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2023 AFCON: Egypt coach Rui Vitoria ‘confident’ ahead of crucial Ghana clash
Ahead of the Pharaohs’ important match against Ghana on Thursday, Egypt’s coach Rui Vitoria has expressed his trust in his players.
The match, which takes place at Abidjan’s Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium at 22:00 CLT, is scheduled to take place the day before Cape Verde’s matchup with Mozambique in the same group.
Both teams will need to win, but the Black Stars especially, as a loss could mean they have to leave the competition early in the group stages.
Speaking ahead of the game, Vitoria said: “We may make some adjustments to the starting lineup against Ghana, not because of what happened in the Mozambique match, but each game has its own requirements according to the opponent.
“Facing Ghana is tough; they are a good opponent, and we know what we need to do. We have players who are responsible and up to the challenge.
“We need commitment to our plans and strength in tackles. There were tough moments in the last match, and we must steer clear of the mistakes we made to win against Ghana.
“Every match has different circumstances; we do our part, and the players give their utmost effort. We work to win and achieve positive results.
“All teams are strong and evolving, but we are ready for tomorrow’s match, and we will fight for the win. I have confidence in my team.
“The Africa Cup of Nations is not an easy tournament, but you must know what you are doing in the upcoming matches.”
2023 AFCON: ‘You can criticise us when we’re eliminated, not now’ – Jordan Ayew
Crystal Palace and the Black Stars forward, Jordan Ayew, has urged Ghanaians to be patient and refrain from criticizing the national team till the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) is over.
Speaking to the media prior to the pivotal second group matchup with Egypt, Ayew addressed those who questioned the mounting worries following just one match.
The 32-year-old questioned the validity of the criticism, pointing out that the squad hasn’t yet been declared eliminated.
“Are we disqualified yet? We are not. When we are disqualified, then you can speak,” Ayew asserted during the press conference.
Ghana face Egypt on Thursday night in a must-win encounter to enhance their chances of progressing to the next stage of the AFCON 2023 tournament.
Ayew’s call for measured criticism reflects the intense scrutiny the Black Stars have faced, and the team aims to respond with a positive performance against Egypt.
2023 AFCON: Egypt vs. Ghana – Preview, prediction, team news, lineups
Two of the most successful nations in the continent go head to head in Group B of the Africa Cup of Nations when Egypt take on Ghana at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday.
While both nations are favourites to make it out of the group on paper, a disappointing opening-day outing has put them under pressure to get the result here and we anticipate an action-packed contest.
The game will kickoff at 20:00GMT(8pm).
Match preview
Record seven-time African champions Egypt were on the cusp of one of the biggest upsets in the opening round of the 2023 AFCON as they found themselves trailing to Mozambique in the final minutes of stoppage time.
Ranked 111th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, Mozambique turned in a superb team performance as Witi and Clesio Bauque struck in a three-minute spell to cancel out Mostafa Mohammed‘s first-half opener and put Os Mambas 2-1 up.
However, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah came up clutch for the Pharaohs as he kept his cool under pressure and converted his 97th-minute penalty to spare their blushes and force a share of the spoils.
Prior to that, Egypt were on a three-game winning streak — scoring 10 goals and keeping three clean sheets — a run which has seen them rise to first place in Group A of the World Cup qualifiers.
With Sunday’s result, Rui Vitoria‘s men have gone six consecutive games without defeat across all competitions, claiming four wins and two draws since last September’s 3-1 friendly defeat against Tunisia, and will now look to avoid failing to win their opening two games at the AFCON finals for the first time in over three decades.
The last time that Egypt failed to win their first two group-stage games at the tournament came in 1992, when they kicked off the campaign with a 1-0 loss to Zambia before suffering a 1-0 defeat against Thursday’s opponents Ghana.
The Black Stars enjoyed a smooth qualifying campaign as they finished as one of just three unbeaten nations, claiming three wins and three draws to pick up 12 points and clinch top spot in Group E.
However, they would suffer an even worse fate than Egypt in their group curtain-raiser as they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat at the hands of rank outsiders Cape Verde on Sunday evening.
