African Cup of Nations Final/ Cameroon v Egypt: African Cup of Nations hosts Ghana play Côte d'Ivoire tonight in a clash that soccer enthusiasts have been looking forward to for the past fortnight.

Venue: Ohene Djan Stadium , Accra Kick-off: Tomorrow, 5pm On TV: Eurosport, BBC 2

Unfortunately for followers of the Black Stars and the Elephants, however, this is not the dream final many had been predicting, but an almost meaningless play-off to decide who finishes third.

The real action takes place tomorrow when Egypt and Cameroon, surprise but deserved winners of Thursday's semi-finals, do battle at the Ohene Djan stadium in Accra.

The Pharaohs, who are bidding for a sixth title, start as clear favourites following their magnificent 4-1 win over the much-fancied Côte d'Ivoire.

They began the defence of their crown with a mightily impressive 4-2 success over the Indomitable Lions in the group stage and have not slowed down since, proving again two days ago that it is not necessarily teams with the most big names from Europe who will prevail.

Ahmed Hassan of Anderlecht was the only European-based player in Egypt's starting line-up against Côte d'Ivoire, yet Hassan Shehata's men were collectively far too strong for Didier Drogba, Kolo and Yaya Toure, Salomon Kalou, Didier Zokora and the Elephants' other supposed stars.

"We've always had belief we can win, even if others don't think so," said Hassan, who captained Egypt in 2006.

"Perhaps we are underrated because our players aren't so well known outside Egypt, but we know what we're capable of."

The Egyptian side has changed little from the one that prevailed two years ago and their understanding on the pitch appears telepathic at times.

One vital addition has been the new captain Abd Rabou Hosny, who anchors the midfield so effectively and was once again at the heart of everything on Thursday.

The Ismailia player already has four goals and is a strong contender for player of the tournament.

Equally important is the return to fitness of Al Ahly playmaker Mohamed Aboutreika. With Aboutreika, Hassan and Hosny providing craft in midfield, and two technically-gifted wing-backs Ahmed Fathi and Sayed Moawab patrolling the flanks, Egypt fowards Amr Zaki and Emad Motaeb generally receive an excellent service.

Evidently, Egypt's coach Shehata has not rested on his laurels over the last two years, and the 58-year-old now has a wonderful opportunity to become the first African trainer to win back-to-back titles since Ghana's Charles Kumi Gyamfi in 1965.

Standing in his way, though, is a Cameroon side revitalised by their veteran coach, Otto Pfister.

Unlike Shehata, the 70-year-old German has hardly had any time to prepare his team - and it showed when the West Africans were humbled by Egypt in Kumasi three weeks ago. Much has changed since then, however, and Pfister is relishing the opportunity to claim his first continental triumph some 36 years after he first started coaching in Africa with Rwanda.

Appointed in November, Pfister had just 16 hours training time with the team before arriving in Ghana, but has gradually succeeded in moulding a combative, new-look team that is very tough to break down and possesses, in Samuel Eto'o, one of the deadliest strikers in the world.

Eto'o, who leads the scoring charts with five goals, is one of the few survivors from 2002, when Cameroon won the last of their four titles.

Another familiar face is the captain Rigobert Song, who has not missed a Nations Cup game since 1996, accumulating a record 33 appearances. It is a difficult to remember a time when Song was not in the heart of Cameroon's back-four, but the veteran has again demonstrated his qualities both as a defender and a leader.

"People think I'm old because I started playing when I was young at the 1994 World Cup," said the former Liverpool stopper, now at Galatasaray. "But I'm only 31 and I've still got the passion in me. So long as I can do my job well, I don't see any reason to stop."

Song has certainly lost pace and was heavily criticised following the defeat by Egypt, yet Pfister has made it clear how much he is relying on his skipper to help the younger players bed in, and his decision to show faith in the veteran has paid dividends.

"It hasn't been easy because the team is being rebuilt and 60 per cent of the players are new," Song pointed out.

"We've managed to get positive results, though, and we've shown that sleeping Lions can still be dangerous."

Of the new generation goalkeeper Idriss Kameni and midfielder Stephane Mbia have shone brightly in the past week, but the youngster who appears to have benefited the most from Song's presence is the defender's cousin Alexandre Song.

The 20-year-old Arsenal midfielder was not in Pfister's initial plans but made a positive impression as a substitute in the opening game and has emerged as one of the team's leading elements, earning the man-of-the-match award for his outstanding display against Ghana in the semi-final. "I'm so proud of what Alex has achieved," Rigobert Song said.

Cameroon will need more strong performances from their two Songs, and perhaps a bit of magic from Eto'o, if they are to upset the odds again tomorrow.