On 2024-01-16 3:03 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
> Mali v South Africa kicks off.
>
> Many Mali fans in the stands.
>
> South Africa with six players from the same club (?).
>
> This is going to be a match of the tournament contender, I can feel
> it......
>
>
> RM

They must be using the WWEPL VARobots, a handball call so bad that even
the PK taker thought it was such a bad call that he skied it over the goal.

20 minutes South Africa miss a penalty - over the bar!

RM

On 2024-01-16 3:23 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
> 20 minutes South Africa miss a penalty -  over the bar!
>
>
> RM

Let me go out on a limb and say neither team will win the AFCON. The
Sud African commentators have been entertaining though.

Real_Mardin wrote:
>
> This is going to be a match of the tournament contender, I can feel
> it......

Don't give up your day job! :-)

Binder Dundat wrote:
>
> Let me go out on a limb and say neither team will win the AFCON.

I got a bit excited to see a goal in this game and nearly spilled my
tea! Fortunately I had it drank before the second Mali goal...

2-0 to Mali will surely suffice... in what - apart from the two goals
in six minutes - has been a very dull affair.

Blueshirt wrote:

> Binder Dundat wrote:
>>
>> Let me go out on a limb and say neither team will win the AFCON.

> I got a bit excited to see a goal in this game and nearly spilled my
> tea! Fortunately I had it drank before the second Mali goal...

> 2-0 to Mali will surely suffice... in what - apart from the two goals
> in six minutes - has been a very dull affair.

I saw more of the first half than the second. I thought South Africa looked threatening earlier on and had high hopes this could have been an AFCON classic of sorts, but sounds like Mali took control in the second half.

Good to see the ground full with supporters. As anticipated, certain neighbouring countries can bring a fair amount of supporters, it's the matches involving nations from further away that suffer because not enough locals can afford the ticket prices to make up the numbers.

RM

Morocco v Tanzania about to start , the first match of Group F.

The newly built and largely deserted Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro was apparently built by cutting back the rain forest (!!).

Tanzania wearing what could psss as a Fenerbahce kit, blue and yellow stripes.

RM

Ziyech shoots from a free kick, the Tanzania keeper can only parry the ball to th feet of Saiss for an easy finish. Morocco 1 - Tanzania 0, 31 minutes played.

RM

HT: Morocco 1 - Tanzania 0

This is all Morocco, Tanzania are basically reduced to sitting back and fouling. Although bear in mind Morocco have players with World Cup and Champions League experience, wheras Tanzania have an English non- league player and even a player with no club.

A superficially strange match both because Tanzania are wearing a striped kit more resembling a club side and also because the stadium in San Pédro seems to be missing a proper stand at one end.

RM

Ounahi scores from just inside the area following a nice ‘one two “ move to put Morocco 2-0 up after 78.

Tanzania reduced to 10 men.

Surely this is all but over?

RM

3-0 now , Hakimi crosses for El Nesyri to finish at the far post .

RM

FT: Morocco 3 Tanzania 0

DR Congo v Zambia is the next game and the final game of the first match day of the group stage.

Forgive me for mentioning another competition on the AFCON thread, but I’ll be watching Blackpool v Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup at the time, I’ll try to switch channels during pauses in play.

RM

Zambia take the lead on 23 minutes with a calamity goal. DR Congo’s keeper challenged for a ball outside the area, before he could get back Into his goal Zambia quickly started play and Kangwa chipped the ball past the retreating keeper and over two flailing defenders into the net! DR Congo ask for a VAR review on the grounds of a foul on the keeper but the goal stands!

RM

HT: DR Congo 1 - Zambia 1

DR Congo equalised on 27 minutes when Wissu (sp?) knocked in a low cross. They also had a shot cleared off the line. Looks from the highlights like DR Congo have had more of the game.

RM

FT: DR Congo 1 - Zambia 1

RM

Cameroon are playing the Champions of Africa tomorrow! (17:00 UTC in case anyone wants to know.)

Apparently Vincent Aboubakar isn't playing. I don't know why. And I still don't know why Nicolas Nkoulou isn't in the squad. How are we going to cope without either of the players from my all-time Cameroon XI ?

Mark wrote:

> Cameroon are playing the Champions of Africa tomorrow! (17:00 UTC in case anyone wants to know.)

> Apparently Vincent Aboubakar isn't playing. I don't know why. And I still don't know why Nicolas Nkoulou isn't in the squad. How are we going to cope without either of the players from my all-time Cameroon XI ?

Annoyingly I’ll probably be out and will miss at least the first half.

No idea why certain players haven’t been picked but hopefully it should be a good game.