Alexander Djiku grabbed his first goal for Ghana shortly before the hour mark to cancel out Jamiro Monteiro‘s first-half opener, but Garry Rodrigues struck in the 92nd minute to hand the Blue Sharks a deserved victory.
This was another dismal AFCON result for the four-time champions, who have now failed to win any of their last five matches in the tournament, losing three and claiming two draws since picking up a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in 2019.
Chris Hughton‘s side also suffered defeat in their opening game in Cameroon two years ago, losing 1-0 against Morocco, before they were stunned 3-2 by debutant Comoros, which saw their campaign come to an end in the group stages.
While Ghana will now look to avoid three consecutive AFCON losses for the very first time, they have lost three of their last four games against Egypt, with a 1-1 draw in the World Cup qualifiers back in November 2017 being the exception.
The last two AFCON encounters between the two nations have also seen the West African powerhouse suffer defeat, first in 2010 when they were beaten 1-0 in the final and most recently in 2017, when the Pharaohs picked a 1-0 victory in the group stages.
Egypt Africa Cup of Nations form:
Egypt form (all competitions):
Ghana Africa Cup of Nations form:
Ghana form (all competitions):
Team News
Salah was involved in both goals against Mozambique on Sunday, including his 56th international goal, and the Liverpool man will certainly be one to keep an eye out for.
The 31-year-old, who has four goal involvements in his last two games for Egypt, has also been on song for Liverpool this season, scoring 14 goals and setting up eight more in the Premier League, where the Red currently sit top of the table.
Salah should spearhead the Pharaohs’ attack once again, alongside Mohamed and Trabzonspor man Mahmoud Trezeguet, who made his 62nd international appearance at the weekend.
Arsenal man Mohamed Elneny, who has seen just 12 minutes of Premier League action this season, should retain his role in the centre of the park, forming the midfield trio with 29-year-old Hamdi Fathi and Zamek’s Zizo.
Egypt failed to impose themselves at the defensive end of the pitch against Mozambique last time out but we expect Vitoria to name an unchanged back four on Thursday.
That said, Mohamed Abdelmonem and former West Bromwich Albion man Ahmed Hegazy should form the centre-back pairing once again, with Mohamed Hany and Pyramids’ Mohamed Hamdi taking up the full-back roles.
As for Ghana, they continue to sweat over the fitness of West Ham United forward Mohammed Kudus, who was a notable absentee in their opening-day defeat against Cape Verde.
Kudus has been in fine form for West Ham, scoring 10 goals and providing one assist across all competitions since his arrival from Ajax in the summer.
Andre Ayew came off the bench in the 62nd minute against Cape Verde to become the first player to feature in eight different AFCON finals and the 34-year-old should start from the bench once again.
Egypt possible starting lineup:
El-Shenawy; Hany, Hegazy, Abdelmonem, Hamdi; Zizo, Elneny, Fathi; Salah, Mohamed, Trezeguet
Ghana possible starting lineup:
Ofori; Odoi, Dijku, Salisu, Mensah; Ashimeru, Baba, Paintsil, Kudus, J Ayew; Semenyo
We say: Egypt 2-1 Ghana
Having both failed to win their opening game, Egypt and Ghana know that Thursday’s result is pivotal in their push for a place in the knockout stages. Egypt are unbeaten in their last four games against the Black Stars and we are backing them to take the positives from Sunday’s draw and come away with a narrow victory at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny.
Source: Sportsmole.co.uk
2023 AFCON: Ivory Coast vs. Nigeria – Preview, prediction, team news, lineups
Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast will be looking to build on their opening-day victory and book a place in the knockout stages when they take on Nigeria at the Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé on Thursday.
Off the back of a 1-1 opening-day draw against Equatorial Guinea, the Super Eagles will head into the game looking to recover from their disappointing start and get their quest for continental glory back on track.
The game will kick off at 17:00GMT(5pm).
Match preview
Ivory Coast kicked off the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations as they would have hoped as they picked up a comfortable 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau last Saturday.
