Africa Cup of Nations Wrap Up 1.29.08 (With Links to Goals)

After all the ups and downs in Africa Cup of Nations Group B, the final standings are pretty much as predicted before the tournament began. Cote d’Ivoire first, Nigeria second, Mali just missing out in third and Benin last.

Cote d’Ivoire 3-0 Mali

Mali went into this match knowing anything but a defeat would guarantee a spot in the quarter finals. Cote d’Ivoire were already qualified, but avoiding defeat would guarantee them top spot. So the cynics out there thought maybe both sides would play for a mutually beneficial draw. If that was the plan, then no one told Didier Drogba. With just ten minutes gone he latched onto a through ball and fired past Sidibe to make it 1-0.

With captain and main midfield fella Mahamadou Diarra suspended (two yellow cards) Mali struggled to take control in midfield. And even with Cote d’Ivoire missing the injured Kolo Toure, Mali didn’t really threaten. Seems Fredi Kanoute was carrying an injury for most of the first half, and was substituted at half-time. Shorn of their two biggest names, Mali were there for the taking.

So Cote d’Ivoire took them. In the 50th minute, Marc Zoro found the target with a header to make it 2-0 while elsewhere Nigeria took the lead against Benin to seal Mali’s fate. Just to make things worse, Mali conceded again in the 83rd when Sanogo was first to a rebound. News of Nigeria’s second confirmed the bad news.

As for Cote d’Ivoire they looked impressive again, even without Kolo Toure. Three wins out of three means they top Group B and laugh in the face of the Group of Death.

Nigeria 2-0 Benin

With Mali losing to Cote d’Iviore as early as the 10th minute, Berti Vogt’s Nigeria knew that fortune had opened the door for one last crack at qualification from Group B. All they had to do was win, and win by two goals to make sure. I didn’t see the game (damn simultaneous group finale kick-off) but have seen the highlights and read Chris’s LiveBlog. Seems Nigeria had the same old problems in the first half and were just unable to create. I still say the Super Eagles have too many out and out strikers and not enough creative midfielders, and when you play strikers as wingers you’re trading creativity for directness.

But Nigeria did have their secret weapon: Taye Taiwo’s left foot. He hit another rocket of a free kick early in the second half that was just about saved, but the rebound put Benin defenders in panic mode and eventually a far post cross found John Mikel Obi at the far post. The young midfielder, so ineffectual so far, headed home to give Nigeria a very important 1-0 lead. But 2-0 was the goal.

And in the last ten minutes they got it. Mikel Obi (who appears to be coming good at just the right time) chipped a perfect pass through to Yakubu, who drew the keeper and then placed it past him at just the right moment for the required score. During the celebrations, Berti Vogts communicated that Mali were now three goals down to Cote d’Ivoire.

[goal links via 101 Great Goals]

Here’s how Group B finished.

Now we know what two of the quarterfinals will look like:

Ghana v Nigeria (February 3rd, 17:00) Accra
Cote d’Ivoire v Guinea (February 3rd, 20:30) Sekondi

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