Liverpool stars meet in the final
LAST 16
African football’s propensity to shoot itself in the foot was no better illustrated than in the last 16 when Comoros were denied the use of a goalkeeper in their historic tie against hosts Cameroon, turning the clash into a farce.
The debutants, looking to continue their fairy-tale run at the expense of the host nation, suffered a huge crisis before the game with two of their three goalkeepers in quarantine after positive COVID-19 tests and first-choice Salim Ben Boina out with a shoulder injury. This led to several training sessions to test which of their outfield players might be able to fill in but, on the eve of the clash in Yaounde, second-choice goalkeeper Ali Ahamada tested negative (three days after his positive test).
A cloud of confusion then reigned until just hours before kick-off, when CAF confirmed that the 30-year-old Ahamada had not fulfilled its protocols, stating a player who tests positive for coronavirus must isolate for five days before taking another PCR test 48 hours before his side’s next match.
This, in addition to a CAF directive issued before the tournament that teams would be required to play a match if they had a minimum of 11 players available, meant the spectre of left-back Chaker Alhadhur going in goal, taping his number onto the back of an oversized goalkeeper shirt in a tawdry advertisement for the African game.
The drama of the game did at least attempt to change that image.
In a Hollywood-style spectacle the 30-year-old made a series of stops – albeit far from orthodox – to keep Cameroon at bay, before they finally scored through Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar. Comoros lost captain Jimmy Abdou to a red card after only six minutes yet, despite a makeshift keeper and ten men, made a real fight of it – even scoring a late consolation from Youssouf M’Changama that proved one of the goals of the tournament.
Earlier that same day, Musa Barrow had scored to hand fellow debutants Gambia a shock 1-0 win over Guinea, and two days later Equatorial Guinea held out against a much-fancied Mali side to take the game to extra-time and then win on penalties. The shock results continued into the knockout round.
Nigeria’s form from the group stage deserted them in a dour affair with Tunisia in Garoua, where an effort from
Youssef Msakni caught keeper Maduka Okoye unawares and proved decisive.
The heavyweight clash of the round was between Egypt and the Ivory Coast, who both had opportunities to score. Egypt lost goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to injury but his replacement Mohamed Abougabal – AKA “Gabaski” – proved the penalty shootout hero as another former winner bowed out.
In the other ties, Morocco beat Malawi 2-1 despite Gabadinho Mhango scoring an exceptional long-range strike for the Flames, Burkina Faso edged out Gabon on penalties, and Senegal got the better of Cape Verde 2-0 thanks to goals by Sadio Mane and Bamba Dieng.
QUARTER-FINALS
Gambia failed to get a single shot on target and Equatorial Guinea’s fighting spirit was severely curtailed as their fairy-tale runs came to an end in sedate fashion in the last eight.
Cameroon’s 2-0 win over Gambia was a one-sided affair and a first show of real competence from the hosts, boosting home hopes for the final straight. However, it took them 50 minutes to break down the Scorpions with Lyon’s Karl Toko Ekambi then scoring twice in seven minutes to ensure victory.
That was followed the same day by a shock success for Burkina Faso against Tunisia in Garoua, with the teenager Dango Ouattara continuing to build a reputation with a goal that displayed both his physical and mental strength. He then spoilt it by being sent off later in the game, albeit a tad harshly, for a stray elbow in an aerial challenge that ruled himself out of the rest of the tournament. The 1-0 win was quickly followed by the sacking of Tunisia coach Mondher Kebaier.
A day later, Egypt and Morocco met in a testy affair in Yaounde where Morocco looked good in the opening ten minutes, going ahead with an early penalty from Sofiane Boufal, but quickly faded out of
the contest as Egypt came from behind to win. Mohamed Salah equalised and then set up the extra-time winner for Trezeguet. It was followed by the customary tunnel bust-up between the north Africans, with heavy sanctions handed out afterwards on both sides.
