EGYPT 1-0 NIGERIA: How Super Eagles Rated against Pharaohs of Egypt

 EGYPT 1-0 NIGERIA: How Super Eagles Rated Vs Pharaohs

 DANIEL AKPEYI 7/10

Put up a brave performance in what was his first competitive game for the Super Eagles. Made two brilliant saves on  39 minutes  and could do nothing to prevent the Pharaohs from scoring the winner.

SHEHU ABDULAHI 4/10

A below-par showing from the Uniao Madeira of Portugal defender. He was constantly caught out of position especially in the first half and contributed little going forward.

EFE AMBROSE 5/10

The Celtic man did well to curtail the Pharaohs  attackers, but couldn't prevent them  from scoring the decisive goal. He  also lost possession a few times.

GODFREY OBOABONA 6/10

Solid as ever, but was  unfortunate to end up on the losing side.

STANLEY AMUZIE 3/10

Surprisingly kept his place in the starting eleven and put up a shoddy display in the game.  He was rightly substituted at the start of the second half after an error-prone performance.

OGHENEKARO ETEBO 4/10

Couldn't replicate his first leg performance. He make little impact in the game and  was substituted due to injury.

MIKEL OBI 5/10

The Chelsea midfielder had an average game although he started well, controlling the midfield early on. He however failed to lift his side to get a positive result from the game.

AMINU UMAR 4/10

A surprise inclusion in the starting line up. Umar toiled hard to make an impression in the game with no success.

AHMED MUSA 3/10

Another horrific display from the winger. Never made any significant impact in the game for the entire 90 minutes he spent on the pitch.

VICTOR MOSES 8/10

Unarguably Super Eagles best player in the game. Came close to getting the equalising goal late in the game when his shot hit the post.

ODION IGHAL0 4/10

Yet to make an impact on the international stage. The Watford forward struggled to get going and had a poor game by his Premier League standards.

SUBSTITUTES

ELDERSON ECHIEJILE 5/10

Took the place of Stanley Amuzie at the start of the second half and did little  to change the complexion of the game.

AZUBUIKE IKECHUKWU 6/10

The defensive midfielder helped stabilise the Super Eagles midfield when he came on for the injured Oghenekaro Etebo. He surely has a big future ahead of him.

ALEX IWOBI 6/10

Brought some life into the Super Eagles attack when he replaced Aminu Umar in the 72 minute.

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Brilliant Bony puts Yaya Toure in the shade

 

COMMENT: The new Manchester City signing bagged a precious brace to send his nation into the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations

By Kris Voakes | International Football Correspondent

In a Cote d’Ivoire shirt, Wilfried Bony hasn’t been particularly prolific.

He may have racked up enough goals at club level with Vitesse and Swansea City to persuade English Premier League champions Manchester City to part with €35 million, but a return of 11 in 36 international fixtures had left many in his homeland feeling short-changed.

He failed to score in any of the three nip-and-tuck group fixtures which saw the Elephants scrape through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations. That stretched his scoreless streak in his nation’s orange colours to six matches.

But against Algeria on Sunday, Bony netted only his second double for Cote d’Ivoire in a 3-1 win to seal a semi-final against DR Congo. His return to scoring form couldn’t have been better timed.

Billed as a clash of the two favourites – of the overwhelming underachievers of the Afcon – it summed up the countries’ wider reputations in the competition that one entered the match as runners-up in their group, the other having squeezed through with a single win.

As a contest, it was everything it was expected to be, but Bony proved to be the difference.

In the build-up to the tournament many had questioned whether Africa had the kind of talent that could push Yaya Toure for future Caf Player of the Year crowns after he won a record fourth successive trophy.

Yet a combination of the Manchester City midfielder’s listlessness in Equatorial Guinea and his new club-mate’s timely double suggests that the African public may review their rankings in the near future.

While Cote d’Ivoire largely deserved their win – they were bigger, stronger and, for long spells, simply better – they wouldn’t have managed it but for Bony.

First, he nodded home Max Gradel’s excellent cross midway through the opening period only to see it cancelled out by a comedy piece of defending by Kolo Toure and more notably Max Bailly, which led to Hilal Soudani equalising.

Soudani could have given Algeria the lead soon afterwards but was denied by a wonderful save from Sylvain Gbohouo, and within minutes Bony was at it again. Yaya Toure, with his first memorable moment of the tournament, fired over a pinpoint free-kick from the right and the former Swansea man headed superbly home.