Al Nasr man Seko Fofana gave the hosts a dream start to the game as he curled home the opener inside the opening four minutes before Jean-Philippe Krasso put the result beyond doubt with a 58th-minute effort.
Jean-Louis Gasset‘s men have now gone seven consecutive games without defeat across all competitions, including four wins on the bounce since a 1-1 friendly draw against South Africa back in October.
This fine run of results has also seen Les Elephants pick up two wins in their two World Cup qualifying games as they hammered Seychelles 9-0 on November 17 before claiming a 2-0 victory over Gambia in Dar es Salaam.
Firing on all cylinders and with the backing of their home supporters, Ivory Coast now set out to pick up successive wins in their opening two games at the AFCON finals for the first time since 2013, when they edged out Togo and Tunisia before playing out a 2-2 draw with Algeria.
Incidentally, Nigeria won the title back in 2013, when they finished as runners-up in Group C before going all the way to the final, where they claimed a narrow 1-0 victory over Burkina Faso at the First National Bank Stadium.
The Super Eagles head into Thursday’s clash under more pressure as they were denied a winning start to the continental showpiece after playing out a 1-1 draw against Equatorial Guinea last Saturday.
Victor Osimhen restored parity less than two minutes after Iban Salvador netted against the run of play to put the Nzalang Nacional in front but the Super Eagles were guilty of a wasteful display in front of goal as they failed to tuck home any of their several clear-cut chances.
This was the latest in the worrying list of dismal results under Portuguese head coach Jose Peseiro, as Nigeria have now gone four back-to-back matches without a win across all competitions, losing once and picking up three draws since October’s 3-2 friendly victory over Mozambique.
The three-time African champions failed to win their two games in the World Cup qualifiers back in November as they were held to a share of the spoils by Lesotho and Zimbabwe, who are currently 148th and 124th in the FIFA World Rankings respectively.
While Nigeria need all three points to avoid the risk of a first group-stage exit since 1982, they will have to be at their best on Wednesday as AFCON hosts are unbeaten in 37 of their last 38 group-stage games and are currently on a run of 17 straight matches without defeat in the group stages since 2012.
The West African heavyweights will draw inspiration from their last AFCON encounter with Ivory Coast when they picked up a 2-1 victory over Les Elephants in the quarter-finals back in 2013 en route to clinching the title in South Africa.
Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations form:
Ivory Coast form (all competitions):
Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations form:
Nigeria form (all competitions):
Team News
Sebastian Haller was a notable absentee in last weekend’s opening game and the 29-year-old striker is a doubt for Thursday’s clash as he continues his recovery from an ankle injury.
While Haller is yet to find the back of the net for Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season, he has scored in three of his last four games for Ivory Coast since last October.
Krasso was trusted to spearhead the Les Elephants’ attack against Guinea-Bissau and the 26-year-old should team up with Jeremie Boga and Celta Vigo forward Jonathan Bamba.
Fofana netted the opening of the 2023 AFCON with a brilliant curler and the 28-year-old should retain his role in the centre of the park, alongside the experienced duo of Ibrahim Sangare and skipper Franck Kessie.
Sporting Lisbon man Ousmane Diomande made his AFCON debut at the weekend and should form the centre-back pairing with Evan Ndicka, while Wilfried Singo and Ghislain Konan should take up the full-back roles once again.
Alhassan Yusuf was stretchered off injured midway through the second half in Nigeria’s opener against Equatorial Guinea on Sunday and the Royal Antwerp midfielder is a major doubt for Thursday’s game.
Should he fail to shake off the injury, Southampton’s Joe Aribo should come into the fray for the Super Eagles, forming the midfield trio with the Premier League duo of Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi.
Osimhen opened his account at the AFCON with his equaliser against the Nzalang Nacional and the Napoli man should spearhead Nigeria’s attack once again, alongside Moses Simon and 26-year-old Ademola Lookman.
At the opposite end of the pitch, we expect an unchanged back four of Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, William Troost-Ekong and Porto full-back Zaidu Sanusi, with Chippa United man Stanley Nwabali starting between the sticks once again.
