Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wasn't irked so much by losing key attacker Gervinho for a month. What bothered him most about the 2012 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations was the poor quality of some games on the field and empty stands off it, according to Arsenal.com.
"I felt that two things have been disappointing — the overall quality of some of the games, and the attendances," Wenger said. "To see a semi-final for the Africa Cup of Nations between Ivory Coast and Mali and see nobody there, you wonder what has gone wrong.
The 16-team tournament has been co-hosted by West African nations Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It concludes Sunday with the final between powerhouse Ivory Coast and the tournament's fairy-tale team, Zambia.
The absence of traditional powers, Nigeria, Cameroon and three-time defending champion Egypt robbed the 2012 edition of much-need star power. Also, the unexpected failures of Angola and Senegal to progress from their groups saw the knockout rounds include teams that are considered among Africa's weakest.
But Wenger believes economic forces were to blame for the low attendance figures at some games.
"Can the people not afford to pay for tickets?" He asked. "Are the prices too high? There is a deep, basic problem with this tournament — there is nobody there."
Although Gervinho may not win a trophy for the North London club in 2012, Wenger expects the speedy winger to return to Arsenal as an African champion. He will play a key role in the Ivory Coast attack in Sunday's final.
"Ivory Coast look to me above everybody else but the level is not comparable to any other team," Wenger predicted.
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