The Elephants’ defence showed signs of crumbling once more late on but just about held it together before Gervinho clinched the win in injury-time. Difficulties in their rearguard signifies that they shouldn’t be considered champions elect just yet, as if they haven’t given enough examples in tournaments past as to why nothing should be taken for granted.

But Cote d’Ivoire are in a fourth semi-final in six attempts, and have a €35m striker back in goalscoring form. Watch out, Africa.

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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!

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Cameroon 1-1 Guinea: Group D remains all square after stalemate

  Africa Cup of Nations

• January 24, 2015
• • 20:00
• • Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo

• Referee: T. Bamlak

Cameroon

• B. Moukandjo 13'

1

 

FT

 

1

Guinea

• I. Traoré 42'

 

 

Benjamin Moukandjo opened the scoring early on but an Ibrahima Traore goal just before half time ensured the points were shared in the fourth 1-1 draw in Group D

 

Cameroon and Guinea both failed to grab the initiative in Africa Cup of Nations Group D as they played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Malabo.

With the Ivory Coast and Mali drawing by the same scoreline earlier on Saturday, the opportunity to take the outright lead in the pool was on offer.

Volker Finke's Cameroon - who drew 1-1 with Mali in their opening match - struck first when Benjamin Moukandjo scored direct from a corner.

However, Guinea restored parity shortly before half-time courtesy of Ibrahima Traore's accurate drive.

Cameroon created the better openings in the second half with Vincent Aboubakar wasting the best chance when he put a free header wide inside the penalty area.

Each of Group D's four matches have now ended 1-1 despite stoppage-time drama that saw Stephane Mbia head wide when in a great position for Cameroon and Ibrahima Conte have strong penalty claims dismissed for Guinea.

Cameroon will now meet the Ivory Coast, while Guinea face off with Mali in order to determine who will reach the quarter-finals in the final round of pool matches.

Cameroon dominated the opening exchanges and only a fine save low to his right from Guinea goalkeeper Naby-Moussa Yattara kept out Aboubakar's side-footed volley.

Yattara endured a heart-in-mouth moment in the 11th minute when his attempted clearance struck Florentin Pogba and skewed just wide of the left-hand post.

Cameroon's pressure told from the resulting corner, though, as Yattara spilled Moukandjo's whipped near-post delivery into the roof of the net with the goalkeeper seemingly put off by a missed flick from Aurelien Chedjou.

After a slow start Guinea started to build momentum and only a fine defensive header from Raoul Loe prevented Fode Camara from pouncing at back post.

Joseph Ondoa then stood up well to deny Traore, who went one-on-one with the Cameroon goalkeeper.

But Traore would not be denied three minutes before the break as he turned sharply on the left-edge of the box and struck a sweet first-time shot low into the far corner.

Guinea's half ended on a sour note when Pogba was taken from the pitch on a stretcher with an apparent knee injury.

Traore almost scored a second in fortuitous circumstances shortly after the restart with a cross-shot that eluded Ondoa, but went wide of the far post.

Cameroon upped the tempo in search of a winner as Aboubakar tried an audacious 25-yard lob that went just over the crossbar.

The Porto striker was then guilty of missing a great chance when he glanced a header wide from Henri Bedimo's expert centre with Yattara in no man's land.

Cameroon continued to turn the screw and Aboubakar had a great chance to tee-up Moukandjo with 20 minutes remaining, but he could not adjust his feet and when the ball fell to Edgar Salli his shot was deflected for a corner.

There was then late drama as first Cameroon captain Mbia managed to head wide when unmarked in the box from point-blank distance, before Conte had legimate penalty claims waved away for Guinea when he appeared to be tugged to ground by Jerome Guihoata.

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Gabon 0-2 Equatorial Guinea: Tournament hosts reach knockout round

 

 

Javier Balboa penalty gave his side the lead from the spot before Iban Salvador killed the game off late in the game

Javier Balboa's controversial second-half penalty put hosts Equatorial Guinea on course for a 2-0 victory that put them through to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations at the expense of Gabon.

Esteban Becker's men knew only a win at Estadio de Bata on Sunday would be enough to secure their progression from Group A, and Balboa's spot-kick put them in front before a late second goal from Iban Salvador ensured they advanced to the last eight of the tournament for only the second time.

Gabon will feel hard done by with the opening goal, as referee Noumandiez Doue harshly adjudged Lloyd Palun to have upended Balboa.

