16 January 2008

Not everyone is enamoured at the prospect of witnessing the giants of African football clashing in Ghana over the next month.

From Sunday, the African Cup of Nations will see 16 countries competing for the continental trophy. But for many European heavyweights, this tournament will leave them depleted of key players. Kolo Toure (Arsenal), Ahmed Barruso (AS Roma) and Didier Drogba (Chelsea) are just some of the stars who will be representing their home countries.

Of the 20 English Premier League sides, only four will not have their campaigns affected (Aston Villa, Derby County, Fulham and Manchester City have no representatives in Ghana this year). And many national teams in Ghana will be made up almost entirely of players who are contracted to European sides.

Not surprisingly, the age-old "club versus country" issue has seen tempers flare again. When Everton attempted to delay the release of South African midfielder Steven Pienaar for his country's Ghana campaign last week, Fifa stepped in and set a deadline.

This biennial tournament continues to highlight the enormous talent that Africa continues to produce - largely for the benefit of club sides from colder climes. This "game drain" has seen many of the legends of African football strutting their stuff a world away from a continent that needs all the development it can get.

For too long, the cream of African football has been skimmed by the world's wealthiest clubs, based in countries which have experienced the pleasure of hosting World Cup tournaments - England, Germany, France and the USA.

Hopefully, the 2010 Fifa World Cup - the first on African soil - will help ease the haemorrhaging of local talent.

Certainly, if the continental heavyweights like Nigeria, Senegal and Cameroon can mount a serious challenge for the World Cup trophy, the tide will inevitably turn ... and the massive capital that is needed to help Africa's domestic leagues compete with the likes of the English Premiership or the Bundesliga may start rolling in.

Urquhart is a former Fifa World Cup media officer and the current editor of Project 2010

	Chelsea's Didier Drogba ... is once more Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba, at least for the next month (Photo: Chelseafc.com)

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