Ivory Coast possible starting lineup:
Y Fofana; Singo, Diomande, Ndicka, Konan; Kessie, Sangare, S Fofana; Boga, Krasso, Bamba
Nigeria possible starting lineup:
Nwabali; Aina, Ajayi, Troost-Ekong, Sanusi; Onyeka, Aribo, Iwobi; Simon, Lookman, Osimhen
We say: Ivory Coast 2-2 Nigeria
Ivory Coast head into this one with sky-high confidence following their solid display against Guinea-Bissau. However, we expect their defence to be put to the test on Thursday, given Nigeria’s talented attacking unit led by Osimhen. We predict that both sides will cancel out each other’s efforts and settle for a share of the spoils.
Source: Sportsmole.co.uk
2023 AFCON: DR Congo miss chances in draw with neighbours Zambia
By Mark Gleeson
The Democratic Republic of Congo squandered a number of chances in a 1-1 draw with Zambia, who took the lead thanks to quick-thinking before being swiftly pegged back in their Africa Cup of Nations Group F clash at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Wednesday.
Kings Kangwa put Zambia ahead in the 23rd minute with an innovative effort but their neighbours equalised within four minutes through Yoane Wissa.
The two countries were the last to make their bow at the tournament in the Ivory Coast after favourites Morocco had beaten Tanzania 3-0 in the opening group game earlier at the same stadium.
The clash felled both players and the ball went out of play but Daka reacted quickly to take the throw-in which went back to team mate Kangwa.
He hit it goalward from well outside the Congolese penalty area and watched in delight as it bounced between two scrambling defenders and into the empty net with Mpasi late in getting back to his goal.
But as innovative as the Zambian effort was, the response from the Congolese four minutes later was classic in its construction. Midfielder Gael Kakuta hit a perfect pass over the midfield for Cedric Bakambu to run on to and he, in turn, played his square pass with precision for Wissa to tuck away.
The Congolese went close to going ahead three minutes after, but veteran defender Stoppila Sunzu, who was in Zambia’s 2012 Cup of Nations winning side, cleared off the line from Bakambu.
Congo were awarded a penalty on the hour mark when Zambia right back Tandi Mwape slipped as he attempted to block a cross and it looked as if the ball had rolled over his hand. But a lengthy VAR check eventually decided it had come off his chest.
There were good chances for Theo Bongonda, Bakambu and Wissa in the final 15 minutes as the Congolese pressed for the win.
Substitutes Simon Banza and Silas Katompa had even better opportunities in the closing minutes as the Zambia defence looked panicky and desperate for the contest to end.
The Congolese next face Morocco on Sunday, which will be followed by Tanzania against Zambia.
Source: Reuters
2023 AFCON: Morocco maul Tanzania in Group F opener
The Atlas Lions of Morocco cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Tanzania at the Stade Laurent Pokou In their opening game at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.
The Moroccans from the start took a total dominance of the game and created all the goal scoring opportunities.
The 2022 World Cup semifinalist shot into the lead and it was Hakim Ziyech who saw his free kick parried out by Salum Manula only for oncoming Roman Saiss to pounce on for the game’s opener.
Novatus Miroshi was shown second yellow card and Tanzania were reduced to ten men in the 70th minute and Walid Regragui aided Morocco’s absolute control of the game from there.
Luck had s no place in this game as Morocco worked their way up to the cushioning through Azzedine Ounahi who after receiving a pass inside the box and without hesitation powered a thunderbolt to the underside of the goal for a 2-0 lead at 77 minutes.
Yousseff En Nesyri scored his own and Morocco’s third after receiving a pass inside the penalty area from Achraf Hakimi and showed composure before finding the far corner of goal to put Morocco 3-0 up against Tanzania. The goal stood after VAR review.
Morocco will play DR Congo next.
DAY 5: 2023/24 Ashanti Regional Inter-school Boys’ Soccer Competition: KASS beat Adu Gyamfi to set up final against Sakafia SHS
After several days of exciting scenes and scintillating performances, the 2023/24 Ashanti Regional Inter-school Boys’ Soccer Competition will be climaxed with the final fixture between Sakafia SHS and Kumasi Anglican Senior High School.