Equatorial Guinea will not care about that, though, after securing their first win of the competition to qualify as runners-up behind Congo.

Jorge Costa's Gabon only needed a point from the final group game to go through, but bow out after following their opening win over Burkina Faso with successive defeats.

Raul Fabiani was preferred to Iban in attack for the hosts, who had the first chance to open the scoring in a scrappy start.

That opportunity came the way of Balboa after only eight minutes, but he fired a free-kick over the crossbar after goalkeeper Didier Ovono was harshly adjudged to have handled outside the penalty area when launching the ball upfield.

Equatorial Guinea threatened again 18 minutes in, yet Bruno Ecuele Manga was alert to the danger as he turned Balboa's dangerous cross away for a corner with Fabiani behind him at the back post.

Gabon captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came close to opening the scoring soon after, racing into the area to meet a Frederic Bulot cross with a downward header that forced a fine reaction save from Felipe Ovono.

Bulot then had a chance of his own as Gabon raised the tempo, but the midfielder shot too close to Felipe Ovono after playing a neat one-two with Malick Evouna.

The Equatorial Guinea keeper was called into action once more just two minutes into the second half, palming over a dipping free-kick from Borussia Dortmund striker Aubameyang.

Felipe Ovono thwarted Gabon yet again when he showed great agility to repel a left-footed free-kick from Bulot that looked destined for the top corner, and it was Equatorial Guinea who then took the lead against the run of play in the 55th minute.

Balboa went down belatedly after Palun had stuck out a leg, but referee Doue pointed to the spot and the Estoril forward picked himself up to slot home the resulting spot-kick and send the crowd into raptures.

Fabiani could have doubled the hosts' lead, only to be denied by Didier Ovono after racing away down the right, and Bulot spurned a glorious chance to equalise when he blazed wildly over the bar as the tension mounted.

Didier Ovono also denied Balboa a second, but Iban sealed the hosts' progress and sparked wild celebrations with a close-range finish four minutes from time, after Emilio Nsue's initial shot had been kept out by the Gabon keeper.

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Côte d'Ivoire vs Guinea latest update Live!!!!!!

Live

Africa Cup of Nations

• January 20, 2015
• 17:00
• Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo

• Referee: M. Abid Charef

Côte d'Ivoire

0

 

HT

 

1

Guinea

• M. Yattara 36'

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Live Commentary

Commentary Main events

• The referee brings an end to the first half without any added time, and Guinea hold a narrow 1-0 advantage at the break. The National Elephants have been positive, and will be very pleased with their first-half showing. they same can't be said of Cote d'Ivoire, who have looked lethargic outside of the effervescent Gervinho. Renard will surely not be silent at the break. Stay tuned for the restart in just a bit.
• 44'

  From a long ball out of the back, Pogba and Camara hesitate, leaving Yattara to come out to meet the delivery before Bony can pounce. It leaves the keeper in a heap, and he takes a while to get back to his feet.
• 42'

  GErvinho drives through the centre this time and picks out Serey Die on the right-hand side. He eats up a lot of ground in a short period of time, but his low cross into the area is cleared by the heel of Pogba.
• 40'

  Yellow CardSalomon Kalou
• 40'

  Camara and Pogba have both been superb in the heart of the Guinea defence. They've forced Bony off the ball more than once and have been first to every delivery into the area.
• 38'

  Will that wake up Cote d'Ivoire? Apart from Gervinho's individual brilliance, they have not looked like the team that many have picked as favourites for this tournament. Guinea have done enough to deserve their lead.
• 36'

  GoalMohamed Yattara
  WHAT AN OPENER! GUINEA LEAD! Yattara connects on a cross with unbelievable power and puts a dent into the back of the net! The Cote d'Ivoire defence was too static there.
• 34'

  For the third time in this game, Gervinho storms into a critical position down the left-hand side to have a shot on goal, but this time. the forward's shot is an easier save for Yattara.
• 31'

  GERVINHO! Another great chance for the Roma man! His pace is proving to be the most deadly weapon in this game, as he gets free down the left once again, smashing a powerful shot on goal that is saved once again by Yattara! On second thought, the offside flag is up.
• 29'

  Kalou goes down on the deck inside the box after pressure from Issiaga. It was a clean challenge and the Guinea players appeal for a booking for simulation, but the referee fairly rules it as a simple loss of balance.
• 27'

