Losing debut for Cameroon coach Song

AGADIR: Former Cameroon star Rigobert Song lost his first match as an African Nations Championship tournament coach when Congo Brazzaville snatched a 1-0 Group D win in Agadir on Tuesday.

The ex-Liverpool and West Ham United defender watched his team dominate a match in which they missed a first-half sitter and were foiled by the crossbar and post after half-time.

Song, 41, who suffered a lifethreatening brain aneurysm two years ago, showed little emotion on the touchline in the southern Morocco coastal city, bar a fulltime wink at a TV camera.

He made a record eight Africa Cup of Nations tournament appearances and played in four World Cups during a 137-cap career in which he captained his country many times.

Congo won the second match of a double-header in windy conditions when Junior Makiesse sent goalkeeper Jean Kalati the wrong way with a penalty on 73 minutes.

Victory took Congo, who eliminated defending champions the Democratic Republic of Congo in a qualifier, to the top of Group D as Angola and Burkina Faso drew 0-0 earlier.

Although the Burkinabe had far less possession, they came closest to winning the match seven minutes from time when To cleared a goal-bound Youssouf Kabore shot.

The Group D games marked the end of the first series of group games with Morocco, Libya and Zambia impressing, Namibia shocking the Ivory Coast and Nigeria surprisingly held by Rwanda.

Although the African Nations Championship is restricted to home-based footballers, FIFA give the matches full international status with results counting toward the monthly rankings. AFP