With the Olembe Stadium shut after the stadium tragedy, Senegal and Equatorial Guinea then took to the Ahmadou Ahidjou Stadium in the second of the double-header attraction. After Famara Diedhiou had put Senegal ahead, they allowed Equatorial Guinea back in with an early second-half equaliser before restoring their superiority with goals from Cheikhou Kouyate and Ismaila Sarr, making a belated entry at the tournament after recovering from a knee injury.
SEMI-FINALS
It took 70 minutes for the deadlock to be broken in the semi-final showdown between Senegal and Burkina Faso at the Ahmadou Ahidjou Stadium, after two penalties were reversed by VAR. But in the end Senegal’s superiority was rewarded with a second successive appearance in the final.
Some magic from the centre-backs got it started with Kalidou Koulibaly’s bicycle-kick providing the assist for his partner Abdou Diallo to hammer home. That was followed quickly by a second six minutes later with Idrissa Gana Gueye cheekily claiming it, despite TV replays appearing to show Bamba Dieng had actually scored his second of the tournament, making a strong claim for a starting berth in the final. Senegal then sat back and invited trouble in the last ten minutes with Blati Toure pulling one back. But, as they went in search of an unlikely equaliser, Sadio Mane caught them on the counter to finish matters off with a cool, dinked effort.
Cameroon and Egypt met 24 hours later at the Olembe Stadium, re-opened after the deadly crush, and although defender Michael Ngadeu Ngadjui came close with two early chances for the
It looked as if it might turn into a horror evening for Sadio Mane, whose final showdown with his Liverpool team-mate Mohamed Salah dominated the build-up
Indomitable Lions, the heavy pitch made it tough on both teams, already much fatigued after five games in the tournament. Samuel Gouet also shaved the woodwork with a long-range bullet in the second half but it was Egypt who finished stronger in extra-time, and they could have won it in dramatic style in the last minute when Ramadan Sobhi whipped in a cross from the right that narrowly missed three team-mates all attempting to get on the end of it.
In the shootout, Gabaski – retaining his place in the line-up – was the hero once again, saving two penalties before Clinton N’Jie blazed his kick wide to confirm Egypt’s place in the final.
They would be without coach Carlos Queiroz for the showpiece though, after his continual bickering with Gambian referee Bakary Gassama saw him red carded. The Egyptians were the only ones who saw some sort of conspiracy in his appointment and his performance, which was typically beyond reproach.
FINAL
Liverpool’s Sadio Mane squandered an early penalty but showed great mental fortitude to step up and convert the decisive kick for his country as Senegal won their first-ever Cup of Nations, beating Egypt 4-2 on penalties after a goalless draw in Yaounde.
A poorly-timed tackle by the youthful Egyptian defender Mohamed Abdelmonem on wing-back Saliou Ciss handed Senegal a seventh-minute penalty in a dramatic start to the final, but a powerful kick straight down the middle from Mane was stopped by Gabaski, continuing his heroics in goal for the Pharaohs.
It looked as if it might turn into a horror evening for Mane, whose showdown with his Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah dominated the build-up.
Ismaila Sarr, starting his first game of the tournament after recovering from a knee injury, set up two glorious chances soon thereafter with tricky runs down the wing and inviting balls across the face of the goal that a sliding Mane failed to connect with.
Egypt were largely pinned back, although the competent defending of Mahmoud El Wensh did much to stymie Senegal’s chances. Salah had Egypt’s first chance from a tight angle on the stroke of half-time.
Substitute Bamba Dieng forced two good saves out of Gabaski as Senegal continued to dominate, although Egypt could have snatched victory late on as Edouard Mendy hesitated to come out for a free-kick and allowed Marwan Hamdy to get a touch with his head that went agonisingly close.
Fatigue was all too evident as a fourth match in a row for Egypt went into extra-time – a tournament first – but they looked confident going into the shootout given they had won two en route to the final.
But after not failing with a single penalty previously, it all unravelled for the Egyptians as Abdelmonem hit the post and then Mohanad Lasheen had his kick saved by Mendy, allowing Mane to step up and win the title to leave Salah in tears.