Duarte hails mentor Mourinho

Burkina Faso head coach Paulo Duarte has revealed that his coaching philosophy is inspired by Manchester United coach Jose Mourinho, a fellow Portuguese tactician.
The former Portugal defender has taken Afcon 2017 by storm in a tournament that has seen the tournament favourites eliminated including heavyweights like Algeria, Ivory Coast and Senegal.
His past two appearances coincidentally in charge of Burkina Faso in 2010 in Angola and 2012 in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon only amassed one draw and four losses leading to his sacking ultimately.
However, words of encouragement from Mourinho who coached him at Uniao Leiria in the Portuguese topflight league have been very encouraging throughout his journey this far.
“Apart from being a football trainer, Mourinho is a friend and a father to me. He is very good at mental preparation and vision of training as well as analyzing the opponent,” Duarte explained.
“He called me yesterday to wish me luck in the semifinal against Egypt on Wednesday. Coincidentally, the last time I spoke to him was when I was in charge of Gabon and we played Portugal in Libreville. He is someone who is here to help me.”
“He has changed the mentality of football not only in Portugal but across the world. He has created modern football with a new vision.”
Duarte has rejuvenated his coaching career at Afcon 2017 and is keen on writing history in Burkina Faso by winning their first African title but Egypt stands between him and this dream.
The Stallions will be looking to defeat Egypt on Wednesday for a place in the final on February 5 and hopefully lift the coveted trophy of African football to put away ghosts from the 2013 edition when they lost to Nigeria in the final in South Africa.

Resurgent Cameroon stand in Ghana's path

The nearly men of African football in recent years, Ghana go into a sixth consecutive semifinal at the Cup of Nations when they face Cameroon in Franceville on Thursday.
The Black Stars have not won the trophy since 1982, instead gaining a reputation for coming up just short all too often over the last decade.
Avram Grant's side lost on penalties to the Ivory Coast in the final two years ago, while their current run of near misses began with a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon at home in Accra in 2008.
But in Gabon they have seemed like a side on a mission to end their long title drought and a 2-1 quarterfinal win over DR Congo in Oyem on Sunday, secured thanks to a goal each from the Ayew brothers, took them through to the last four.
There a Cameroon side dismissed by most observers prior to the tournament awaits.
"In the group stage they played well and against Senegal they were very impressive, so the semifinal is going to be tough," Grant told Ghanaian media.
The Israeli will be eager to have skipper Asamoah Gyan – a survivor of the 2008 squad – back fit from the adductor injury suffered in their last group game against Egypt and that kept him out of the DR Congo win.
Meanwhile, Razak Brimah will hope to keep his place in goal despite being fined $2 500 by the Ghanaian FA after upsetting supporters with an outburst on Facebook.
Razak said he was responding to insults directed at his mother but nevertheless issued an official apology.
"I accept that as an ambassador for my country Ghana and a role model for many across the globe, I should not have reacted this way," said the 29-year-old.
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS

The sedate town of Franceville, set amidst lush green rolling hills around the Mpassa river, was the venue for Cameroon's penalty shoot-out win over Senegal in the last round.
So while Ghana have had to travel to the south-east of Gabon from Oyem, Cameroon were able to stay at their base in the nearby town of Moanda, one of the biggest manganese producers in the world.
There Hugo Broos's side have been preparing contentedly in the knowledge they have already exceeded expectations in making it this far.
"Nobody was expecting us to be here but from the first day of our preparations for this tournament we had been hoping to go as far as possible," the full-back Fai Collins told several media outlets, including AFP, on Tuesday.
Cameroon progressed from their group at the expense of hosts Gabon and then edged out a much-fancied Senegal thanks to a Sadio Mane miss in a penalty shoot-out that followed a goalless draw.
They have put behind them the withdrawals of key players before the competition, including Joel Matip and Eric Choupo-Moting, and are flourishing under their Belgian coach.
"The players who didn't come have their own personal reasons why they didn't come and we are not looking back," added Collins, of Standard Liege in Belgium.
"We are focused on those who are here. It is a group, not one player or two players."
It is also a young squad, but Collins remembers well the win against Ghana at the same stage nine years ago when the Indomitable Lions side featured stars like Samuel Eto'o and Rigobert Song.
"I remember I was at home, watching the game with my parents," he said.
"It was an extraordinary feeling for us beating Ghana knowing they had a very good squad. Now I am here and I hope I can have the same feeling as I did back then."

