Afcon quarters: From best goal to best crowd
Matampi has shown that he can fill the void Kidiaba left after his retirement
THE quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations produced four entertaining matches. At the end, Burkina Faso prevailed to set up a date with seven-time African champions Egypt in the semi-finals, while Cameroon, who overcame Senegal, will face Ghana in the last four. Njabulo Ngidi picks his best moments from the last eight.
Best Goal
The much-criticised Jordan Ayew looked to have come up with the best goal of the last eight with his brilliant strike just after the hour mark. Ayew had waltzed past two Democratic Republic of Congo defenders before curling the ball to put Ghana ahead. But the Leopards were quick to respond. Paul-Jose M’Poku came up with a thunderbolt that shook the Stade d’Oyem. The 24-year-old unleashed a monstrous strike after taking a few steps from the centreline.
Best Save
The goalkeepers put on a solid show in the quarter-finals. Fabrice Ondoa was the stubborn wall that Senegal couldn’t penetrate to beat Cameroon. That match turned into a clash between Ondoa and the Lions of Teranga, with the young goalkeeper winning that duel. The oldest man to ever play in the Afcon, 44-year-old Essam El-Hadary, also continued being a tough man to beat, helping the Egyptians go four games without conceding a goal. El-Hadary is unbeaten in five hours and five minutes in this tournament. However, Ghana’s Brimah Razak produced the best save of this round. Razak flew to stop Cedric Bakambu’s strike that would have sent the match to extra time. Morocco’s Munir Mohand Mohamedi came up with the second best save, denying Mohamed Salah from point-blank range.
Best Celebration
Ley Matampi has a tough act to follow, taking over from the legendary Robert Kidiaba as the DRC’s first choice goalkeeper. Matampi has shown that he can fill the void Kidiaba left after his retirement. He even borrowed Kidiaba’s celebration after Paul-Jose M’Poku equalised for the Leopards against Ghana. The 27-year-old TP Mazembe goalkeeper bounced like Kidiaba with his bum, shuffling around the box.
Best Match
All four matches were entertaining, giving players a different test. Egypt’s clash with Morocco was an intense tactical battle between coaches Herve Renard and Hector Cuper. Senegal’s battle with Cameroon was an endurance and psychological marathon, going into penalties after two goalless hours. Burkina Faso and Tunisia’s encounter tested the players’ patience, with the two goals that decided the match coming in the last 10 minutes. Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s match was the pick of this round. Great goals, world class saves and endto-end action made it the best match of the last eight.
Memorable Moment
Andre and Jordan Ayew took following in their father’s footsteps to another level with their goals DRC. The Ayew brothers’ goals took Ghana to the semi-final of the Afcon. Just over a decade ago, in the 1996 Afcon, Abedi Pele Ayew helped the Black Stars defeat DRC, then Zaire, at the same stage. Ayew senior starred with Tony Yeboah, who scored the winning goal against Zaire, in that Afcon just like his sons have been leading the Black Stars in this edition. The Ayew brothers now have to win this tournament, something their father did in 1982 – the last time Ghana were African champions.
Best Crowd
The fans took their time to make their way inside the Stade de l’Amitie on Saturday because it is in a secluded area that’s far from the people in Libreville. But when they finally crammed into the stadium, the Burkina Faso fans created a buzzing atmosphere. Aristide Bance, a favourite with the Burkinabe crowd, sent them to a wild frenzy with his goal against the Tunisians. Bance’s countrymen in the stands painted themselves in the colours of the Stallions.