Afcon 2017
Re: Afcon 2017
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..
Re: Afcon 2017
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.. 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..
Last night was the first of them.. 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..
Re: Afcon 2017
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 2-0 Ghana
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..
Re: Afcon 2017
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.Burkina Faso 1-0 Ghana
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..
Re: Afcon 2017
Well that is that for another 2 years...CAF Total Africa Cup of Nations - Final
Egypt 1-2 Cameroon
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!!