Stage set for Africa Cup of Nations

At last the stage is set for this year's Africa Cup of Nations and, the President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodore Obiang, is happy to soak up the publicity, proudly speaking on national television shortly before the tournament starts.

"I have sold 40,000 tickets and paid for it out of my own pocket," said the continent's longest-serving dictator to his people. He says that will cover the cost of new schools, as well as encourage other wealthy members of the country to step forward and lend their support.

Since Obiang took power in 1979 thanks to a coup, he has governed his country with an iron fist. Equatorial Guinea, with a population of about 700,000, is one of the smallest countries in Africa, but it also has the highest average wealth per capita in the entire continent. It's the oil that has caused this spurt in wealth, although only a minority have access to it. According to the World Bank, the majority of the population have to make do with fewer than two dollars a day.

Despite all of this, the country still wants to hold the Africa Cup of Nations. It's PR combined with a football. An image of celebratory, colorful African football fans will be shown around the world, demonstrating that an openess and freedom does exist in this air-tight country.

This is, of course, a deceptive perspective. Days before the start of the tournament, two government critics were arrested after suggesting a boycott of the competition because of the threat of Ebola. The threat of torture for the opposition is a real one in Equatorial Guinea - and has been heavily criticised by human rights organizations.

Equatorial Guinea steps in

Ebola is, if you like, the only real reason Equatorial Guinea are hosting the tournament. After Morocco turned down the chance to host the tournament in November last year because of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, Obiang jumped on the opportunity and was promptly given the chance. It was a decision that prompted a number of questions and left many frowning at an atlas.

German football globetrotter Lutz Pfannenstiel thinks it's "odd that we're actually closer to the epicenter of the outbreak." The health of millions of people is more important that a football tournament, said the former goalkeeper and SID TV expert. The CAF (African Football Confederation) said they had no other choice though, because there was "too much money riding on the games." Morocco were uninvited before the start of the tournament, allowing Equitorial Guinea's "The National Thunder" team a spot in the tournament.

Whether or not the small country is capable of hosting the biggest tournament on the African continent is something a number of experts remain doubtful over. The former Spanish colony did co-host the 28th edition of the tournament in 2012 with Gabon. Two stadiums in the country were used: In the capital Malabo and in Bata. Two more facilities have now been added to the list in the form of Mongomo and Ebebiyin - both of which are on the Gabon border.

The list of problems ahead of the tournament's first game is long: The smaller stadiums are not yet finished, the infastructure for fan events aren't sufficient, there's a lack of accommodation and the oil crisis is applying pressure on the country dependent on the world's black gold. Despite the enormous wealth of the country's elite, the hosts are short of change: Due to the lack of transport facilities, 20 buses have been gifted from Gabon in order for the teams themselves to arrive.

Who is Africa's top team?

If they manage to arrive, fans can look forward to a feast of football because once again, the Africa Cup of Nations is an open race. After defending champions Nigeria and record winners Egypt failed to qualify, there are a whole host of nations who look fit to lift the trophy.

Algeria, for example, are the best team in Africa at the moment - at least, according to the FIFA rankings. After a strong World Cup where the 'Desert Foxes' took eventual champions Germany to the limit, Christian Gourcuff has carried on the strong work that former head coach Vahid Halilodzic put into place, becoming the first team to qualify for the tournament.

Algeria are in the toughest group of the tournament though. Grouped with a compact South Africa, an attacking Senegal and a physical Ghana, things will be exciting. Ghana are another pre-tournament favorite and not only because the 'Black Stars' were the only side to draw with Germany at the World Cup. Even without Schalke's Kevin-Prince Boateng, Ghana boast a strong squad that is capable of going all the way.

From tricky wingers to white wizards

But there are so many other teams proving their worth: Tunisia, an Ivory Coast team post-Didier Drogba but with Yaya Toure, and the 'Eagles' from Mali who came third in the last two tournaments.

And Cameroon? The four-time African champions are outsiders this year. German coach Volker Finke oversaw a change to the team in the summer, leaving a number of old faces out and saying goodbye to Samuel Eto'o. Schalke's Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has become a leading light in the team and could be one of the stars of the tournament.

The same could be said of another Bundesliga player. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund, who finished second to African Player of the Year Yaya Toure, will be looking to use his sheer pace on the flanks to help Gabon progress. The same could be said for Claude Le Roy, named the 'white wizard', who is keen to guide Congo's 'Red Devils' far in their eighth Africa Cup of Nations outing.

Aside from all the sporting notions of the tournament, there is another aim for this year's Africa Cup of Nations. Guinea's Ibrahima Traore, who plays his football for Borussia Mönchengladbach, wants to "bring people so much joy through football", referring to his country's citizens who have been shaken by the Ebola epidemic. It's a great gesture to a struggling people.

"For Guinea to be taking part in the Africa Cup of Nations in the current situation is something particularly special," said the international winger to German football magazine "Kicker." "It hurts me whenever I read that Guinea is only connected with Ebola."