association president said he had made the final selection of players for the African Nations Cup squad, over-ruling his coach who had left out Emmanuel Adebayor and goalkeeper Kossi Agassa.

Gabriel Ameyi said the Tottenham Hotspur striker and the Stade Reims goalkeeper, Togo’s highest-profile players, had been left off the list by coach Didier Six before last Wednesday’s deadline for the submission of the 23-man squad for the tournament in South Africa, which starts on Saturday.