Afcon 2017

[BobHelm]

Yes, it is that time of the bi-year when I can bore everyone to death with the African Cup of Nations..

Like on most recent occasions, things other than football rumble along on the sidelines.
The event is being held in Gabon this time around. That is because the original plan was that Libya would be hosting it. However that country is still in such a state of turmoil that it is doubtful if even its' own players would be willing to go there.

But, as African events often turn out, the choice of Gabon is also problematic.

General elections held in the autumn last year re-elected Ali Bongo as President. I gather this is not the British magician but the man who has lead the country since 2009. That was after his dad, Omar Bongo, died. His father was the second President of the country & led it for 42 years.
The last elections were somewhat controversially won by the incumbent & the opposition have taken to street violence & called for the football event to be boycotted.
I don't think they will have much joy with that though...

So, to the competition itself... 4 groups, 2 top sides go through

ITV4 are showing the games in the UK, beIN SPORTS have the rights for Thailand...

The odds...

[BobHelm]

TV UK, so +7 for Thailand..

[wazza]

Sponsored by PADI for the best diving

[BobHelm]

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Well, all the same as before kick off then..

Guinea-Bissau opening the competition with a last minute draw with the hosts was a real shock though. One of the superstars of African football, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund, had put the hosts ahead after 50 minutes. However Guinea-Bissau harried & chased everything & never let Gabon impose themselves on the game. A draw was a fair result but the home fans didn't like it. If Gabon have serious aspirations on winning the title then they must improve greatly over this display.

Although it ended up a 1 all draw the second game could have just about any result. Cameroon created plenty of chances from open play while Burkina Faso were highly organised & inventive from set plays from the training ground..
A far more entertaining game than the opener, but the same result..

[BobHelm]

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It looked like Zimbabwe would pull off a shock win up until the dying minutes. Leicester's Riyad Mahrez returning to last season's form to score both of the North African's goals.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane scored a penalty after 10 minutes & Senegal got another goal before half time to ease through the game. Tunisia had a host of chances of their own, but were poor at finishing.

[BobHelm]

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Well 3 days in & the competition so far has been anything but a feast of football.

In the Ivory Coast against Togo game this was certainly partly due to them playing on a very poor surface. As holders & favourites the Ivory Coast will be disappointed by the result, but nothing is broken yet for them..

The DR Congo team were on a rocky road coming into the competition. They were on strike on Friday over unpaid bonuses - a sadly not uncommon affair in African football. They certainly showed enough commitment in winning their opener though. However having a man sent off & injuries could come back to bite them later on. This is a dent in the ambitions of Morocco though. Manager Herve Renard (who has won this competition with both Zambia & the Ivory Coast in the past) has been told that anything less than a quarter-finals spot will be seen as unacceptable. They dominated this game possession wise but not to any great effect.

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[BobHelm]

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West Ham winger, Andre Ayew, slotted home the only goal, a penalty, to give Ghana the 3 points. The goal gave Andre his 7th. Cup goal. So beating his ex-captain father's (Abedi Pele) record for Ghana. His father still has the advantage by winning the competition though.. Andre's brother, Jordan, also plays.
Ghana looked by far the better footballing side, but once they scored they just shut down the game & protected their lead. Uganda, playing in their first Cup since 1978, just couldn't force a reply of their own..

Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary came on after an injury to keeper Ahmed El-Shenawy to become the oldest player ever to play in the Cup. He was 44 on Sunday & kept a clean sheet as well.
Unfortunately, that was probably the thing of most note in a game pretty devoid of any action..

Second round matches get underway tonight in Group A.

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[stattointhailand]

As usual Bob ............ fast forward to final ........ get the players back to where they earn their living, and to the supporters whose money pays their wages.

It's about time FIFA and their cronies sorted this mess out. No way should they be able to hold this fiasco every 2 years.

Better still .......... for ALL international matches ......... only players qualifying AND PLAYING in that countries league can play for the national team.

Fed up with the likes of Ameobi/Zaha etc changing countries when it suits them.

Added bonus ......... Ronaldo would have to play for a Portuguese team, Bale for Cefn Druids or the like (perhaps he may be allowed to play for Swansea/Cardiff or Wrexham ) Messi would have to s** off back to Argie with his tax free billions etc etc

[BobHelm]

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Playing just 3 group games makes that stage a bit of a lottery. However the cream rose to the top of group A in the shape of Cameroon. They were behind to plucky Guinea-Bissau at half time but did enough to in the game in the second half. That leaves first time qualifiers Guinea-Bissau in last place, but as the two group favourites, Cameroon & hosts Gabon, play each other in the final group game nothing is set in stone yet..

The hosts have failed to sparkle in their opening two games & needed a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty in order to get a second point out of this game..

Group B second round tonight..

[BobHelm]

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The North African clash was no score coming out after half time & the quality didn't really improve after the break. However an own goal & then a clumsy trip for a penalty gave Tunisia the points. Algeria pulled one back at the death but too late to make any difference.

In the second game, Senegal scored twice within 15 minutes of the start to wrap up all the points. Liverpool forward Sadio Mane & Henri Saivet of Newcastle (on loan in France though) with a tap in & a cracker. Senegal become the first side to qualify to the quarter-finals.

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[BobHelm]

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The holders of the title, Ivory Coast, twice had to come from behind to rescue a point against the unfancied DR Congo. However it is still DR Congo who look likely to go through as one of the qualifiers. They are currently top of the group by a point & face bottom of the table, Togo, in their final match. The Ivory Coast are currently 3rd. by a point to second placed Morocco, who they have to play in their final group game.

