MALABO, Equatorial Guinea - Didier Drogba and Samuel Etoo will be notable for their absence when the final group at the African Cup of Nations kicks off on Tuesday.First up at the Malabo Stadium is Guinea against the Ivory Coast, sans Drogba. The second Group D match will pit Mali against Cameroon, which is playing without Etoo.The Chelsea and Everton strikers are missing from the continental tournament for the first time in a decade, but both Ivory Coast and Cameroon remain among the favourites both to advance from the group and for the tournament overall.Etoo is a two-time African Cup champion, while Drogba has twice lost in the final.Taking over as the leader of Ivory Coast this time is Yaya Toure, who just matched Etoo by winning a fourth African player of the year award.The last time Ivory Coast was in the final, in 2012, the team lost to Zambia. The coach of Zambia at that time, Herve Renard, is now in charge of the Ivorians.Before I retire I really want to win something with my country, Toure said recently. I hope that Herve Renard will take us as far as possible.Toure didnt fully take part in the national teams first two practices in Equatorial Guinea. But on Monday he was preparing for the match against Guinea in the teams final practice before Tuesdays game.At the moment, Im good. Its Just a case of be careful, Toure said. Ive been in a lot of games in the Premier League.Ivory Coasts other important players will be veterans Kolo Toure, Gervinho and Salomon Kalou, but it may be Wilfried Bony who is most likely to lead the way if the team gets on a winning run.For Cameroon, the key to success may come from one of the players who replaced Etoo up front. FC Porto striker Vincent Aboubakar is tall and quick, and has the natural qualities that make him very difficult for defenders to stop.Mali would also be considered one of the favourites for the title if not drawn in such a tough group.The Malians lost in the semifinals at the last two African Cups, and veteran midfielder Seydou Keita will be the one looking to inspire the rest of the team to get back there again this time. New York Mets Store ., will experience this week. A year in which the Canadian curling championship has been pushed forward a week to accommodate the Winter Olympics was deemed the perfect chance to stage the event in Montreal for the first time since 1979. New York Mets Shirts . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Latvia won a four-man World Cup bobsled race Sunday, while the U. https://www.cheapmetsjerseys.us/ . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. New York Mets Pro Shop . - The Detroit Lions have 13 takeaways this season — three less than all of last season — and the defence isnt the only unit pleased with the performance. Stitched Mets Jerseys . -- Terrelle Pryor took the opening snap of the game, put the ball in Darren McFaddens belly and saw LaMarr Woodley crash down.DENVER -- Colorado Rockies star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez had a small tumour removed from his left index finger Tuesday during a procedure at the Cleveland Clinic. Gonzalez underwent exploratory surgery with Dr. Thomas Graham and a growth was found beneath the sheath around the muscle. Rockies head athletic trainer Keith Dugger said these type of tumors are common and the expectation is a biopsy will determine the tumour is benign. "These little benign tumors, which we hope it is, is probably the second most common finding in the finger besides cysts," Dugger said. "Usually repetitive trauma causes it. "They call them cell tumors. Pretty common within the sheath of these fingers. Usually benign. Occasionally you can come up with something." Gonzalez had his left arm in a sling after the surgery. He is expected to return to Denver Wednesday. "It helps explain some of the things that CarGos been dealing with and why that finger kept blowing up on him," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "It helps answer some of the questions we had about him. Gonzalez has been experiencing soreness and swelling in the finger for a while. He was examined by Graham on May 29 in Cleveland. He continued to play but was placed on the 15-day DL on June 4 and is expectted to miss a few weeks.dddddddddddd "Typically, its a couple weeks for the tissue to heal," Dugger said. "Then hell get back his strength and start swinging. It was a little bit more invasive, meaning they took out a larger piece than they thought -- what the MRI revealed." Gonzalez has dealt with finger issues in the past. Last season he played in just 19 games after the All-Star break due to a sprained middle finger on his right hand. That injury did not require surgery. Colorado has been hit hard with injuries in the last month. Third baseman Nolan Arenado (broken left finger) is expected to miss another month and outfielder Michael Cuddyer is out for at least six weeks with a fractured left shoulder suffered Thursday. The rotation has been decimated as well. Jordan Lyles (broken hand), Tyler Chatwood (right elbow strain), Brett Anderson (fractured left index finger) and rookie Eddie Butler (right rotator cuff inflammation) are on the disabled list. Left-hander Tyler Matzek, the teams first-round pick in 2009, will be the third Rockies pitcher in a week to make his major league debut when he starts Wednesdays game. "Its something as a professional team weve got to push through, push forward," Cuddyer said. ' ' '