Afcon 2015: An Unforgettable Weekend and two mouth-watering semi-finals

 

Goal's Ed Dove reflects on a remarkable weekend and a terrific pair of semi-finals at the Nations Cup in Malabo

EDITORIAL
Ed Dove, in Malabo

Last weekend is not one I’ll forget in a hurry.

I watched four Nations Cup quarter-finals, saw a stunning comeback, witnessed ugly scenes of vitriol and was impressed by two talented sides finally finding their feet in the competition.

I left Malabo on Saturday morning, taking a 9 am flight across to the African mainland and Equatorial Guinea’s second city, Bata.

My immediate rendezvous was at the exotically named Villa Celotti, where the Democratic Republic of Congo side are being housed in ‘shacks’ as Gabriel Zakuani described them to me. The Leopards were relaxed—something that I hadn’t anticipated.

I must admit, I’ve never had to prepare for an Afcon quarter-final against bitter local rivals in the resumption of a historic derby, but if I ever do, I can’t imagine I’ll be as chilled out as Yannick Bolasie, Dieumerci Mbokani, Youssouf Mulumbu and co. were on that Saturday morning.

They certainly weren’t several hours later, two-nil down and heading out of the competition in one of the worst ways possible.

The Leopards, it seems, are made of strong stuff, and their four-goal comeback was something special, and a half-an-hour of football that I’m unlikely to forget anytime soon.

They were rampant, daring, bold, and in Bolasie and Mbokani, possess forwards that can definitely do some damage to the Ivorians in the first semi-final on Wednesday.
 
DR Congo | Capable of Anything

Mbokani, in particular, has a point to prove, having missed so much football through injury in 2014 and having endured an (understandably) slow start to the 2015 Nations Cup. I spoke to him at the weekend and he acknowledged that he wasn’t at his best during those early matches—I’d suggest he’s there now though, so Elephants beware!

While the Congo derby revealed the best of African football, Saturday’s second quarter-final revealed the worst.

My hostess here in Malabo asked me earlier whether Equatorial Guinea deserved to go through. My answer was neither a simple ‘yes’ nor a simple ‘no’.

In one sense, they didn’t, because their late penalty—the subject of several convoluted conspiracy theories—was clearly soft and obviously given by a referee who struggled to keep a handle on a tempestuous contest throughout.

However, by the same token, I believe they did deserve to go through, even if the manner of their progression wasn’t completely fair.

Equatorial Guinea were infinitely more adventurous, ambitious and earnest than Tunisia. While the latter team sought to spoil the game, to disrupt the play, to waste time and to commit cynical fouls, the hosts sought to create chances, to spread the play and to unlock their talented forwards.

Javier Balboa—a player I had never seen in the flesh before—was outstanding. Naturally, his penalty and then his sumptuous free kick stole the headlines, but his all-round play was excellent as well. He can hold up the ball, he can beat a man, he can play a pass and, perhaps most importantly, he is a thinking footballer, he knows when to wait, when to go, how to control the play.

In him, and with the fans behind them, it’s not inconceivable (although it is unlikely) that the Nzalang National will oust Ghana in the second semi-final.

The tournament is no worse off for the elimination of Tunisia. Despite talented players—including the excellent Yassine Chikhaoui—they were desperately negative in Bata. A great disappointment on the pitch, while their play-acting antics have no place in such a major tournament.


Equatorial Guinea | Sons of Fortune 

The manner in which they hounded the (admittedly sub-par) Rajindraparsad Seechurn at the final whistle was disgraceful, regardless of the perceived injustice, and heavy sanctions are inevitable.

Bata was a cauldron, and the Tunisians had a responsibility—in my opinion—to control themselves and to respond with dignity. The penalty decision changed the game, but they are still a superior collection of players than Equatorial Guinea and ought to have seen them off.

That night I was pulverised by mosquitoes in my ‘squat’ in Bata (not my words), but it was worth it to have watched a day of football that I will recount to my grandchildren.

Earlier today I spoke to Guinea goalkeeper Bouba Camara of Spanish side Murcia. In his mind, Ghana and the Cote d’Ivoire are nailed on to be the combatants in Sunday’s final.

The Black Stars vanquished the Syli National on Sunday in some style, bringing to an end Guinea’s unlikely Afcon journey. Avram Grant spoke after the match about how his side are growing into the tournament, and it’s hard to disagree, will they bring another fairytale to an end when they meet Equatorial Guinea in Malabo?

While Ghana are steadily improving under Grant, Herve Renard looks to have the bit between his teeth as far as the Cote d’Ivoire are concerned.

Admittedly, qualification might have been a little testing, and they hardly flourished in escaping from Group D, but consecutive victories over Cameroon and Algeria cannot be ignored.

Their victory over the Desert Foxes in the ‘Battle of the Afcon favourites’ may well go down in history as the match where this talented collection of Elephants finally secured that signature victory that cements their legacy.

There was no Drogba, but as Wilfried Bony demonstrated, maybe he won’t be missed.

The West Africans’ clash with the Democratic Republic of Congo ought to be an excellent display of attacking football. Expect goals, as neither defence have convinced, while both sides’ strengths can be found in their offensive three.

The second semi-final looks like a little bit of a mis-match, but trust me, home crowds are something special here and if the supporters in Malabo can recreate the same kind of expression of national pride as their counterparts in Bata did on Saturday, then they could spur their side to new levels of achievement.

My hostess asked me, earlier this evening, whether she should go to Thursday’s semi-final…I wouldn’t miss it for the world!