With Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier than expected once again, the remaining four teams will all feel like they have a fantastic chance to win the tournament. Ghana is the biggest remaining side with the largest stable of talent and best recent results in international play, but there's considerable talent on all four remaining teams, and none should be counted out.
Africa Cup of Nations 2013: Semifinals are anyone’s game
Kicking off a huge day of international football, the Africa Cup of Nations will set their finalists ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup qualifiers and high profile friendlies.
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Full coverage of Wednesday internationals: Honduras vs. USA | Mexico vs. Jamaica | Panama vs. Costa Rica | Africa Cup of Nations | International friendlies
Nigeria has made a surprise run to the semifinal, despite the lack of big-game experience possessed by most of their defenders, both for club and country. The Chelsea FC duo of John Obi Mikel and Victor Moses have been brilliant and have kept the pressure off their back line. They face tough test in Mali, who has done well to replace Frederic Kanoute while strengthening the rest of their side in recent years.
In the late game, Ghana faces off against Burkina Faso, who are finally reaching their potential. They’ve failed to turn their players’ athleticism and extensive Ligue 1 experience into good showings at the Africa Cup of Nations until this edition of the tournament, where they have been arguably the most consistent of the four remaining teams.
Schedule (all times ET)
Nigeria vs. Mali - 10 a.m.
Burkina Faso vs. Ghana - 1:30 p.m.
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