Cameroon owe it to Ondoa, club outcast but national hero

Cameroon's presence in the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations against all the odds owes much to the exceptional performances of their 21-year-old goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa.
Following snubs from several experienced players, the Indomitable Lions travelled to Gabon with what looked like their weakest ever squad at the competition.
And yet Ondoa has helped them progress at the expense of the hosts and much-fancied Senegal and on to a semifinal against Ghana on Thursday.
"Since the start of the competition he has saved us in a lot of matches. He has really been in his element," said teammate Arnaud Djoum of the man who has been handed the gloves by coach Hugo Broos.
It was Ondoa's remarkable reaction save to deny Didier Ndong in injury time that allowed Cameroon to draw 0-0 with Gabon and go through to the last eight.
His performances in the group stage led to him being named in the official team of the round, but better was to come.
He thwarted Senegal time and again throughout a goalless 120 minutes before stopping Sadio Mane's crucial penalty in the shoot-out to set Cameroon up for a famous win.
"Players like him have a rare talent," Ondoa said after his save from the Liverpool star. "You cannot show them that you know which way he is going to shoot.
"I had to wait until the last moment to dive and try to stop the ball. You need quality in football, but courage, determination and faith can take you a long way."
Ondoa has needed plenty of these qualities on the road to becoming a national hero while his presence scarcely seems to register with his club.
He is, effectively, a reserve player for a reserve team. On loan to Sevilla's B team in the Spanish second division, Ondoa can't get a game.
But with Carlos Kameni out of the reckoning and Guy-Roland Ndy Assembe and Andre Onana rejecting call-ups the path was cleared for him at international level.
"A lot of people were talking about the choice of goalkeeper. But he has proven he deserves his place," added Djoum, the Hearts midfielder.
Fai Collins, the full-back, shared that sentiment when asked to give his verdict on the shot-stopper.
"Frankly, I can't say I am surprised because he is a talented goalkeeper," said Collins.
"But with the work he puts in, it has really moved me, knowing he is not the first choice at his club and yet he is having a great tournament."
Ondoa's talent has never been in doubt. Indeed, he was picked up by Barcelona as a youngster and did enough to get a professional contract at the Camp Nou, albeit only with their B team.
He made his full international debut aged 18 and played for Cameroon at the 2015 Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea.
From a country that has produced goalkeeping greats like Thomas Nkono and Joseph-Antoine Bell, Ondoa always looked to have a big future ahead of him.
But Barcelona allowed him to leave last year and he was eventually picked up by Gimnastic Tarragona, a Spanish second-tier side from Catalonia, before being loaned to Seville.
His displays in Gabon could provide a much-needed shot in the arm for his club career, and Bell for one has not lost faith.
"When you are lucky enough to get a break so early on at that level, I don't see how you couldn't end up at a big club one day," said the 62-year-old goalkeeping great turned pundit.

Kasperczak resigns as Tunisia coach

Tunisia coach Henryk Kasperczak has quit only days after his team’s 2-0 defeat to Burkina Faso in the African Nations Cup in Gabon.
Kasperczak found the going tough when he fell to Burkina Faso in the quarter final of the 2017 Afcon despite beating both Algeria and Zimbabwe in the group stages.
“I have offered my resignation and it has been accepted by the federation,” the former Poland World Cup defender said . “I have told the players of my decision.”
The veteran tactician has previously led Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Morocco and Mali, Senegal