Africa Cup of Nations Wrap Up: 2.3.08

The Africa Cup of Nations is disappearing fast. With two quarterfinals today that leaves just six games to go, total. And that’s if you include the third-place playoff, which I don’t. So actually there are just five games to go. The knockout stage got off to a great start with the Ghana vs Nigeria battle for supremacy, which the Black Stars won 2-1. That was followed by a slightly less even contest between Cote d’Ivore and Guinea, which finished 5-0 to the Elephants.

Ghana 2-1 Nigeria

Hyped up rivalries can often disappoint. This one didn’t. When Obinna Nwaneri hacked down Sulley Muntari after about eight seconds we all knew this was going to be a hard-fought game. Nigeria tackled hard but the plan seemed to be to let Ghana and their – rumour had it – ineffective and half fit strike partnership of Junior Agogo and Asamoah Gyan come at them, then find Yakubu on the break.

Nigeria won a penalty for one of two tangles in Ghana’s box. Either Addo fouled Yakubu or Annan fouled Uche. Either way Yakubu put the penalty beyond Kingson and the counter-attacking plan was about to pay off. Until Ghana got one of those bits of luck that only host nations can get. With just seconds until halftime, Michael Essien met an Owusu-Abeyie free kick in the air, his header hit the inside of the post and rolled in. One each at half-time, which must have changed both Berti Vogts and Claude Le Roy’s team talks somewhat.

After the teams traded a couple of early second half shots, Ghana captain John Mensah brought down Odemwingie when he was through on goal, leaving the ref no option but to show Mensah the red card. Ghana had to drop Michael Essien back into defence and go one up front. A lot of tired legs followed, and at least three players went down with cramp, but despite the lone striker Ghana continued to push on. They were rewarded in the 82nd minute when the once again impressive Sulley Muntari squared the ball to Junior Agogo at the back post to top home, which he did.

Ghana’s ten men held on to the lead with an odd combination of brave defending and some risky showmanship, but Nigeria looked short of ideas to make their one man advantage tell and eventually ran out of time. There’ll be a Super Eagles inquest after this, and definitely a new manager, while the host nation goes on to the final four, suddenly looking very impressive.

You can see highlights of the game here (via 101 Great Goals)

Cote d’Ivoire 5-0 Guinea

Cote d’Ivoire were without Kolo Toure, but honestly you couldn’t tell. Didier Zokora, usually a central mid, dropped back and did the job just fine. Guinea on the other hand were missing Pascal Feindouno, “the Maradona of Guinea” as the JumpTV commentator called him today. Not because Feindouno used to be brilliant but now can’t keep his mouth shut, but because the whole team was organized around him. Feindouno was suspended after being sent off against Morocco and had to watch from between his fingers in the stands.

Cote d’Ivoire always had too much for Guinea, so when Abdul Kader Keita cut inside to score the opener from a wide angle the floodgates looked ready to burst open. Guinea held on bravely until the 70th minute, and even had little half chances here and there to level the score, but when Didier Drogba strolled through and slotted home in the 70th minute the whole damn burst and it started raining goals on a suddenly non-existent Guinea defence. Drogba then set up Kalou for a cheeky third, with Guinea’s defenders so demoralized that the Chelsea man was able to walk it to the goal-line, wait, and then tap it in. Cruel. Kalou had another open goal for a fourth thanks to great work from Yaya Tourem and Baki Kone came off the bench to smash one into the top right corner. An embarrassing end to an impressive Africa Cup of Nations for Guinea, but Cote d’Ivoire march on to the semis.

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