Togo went infront after 5 minutes, but it was all Morocco after that. They were infront before half time & then eased through the second half.

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[BobHelm]

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With 2 victories out of 2 played Ghana go into the quarter finals with a game to spare. They started the game against Mali with plenty of attacking flair & could have scored before they managed to after just 21 minutes. It was all Mali in the second half though & they did everything but score. Avram Grant is the Ghanaian coach & he will need his first half side playing in the quarters, rather than the second half side.

The other Group game was a very poor affair though. Egypt graped all the points with a last minute strike but it was doubtful if either side actually deserved them. Egypt now need a draw or better against already through Ghana to qualify from their last game.

Last game in Group A tonight so they all play at the same time.
Who goes through really is down to these last games as any could qualify depending on the results.

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[BobHelm]

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Gabon went all out for the win necessary to take them through to the quarter finals. It was not to be though as a combination of poor finishing & good keeping kept the score to nil, nil. So Gabon get 3 draws out of 3 & become only the 4th. host nation to go out at the group stage. For Cameroon the result was enough for them to go through as second in the group.

Burkina Faso did enough in the other game to win the game & so the group by a goal difference of 2 to 1 over Cameroon.

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[BobHelm]

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Senegal have looked the class side in Group B, but went into their final game already qualified. They made 10 changes to the side last played - a reserve side, protecting against injuries & suspensions while giving the squad players a go. Algeria twice managed to get infront, but were not good enough to win the game. It is a huge disappointment for a side that were tipped to be a real contender to win the Cup. Two draws & a defeat was just not good enough.

Tunisia made no such mistake against the no-hoppers of Zimbabwe & go through in second spot. There were ahead inside of 10 minutes & were leading at half time by 4 goals to 1. They then just eased through the second half.

Senegal, runners-up in 2002, will play Group A runners-up Cameroon in the last eight.
Tunisia, the 2004 champions go on to play Burkina Faso in Gabon's capital Libreville on Saturday.

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[BobHelm]

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The holders, Ivory Coast, are out of the competition at the group stage. They were beaten by a Moroccan side managed by Herve Renard, who managed the Ivorians to the title last time out. Ivory Coast were poor throughout though with Wilfried Zaha & Salomon Kalou having their only 2 shots at goal.

DR Congo go through as Group C leaders. It was another sparkling display from them with the tournament's top scorer, Junior Kabananga, making it 3 goals in 3 games.

The final group game takes place tonight..

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[BobHelm]

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Ghana had already qualified & Egypt only needed a point to do the same. After the North Africans scored from an early free kick they just closed up the game. Ghana might be concerned that although they ended up with most of the play for 80 minutes they created little by way of chances.
Egypt qualify as group leaders & will play Morocco and Ghana will take on DR Congo in last-eight matches on Sunday.

The other game turned out to be a dead duck - especially as the pitch was under water for much of the game. Mali were in with a chance of qualification if they could have won & if Egypt had lost. Niether of those things happened & so they go home..

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[BobHelm]

While I have taken my eye completely off the ball in sunny Penang the Cup has rumbled along to the semi-final stage.
Last night was the first of them..

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Egypt have had injury issues but have been the in form side in the competition. Indeed the Burkina Faso equaliser just before the end of full time was the first goal that they have conceded.
Veteran (44 years old) Egyptian goalkeeper El Hadary making a final penalty save to win it. His goalkeeping opponent, Herve Koffi, was 24 years his junior & experienced both joy (he saved the first penalty shot at him) & sorrow (his shot was saved by El Hadary) in the shoot out.

Tonight Egypt will find out which of the two West African nations will face them in the final..

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[BobHelm]

Cameroon 2-0 Ghana

Ghana were huge favourites to go through to the final but just never got their act together on the night. They never dominated the proceedings & on the odd occasion they did create chances the Cameroon keeper, Fabrice Ondoa, was having a good day.
Cameroon kept their heads & went ahead after 70 minutes. The goal was the result of terrible defending rather than a brilliant free kick, but they all count.
As the game was drifting towards a close they added another to put the match beyond doubt.

Unfortunately the competition is still one of those that play meaningless 3rd. place playoffs. That is tomorrow.
The final is on Sunday & Egypt will be odds on favourites to pick up yet another final win..

[BobHelm]

Burkina Faso 1-0 Ghana

Probably justice over the competition that Burkina Faso claimed the 3rd. spot by beating Ghana. It was a pretty special free kick goal by Alain Traore that won it for them in the last minute.
Ghana had chances before that to seal it but all their stars misfired or mis kicked.
It is the 3rd. time in the last 4 competitions that Ghana have finished 4th. as they just don't seem to manage to utilise the obvious talent in the squad for any length of time..

[BobHelm]

CAF Total Africa Cup of Nations - Final

Egypt 1-2 Cameroon

Well that is that for another 2 years...
The final was interesting in the way it played out.
Egypt were very strong favourites going into the final. They had based their system on having a strong defensive unit & being very difficult to break down. So when they went ahead after 20 minutes the writing looked on the wall. However they probably went into their shell just a little too much against a Cameroon side without the stars that some of the other sides possessed but with a very strong work ethic.
They forced an equaliser on the hour & then just seemed fitter than the organised, but rather aging, Egyptian defence. the winner was a fitting goal to win any final. Aboubakar caught a long ball forward on his chest, chipped his defender, gathered & shot it into the net.. even if it was a bit of a 'bobbler'..



Partisan view, in French - don't bother watching after 17 seconds unless you enjoy commentator overload!!