Ecquatorial Guinea currently leading Guinea-Bissau 4-1 in front of rows and rows of empty seats in the 60000 capacity Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

RM

FT: Ecquatorial Guinea 4 - Guinea-Bissau 2

Things are looking a bit desperate for Guinea-Bissau, although theoretically they could still go through as one of the highest ranked third placed teams.

RM

I was otherwise engaged but FT: Ivory Coast 0 - Nigeria 1

Group A:

1st Ecquatorial Guinea 4pts

2nd Nigeria 4pts

3rd Ivory Coast 3pts

4th Guinea-Bissau 0pts

Guinea-Bissau are now officially eliminated.

Hosts Ivory Coast at risk of elimination.

RM

Despite the attentions of two Egypt defenders Kudus shoots low and hard from m outside the area to put Ghana 1-0 up in first half injury time.

Salah has gone off injured too.

RM

What a crazy couple of minutes. Marmoush pounces on a backpass and takes the ball around the keeper to equalise for Egypt, but straight after Ghana work the ball into the Egypt area from the right, Kudus shoots from a tight angle but the shot takes a deflection to put Ghana 2-1 up!

EDIT: No sooner do I finish typing the above Trezegueut robs a Ghana defender of the ball outside the Ghana area and passes back to Mostafa Mohammed to fire in to make it 2-2!

76 minutes played.

RM

FT: Egypt 2 - Ghana 2

A result which gives both teams some difficulty in the group, they could even both get eliminated depending on forthcoming results.

RM

On 2024-01-18 5:03 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
> FT: Egypt 2 - Ghana 2
>
>
> A result which gives both teams some difficulty in the group, they could
> even both get eliminated depending on forthcoming results.
>
>
> RM

A 3 goal blitz in 3 minutes and neither team will be happy. Egypt
probably looked better after Salah went off injured.

I cant figure out what will happen in this cup? Is it there for Morocco
to lose or will it be one of the numerous other countries to win, since
most games are even and hard to pick a winner. With 3rd place teams
qualifying, it kind of makes the group stage less interesting, but
results are so random, you really dont know who will qualify. Like
Egypt for example could finish 4th in the group.

The game between Senegal v Cameroon should be good, if Senegal win it
they will be favourites to lift the trophy, otherwise who knows.

Binder Dundat wrote:

> On 2024-01-18 5:03 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
>> FT: Egypt 2 - Ghana 2
>>
>>
>> A result which gives both teams some difficulty in the group, they could
>> even both get eliminated depending on forthcoming results.
>>
>>
>> RM

> A 3 goal blitz in 3 minutes and neither team will be happy. Egypt
> probably looked better after Salah went off injured.

> I cant figure out what will happen in this cup? Is it there for Morocco
> to lose or will it be one of the numerous other countries to win, since
> most games are even and hard to pick a winner. With 3rd place teams
> qualifying, it kind of makes the group stage less interesting, but
> results are so random, you really dont know who will qualify. Like
> Egypt for example could finish 4th in the group.

> The game between Senegal v Cameroon should be good, if Senegal win it
> they will be favourites to lift the trophy, otherwise who knows.

Back early enough to watch Senegal- Cameroon after all.

And as if to underline Binder’s point above, Senegal take the lead she Cameroon fail to clear a corner, allowing Sarr to set himself up for a low shot into the net.

Senegal 1 - Cameroon 0 19 minutes played.

RaM

On 2024-01-19 12:21 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
> Binder Dundat wrote:
>
>> On 2024-01-18 5:03 p.m., Real_Mardin wrote:
>>> FT: Egypt 2 - Ghana 2
>>>
>>>
>>> A result which gives both teams some difficulty in the group, they
>>> could even both get eliminated depending on forthcoming results.
>>>
>>>
>>> RM
>
>> A 3 goal blitz in 3 minutes and neither team will be happy.  Egypt
>> probably looked better after Salah went off injured.
>
>> I cant figure out what will happen in this cup?  Is it there for
>> Morocco to lose or will it be one of the numerous other countries to
>> win, since most games are even and hard to pick a winner.  With 3rd
>> place teams qualifying, it kind of makes the group stage less
>> interesting, but results are so random, you really dont know who will
>> qualify.  Like Egypt for example could finish 4th in the group.
>
>> The game between Senegal v Cameroon should be good, if Senegal win it
>> they will be favourites to lift the trophy, otherwise who knows.
>
> Back early enough to watch Senegal- Cameroon after all.
>
> And as if to underline Binder’s point above, Senegal take the lead she
> Cameroon fail to clear a corner, allowing Sarr to set himself up for a
> low shot into the net.
>
> Senegal 1 - Cameroon 0 19 minutes played.
>
> RaM

Tuned in a bit late, but from what I have seen, the Tigers of Senegal
are looking better than the Lions of Cameroon.