Tag Archives: 2023 AFCON

Malawi, Regional, Sports

2023 AFCON: Fairy tale ending for Ivory Coast coach Fae

Maravi Post Reporter

.….Ivory Coast 2-1 Nigeria

Ivory Coast players celebrate with the Africa Cup of Nations trophy after beating Nigeria
Emerse Fae (far right, in white) coached Nice’s youth teams and was the reserve team of French Ligue 1 club Clermont before becoming Ivory Coast’s assistant coach in May 2022

ABIDJAN-(MaraviPost)-The tournament, which was delayed from its intended staging in June and July last year because of weather concerns in West Africa, will live long in the memory after a record number of goals, unrelenting upsets, and an apparent capacity for unceasing drama.

Much of that was provided by the hosts, who had appeared on the brink of an early exit after a shock 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A outing.

Gasset departed as a coach and Fae managed to instill renewed belief after inheriting a side that was given a second life as one of the four best-ranked third-placed sides.

Progress had been secured after Morocco – whose national flag Ivory Coast co-captain Max Gradel waved before lifting the trophy – beat Zambia in the final round of group games to stop the southern Africans from stealing their spot.

Elephants supporters had understandably been left reeling after what was a record defeat at home but rallied behind a side that showed incredible mental fortitude to eliminate Senegal and Mali in two epic ties, before a far more routine victory against DR Congo in the semi-finals.

Fae, who was part of the Ivory Coast side that finished runners-up to Egypt in 2006 – a campaign in which he played every minute, has now won Africa’s biggest prize in just his fourth game in senior management.

The resilience of the 40-year-old’s side was underlined as the hosts held their nerve after falling behind against the run of play in front of a sea of orange in the final.

Ivory Coast becomes the 12 host nation to win the Nations Cup title, while Nigeria will be left to rue a fifth defeat in the showpiece game – and their second in Abidjan after losing to Cameroon in 1984.

Source: BBC Sport

Regional, Sports

AFCON: Senegal starts title defense with 3-0 win over Gambia

Maravi Post Reporter

Lamine Camara scored twice as defending champion Senegal started the Africa Cup of Nations with a comfortable 3-0 win over Gambia on Monday

Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 group C football match between Senegal and Gambia
Senegal have won their opening game at each of the last five editions of the Africa Cup of Nations

Holders Senegal began their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with victory over 10-man underdogs The Gambia.

Pape Gueye gave the Teranga Lions the ideal start, collecting Sadio Mane’s pass to fire in a fourth-minute opener from inside the penalty area.

Cardiff City midfielder Ebou Adams was dismissed for The Gambia for an off-the ball challenge just before half-time.

Lamine Camara doubled Senegal’s lead with a low finish after the break and curled in a classy third from distance.

How Senegal came to dominate African football
Ghana beaten, Salah the saviour and a draw for Nigeria

With Cameroon held by 10-man Guinea in the other Group C match on Monday, Senegal’s fourth win of a five-match unbeaten run gave Aliou Cisse’s side early control of the group as they kept a fifth successive clean sheet.

The Gambia, whose Fifa ranking of 126th is the lowest of any team involved in the tournament in the Ivory Coast, threatened first when Edouard Mendy beat away Alasana Manneh’s fierce left-footed attempt from distance.

After Gueye’s opener, Habib Diallo also went close for Senegal, while Musa Barrow and Ali Sowe sent first-half efforts wide for The Gambia.

Despite Adams’ dismissal, via the video assistant referee, in first-half stoppage time, the underdogs almost equalised early in the second period but for a flying Mendy save to deny Barrow.

After Camara doubled Senegal’s advantage, Gambia goalkeeper Baboucarr Gaye produced a fine stop to prevent Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson from scoring off the bench, and Ismail Jakobs also fired wide from a tight angle.

Camara’s second owed much to a flourish of trickery from Iliman Ndiaye on the right, as he demonstrated masterful control to toy with his markers and angle a low pass back to the Metz midfielder, whose right-footed strike from outside the box arced over Gaye and into the far corner of the net.

Senegal will return to Yamoussoukro’s Charles Konan Banny Stadium to meet Cameroon in their second group-stage match on Friday (17:00 GMT).

Tom Saintfiet’s Gambia will attempt to end a run of three successive defeats against Guinea – the team they beat to reach the quarter-finals against the odds at Afcon 2021 – in the subsequent game at the same venue (20:00 GMT).

Source: BBC Sports