World Soccer – August 2019

Africa Cup of Nations

Upsets in opening phase

Cairo clash in round two where Youcef

Belaili’s effort early in the second half

settled it in Algeria’s favour. Senegal had

Sadio Mane back for the game after he

missed their opening win over Tanzania

through suspension but his contribution

was to miss the first of two penalties at

the tournament.

Kenya and Tanzania did provide a rip-

roaring sideshow in their derby, with the

Harambee Stars winning 3-2.

GROUP D

Morocco finished top of the standings

with a 100 per cent record and without

GROUP A

The unadulterated adulation for

Mohamed Salah made for an arena

sound rarely heard anywhere in the world

as the Cairo International Stadium came

out of mothballs to host group games.

The noise behind Egypt, playing in front

of capacity crowds again with the security

restrictions lifted, propelled the team on

as they won all three of their matches,

albeit without overwhelming conviction.

The opener against Zimbabwe was

settled by Trezeguet’s smart finish but

there were chances for the southern

Africans to cause an upset, even if they

had missed training on the eve of the

game in a sit-down protest over money.

Egypt also beat DR Congo and

Uganda, who were surprise runners-up.

A shock 2-0 win over the Congolese,

followed by a fortunate draw with

Zimbabwe was enough to see them

advance. The Congolese managed to

sneak through to the knockout stage

as one of the best third-placed finishers,

hammering Zimbabwe 4-0 after losing

their opening two games.

GROUP B

They looked like the rookies they were

in the opening half of their finals debut,

but when Anicet Andrianantenaina

scored just after half-time against Guinea,

Madagascar went on to draw the game

and set off on a captivating flight of fancy.

And they even finished top of the

group after catching Nigeria cold with

a 2-0 victory to finish on seven points.

With a part-time coach and a parade

of journeymen, there had been no great

expectation, but Madagascar played with

a dogged determination that won them

many admirers.

Nigeria had already won twice by the

time they lost to Madagascar and finished

second. Coach Gernot Rohr admittedly

rested several key players for the last

group game but even then the quality

of his team selection should not have

suffered a humbling by the Malagasy.

Third-placed Guinea also went through

after winning their last group game

against Burundi, but they looked way

off their full potential and, as it emerged

later, were a polarised camp.

GROUP C

Just how much of a positive impact

Algeria had by beating Senegal 1-0 in the

group phase in a curtain-raiser can never

be fully known. But it provided an

important boost of confidence and a

chance for coach Djamel Belmadi to field

a second-string side for the last group

game, thereby resting players, giving

others a chance and keeping a bonhomie

in the camp that was to prove one of the

key factors to their eventual success.

Algeria and Senegal were always

expected to dominate Kenya and

Tanzania, both making long-awaited

returns to the finals, and so it proved

as the gulf in class was all too evident.

It meant the main focus was on the

R

E

V

IE

W

How much of a positive impact

Algeria had beating Senegal 1-0 in

the group can never be fully known

Derby...Kenya (in red)

versus Tanzania

Opener...Trezeguet

scores for Egypt

against Zimbabwe

Sensational...Lalaina

Nomenjanahary

celebrates scoring

for Madagascar

against

Nigeria