By Petit Samuel

That there will be new African champions come 8^th February is a definite fact but the mystery that clouds the antepenultimate stage of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations is who among the ‘men’ can conjure up a winning formula and take the title home. Indeed, the boys have been sieved out and the business end of this competition is not a place for the faint at heart.

Tactical acumen from the likes of Congo’s Claude Roy, Ivory Coast’s Herve Renard and Ghana’s Avram Grant will come in handy but the motley array of talent at their disposal will also be vital heading into the knockout phase.

Only Ghana and Ivory Coast have managed to maintain their quarter final berth from the last edition while Mali as well as Guinea continue bank on fortune to favor them as they await a random draw to seal their fate. Hosts Equatorial Guinea, Algeria, Tunisia, neighbors Congo and DR Congo form the list for the new entrants.

Such is the level of competitiveness that has graced this year’s edition which has bruised the egos of giants such as Cameroon, Senegal and 2013 finalists Burkina Faso.

Saturday action

Bragging rights as well as a semifinal place will be up for grabs when the Red Devils lock horns with the Kinshasa based Leopards while the Carthage Eagles will have to be wary of the tournament’s surprise package Equatorial Guinea as they look to step up their pursuit for a second title.

Sunday action

The crème de la crème of African football will brush shoulders in a highly anticipated encounter pitting four time champions Ghana against a star studded Ivory Coast. On the other hand, top seed Algeria will square it out against either Mali or Guinea.