Ivory Coast, Ghana look great -- but look out for Mali

Mali, led by the scoring touch of Sevilla star Fredi Kanouté, is on the verge of advancing out of the Cup of Nations' toughest group. AP

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ACCRA, Ghana -- As soon as locals here find out you don't live in Ghana, they have two questions: 1) How do you find Ghana? 2) Who do you think will win the Cup of Nations?

The answer to the first question is easy: Ghana is one of the nicest countries I've ever visited. The people are friendly and generous, quick to say hello to a passer-by or to give directions to out-of-towners trying to find their hotel in Takoradi.

The food, like fufu with goat soup and spicy kebabs grilled outside the Ohene Djan Stadium, is delicious. The beer -- I like Star best, I think -- is cold and crisp, and on a hot afternoon goes down more smoothly than water. The Ghanaian women ... well, I'll just steal the description used by a South African man interviewed on the radio the other day: "Wow."

The second question is a little trickier. My heart always wants to say, "The Black Stars will win the Cup, of course." Ghana has a very good team, even with the absence of Stephen Appiah's soulful creativity in the midfield. It has six points from two matches.

Unfortunately, ahead of Monday's do-or-die match with Morocco, the Ghanaian fans are hurling criticisms at their beloved Black Stars, afraid they will fail to get the draw they need to advance. If you ask me, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

So, I must ignore my heart and go with my head. In this case, it points toward either everyone else's favorite, the Ivory Coast, or my dark-horse pick, Mali.

"Are you sure?" they ask.

"No, I'm not sure," I reply. "But that's my guess."

(Aside: After Sunday's performance by Angola, I might put a side bet on os Palancas Negras. They're playing the jogo bonito to an African rhythm. Seriously, Manucho is awe-inspiring. His performance alone was enough to force the Senegalese coach's resignation, which came right after the Terranga Lions lost 3-1 to Angola.)

The Ivory Coast and Mali square off on Tuesday here in Accra. The Ivorians lead Group B and have already booked their place in the quarterfinals. But the result will decide the fates of both second-placed Mali and third-placed Nigeria. A draw, and Mali is in. A loss, and, assuming Nigeria takes care of whipping boys Benin, the Super Eagles advance.

Admittedly, the Ivory Coast is an easy pick to win the Cup. It's a stacked team, from scoring weapons Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou to defensive stalwart Emmanuel Eboué. The Ivorians (and Arsenal, too) suffered a major blow when Kolo Touré went down with a knee injury against Benin, but that shouldn't slow down the Elephants' stampede to the final. The harmony of their teamwork and dazzling improvisation -- the opposite of Nigeria's play -- reminds me of a great jazz combo in a jam session.

The Ivorians have displayed great passion as well. When Drogba scored the opener against Benin, he jumped around like he'd just won the lottery. He leapt the signboards, jubilated with the Ivorian fans and kissed the crest on his jersey. It was wonderful.

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