  There's been a certain casualness to Cote d'Ivoire's play. It's not an uncommon occurrence, as the Elephants have been criticized in the pass for their lack of urgency against 'inferior' opposition.
• 25'

  Guinea have forced a few corners and free kicks in the opposition half but their execution from those dead-ball scenarios has been absolutely terrible. Will they regret such sloppiness?
• 23'

  Fans might recognize the Pogba name in the Guinea lineup. Indeed, Florentin Pogba is the brother of the more famous Paul.
• 21'

  Remember way back when Marco van Basten applied the full-court press to get Salomon Kalou Dutch citizenship in order for him to represent the Netherlands at international level?
• 19'

  The Elephants seem to have woken up. They are starting to flex their individual muscles, with Gervinho and Bony looking to move into dangerous positions around the penalty area.
• 17'

  WHAT A CHANCE! Gervinho simply carves Guinea apart on the break, sprinting half the length of the pitch past two men. He advances into the area towards the near post and goes for the finish, but Yattara's touch pushes it onto the woodwork!
• 15'

  Guinea have attacked at pace and with many players in support, but their endeavour is starting to open up gaps on the counter attack. Gervinho and Kalou can certainly exploit this.
• 13'

  Bony is called for a foul after manhandling a defender when trying to attach to a ball from Kalou. Cote d'Ivoire are starting to make more inroads into the attacking third, and Guinea better watch out.
• 11'

  Guinea have manufactured a few positive attacks down the flanks, and Cote d'Ivorie have been slow to get men out to cover overlapping runners. Their deliveries from corners has been poor though.
• 9'

  Cote d'Ivoire storm forward and Kalou finds Gervinho in a dangerous position. The Roma man attempts to pay it forward to Yaya Toure, but his pass is read well by Constant.
• 7'

  Though there are plenty of empty seats inside Estadio de Malabo, the fans are still making a great noise, with Cote d'Ivoire in particular having a decent representation here in Equatorial Guinea.
• 5'

  Mohamed Yattara weaves past two men down the left-hand side and squeezes a great pass to Conte, whose advance to the byline has to be stopped by Toure! Corner to come, but it has no direction whatsoever.
• 3'

  A slightly sloppy start to the game from Cote d'Ivoire, who are looking languid with their passing. They've only won one of their last seven games, so is there an opening for Guinea to pull an upset?
• 1'

  We're off!
• There is a minute's silence for the victims of the Ebola epidemic, which forced this tournament into a last-minute host chance from Morocco to Equatorial Guinea.
• Captain Kamil Zayatte is unavailable for selection due to a leg injury, so a lot will depend on Kevin Constant in the heart of Guinea's defence. The former AC Milan man will partner Boubacar Fofana at the back, and they are expected to have a busy afternoon.
• With longtime talisman Didier Drogba retired, the time is now for Wilfrid Bony to shine. The new Manchester City man will lead the line, supported by familiar faces like Gervinho, Salomon Kalou and Yaya Toure, who plays despite missing training as a precaution.
• Guinea (4-2-3-1): Naby Yattara; Sankoh, Fofana, Constant, Camara; Pogba, Issiaga; Keita, Traore, Conte; Mohamed Yattara.
• Cote d'Ivoire (4-2-3-1): Gbohouo; Aurier, Bertrand, Kolo Toure, Kanon; Yaya Toure, Tiote; Gervinho, Kalou, Die; Bony.
• Herve Renard will manage Cote d'Ivoire from the dugout - he won the 2012 AFCON final with Zambia against his current employers. Guinea are led by Frenchman Michel Dussuyer, a former goalkeeper, who is currently in his third spell at the helm of the African nation.
• Guinea haven't won a match between these two sides since 1994, with Cote d'Ivoire emerging victorious in seven of their last eight encounters.
• With Mali and Cameroon also competing in this group, Guinea look to be serious underdogs. However, they've already navigated their way through a difficult qualifying section featuring Ghana, Uganda and Togo, so don't write off the National Elephants for one second.
• Cote d'Ivoire have not added to their solitary Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 1992, despite being tournament favourites in the majority of the editions since then. They came close in 2006 and 2012, but lost both finals to Egypt and Zambia respectively.
• Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the AFCON clash between Cote d'Ivoire and Guinea. The Elephants are looking to finally go all the way in this tournament, and they face a side that have a tough task ahead of them to qualify from Group D. I'm Keeghann Sinanan, your guide for all the action.

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