Underdogs display tenacity in AFCON upsets
Deon Hotto celebrates after his stunning goal against Tunisia
If the outcomes of the opening matches at the Africa Cup of Nations are indicative, this tournament promises to be filled with surprises. disadvantage after captain Francois Kamano received a red card for a stamp on Frank Magri’s heel.
Magri later salvaged the situation for Cameroon by heading in Georges-Kevin Nkoudou’s cross.
Cape Verde stun Ghana
Cape Verde’s surprising 2-1 triumph over the four-time champions, Ghana, on Sunday, January 14, stands out as the most significant shock in the tournament thus far.
By defeating the Black Stars, the Blue Sharks have solidified their reputation as formidable underdogs in Africa’s premier football competition.
Pharaohs’
Egypt, the record seven-time AFCON champions, experienced a wake-up call that signals a diminishing gap between traditional powerhouses and underdogs.
The Pharaohs found themselves on the edge against the lower-rated Mozambique, ultimately relying on Mohamed Salah’s injury-time penalty to secure a 2-2 draw.
Lightweights Guinea hold Cameroon
Despite being a player down, underdogs Guinea-Bissau managed to secure a 1-1 draw against five-time champions Cameroon. Guinea, ranked 80th globally, posed a genuine threat as Mohamed Bayo put them in an early lead. However, they faced the entire second half with a numerical
Mohammed Kudus: “We deserved more”
Ghanaian sensation, Mohammed Kudus feels Ghana deserved more after twice surrendering thelead to draw 2-2 against Egypt in a drama filled Group TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote
Mohammed Kudus
rude moment
Ranked 115th globally, the Brave Warriors caused a major upset by securing victory over Tunisia with Deon Hotto’s 88th-minute header.
Having gone without a win in their previous nine Afcon matches, Namibia emerged as deserving winners in Korhogo.
Super Eagles fail to soar for
Nigeria, considered strong contenders for the title, faced Equatorial Guinea with high expectations of securing a victory. Despite adopting an attacking strategy and creating numerous chances, the Super Eagles struggled to convert them into goals.
In contrast, Equatorial Guinea capitalised on their first and only shot on target, with Ivan Salvador scoring in the 37th minute. However, Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen salvaged a point with a header just a minute after his team conceded, ensuring a draw.
(Culled from supersport.com)
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“I’m happy to be back. I worked so hard to get back to the top and help my team, my nation. It’s important for me to be here”, said the forward.
Despite the double from Kudus, Ghana only snatched a point from the draw. The West Ham striker couldn’t hide his frustration.
“It’s a mixed feeling. As a forward, you want your goals to have an impact on the result. We made careless mistakes. Now we’ll have to get back to work, win the next one and then see what happens”, said Kudus.
“We are not out. The objective remains the same, which is to take trophy home.” he concluded.
Nigeria deserved win over Ivory Coast – Peseiro
Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro says they got their tactics right in the crucial 1-0 victory over hosts Ivory Coast in a Group A clash at the Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday.
After an opening draw, Nigeria have now put one foot in the round of 16 with a win that was handed to them by a William Troost-Ekong penalty 10 minutes into the second half after Victor Osimhen had been fouled.
“We put together a good strategy and my team did it well. I think we deserved the win,” Peseiro said. “For the next match (against GuineaBissau on Monday) we have to control the game, try to be less timid and not give possession to the opponent.
“I told my players not to savour the victory. We have four days left before the next match. From day one I told them: ‘you must win the AFCON’,” Peseiro added.
Ivorian coach Jean Louis Gasset says his side were outmuscled and the loss is a wake-up call.
Coach Jose Peseiro
“It was a very physical match; Nigeria chose to play very low with a five-man defence to exploit counterattacks with their star striker. It was a tightly contested match,” he said.
“We knew that we had a young team in terms of experience but not in terms of quality. I have confidence in this group; I know that it is young, I know that it is tender; it simply requires psychological work.”
The Ivorians have three points which may already be enough to go through as one of the best thirdplaced teams, but he will want a win against a tough Equatorial Guinea.
“We are going to prepare for a win. I am hoping that our two injured players [Sébastien Haller and Simon Adingra] will be able to play at least part of the match.”