Just five months before the 2010 World Cup, the best national teams in Africa will gather in Angola to fight it out for the right to be called champions of the Dark Continent. This year, the biennial African Cup of Nations will start on January 10 and conclude on January 31.   The African Nations Cup, or CAN as it is simply called, is older than the European Championships. The first edition of the tournament was contested by Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia in Khartoum in February 1957, and was won by the Egyptians. The Pharaohs repeated their triumph two years later and reached the finals of the third edition, where they were beaten by Ethiopia. The 1960’s belonged to Ghana, who made it to four successive finals and won two of them.   The trophy passed through the hands of Congo, Sudan, Zaire and Morocco before returning to Ghana in 1978. The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed their first title by winning the 1980 edition. Two years later, the final witnessed a penalty shootout for the first time, and it was Ghana who held their nerve against hosts Libya. Cameroon won the 1984 and 1988 editions, with an Egyptian win in 1986 sandwiched between the two triumphs of the Indomitable Lions.

The 1990’s saw five different winners- a first for any decade. Algeria and South Africa won the tournament as hosts, with Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Egypt as the other winners. Cameroon won the 2000 and 2002 editions, both on penalties, but saw their dreams of a third straight title shattered by the Nigerian duo of Jay Jay Okocha and John Utaka in the quarterfinals. Tunisia eventually won the 2004 tournament, beating Morocco in the final. 

Egypt reasserted their dominance on the tournament in 2006 and 2008, and will be looking to win it again this year to make up for the disappointment of not qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. However they will have to do without Amr Zaki, Mido and Mohamed Aboutrika. Egypt have made more appearances at the tournament than any other nation, and have also won it the most number of times. Other favourites for the tournament along with Egypt include Ghana, Ivory Coast, Algeria and Cameroon. Nigeria, who qualified for the World Cup by the skin of their teeth, could also go far in the tournament if they get their act together.

This year’s African Cup of Nations has a couple of notable absentees - World Cup hosts South Africa and Senegal both failed to qualify, meaning that we will not see the likes of Matthew Booth, Teko Modise, Terror Fanteni, Abdoulaye Cisse, Demba Ba and co. in action. Former champions Congo, Ethiopia, Sudan and Morocco will also be absent.

Four cities in Angola have been selected for the tournament. Luanda, the capital, will host the tournament opener between Angola and Mali as well as the final. Cabinda, Benguela and Lubango are the other venues for the tournament.

Will one of the biggies win the tournament? Or will the unknowns set the tournament alight with some breath taking performances? Find out all this and more at the 2010 African Cup of Nations - Africa’s premier football tournament.