Sakafia SHS reached the final after edging out Prempeh College through a penalty shootout after a goalless draw.
Four-time champions KASS also advanced to the final after dumping former winners Adu Gyamfi SHS.
The final is slated for Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi. The game is scheduled to kick off at 15:00 GMT (3p.m.).
Sakafia SHS, following an impressive display in this year’s tournament and having ousted giants T.I. Amass, will be hoping to win the trophy for the first time on Thursday.
The final duel promises to be cagey, as both sides have been amazing among the 32 schools that started the competition on Thursday, January 11, 2024.
Prempeh College will battle Adu Gyamfi SHS for third place at 12:00 PM.
Semifinal results
Prempeh College 0-0 Sakafia SHS
*Sakafia won 5-4 on penalties.
KASS 0-0 Adu Gyamfi SHS
*KASS won 5-4 on penalties.
Third Place – Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 12PM
Prempeh College vs Adu Gyamf SHS
FINAL – 3pm
Sakafia SHS vs Kumasi Anglican SHS
2023 AFCON: Mali outclass South Africa in opener
Mali signalled their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Cote d’Ivoire 2023 intent by comfortably defeating South Africa 2-0 in Tuesday’s Group E encounter.
In an open start, both sides traded blows before Sekou Koita and Lassine Sinayoko goals earned Mali victory in Korhogo.
Mali should have led on four minutes but Lassine Sinayoko was denied by Ronwen Williams’ reflex save.
At the other end, Percy Tau forced a good stop from Djigui Diarra after racing through on goal.
Tau then blew the chance to give Bafana Bafana the lead, blazing a 19th-minute penalty over the bar after VAR awarded the spot-kick.
Mali cranked up the pressure after the break, Amadou Haidara clipping the bar before Hamari Traore bundled in the opener on the hour mark.
Five minutes later, Sinayoko drilled a low shot through Williams’ legs to double Mali’s advantage and put them firmly in control.
South Africa rallied late on but Themba Zwane’s free-kick cannoned off the woodwork as they slipped to defeat.
The win sees Mali top Group E on goal difference from Namibia, who shocked Tunisia 1-0 earlier on Tuesday.
But on this evidence, a slick Mali side boasting quality like Yves Bissouma, Amadou Haidara and Koita have the tools to go far in Cote d’Ivoire.
2023 AFCON: Namibia stun Tunisia with late thunderbolt
Namibia produced one of the all-time TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations shocks by defeating 2004 champions Tunisia 1-0 in Tuesday’s Group E opener.
In a cagey first half of few chances, both sides lacked sharpness before Brave Warriors’ late thunderbolt stole the points.
The Carthage Eagles dominated possession but struggled to penetrate a resolute Namibian backline marshalled by Ivan Kamberipa.
Captain Youssef Msakni tested Lloyd Kazapua with a curled effort but the Tunisians grew frustrated as the game wore on.
Yet while the Brave Warriors lacked attacking spark, their tireless industry and organisation kept a star-studded Tunisia at bay.
As a famous upset loomed ever larger, the minnows delivered a hammer blow in the 89th minute.
Deon Hotto latched onto a long ball over the top and outpaced the defence before coolly slotting past Bechir Ben Said.
The Orlando Pirates winger thought he had doubled the lead when the offside flag denied him another historic strike.
But one goal proved enough as Namibia’s warriors held on for the clean sheet to claim a monumental three points.
Few observers gave the southern underdogs hope before the tournament began but now sides in the tournament will give them serious attention thanks to the massive shock on Tuesday.
But this shock victory over one of Africa’s giants has given them a good chance of progressing from Group E.
Namibia tops Group E with 3 points as South Africa prepare to play Mali in the group’s other game on the day.
The Carthage will have to recover against Mali on January 20 while Namibia come up against regional foes South Africa on January 21.
Post Match facts
● Namibia have won their first game in their Africa Cup of Nations history, playing their 10th game in the competition (D2 L7).
● Tunisia have failed to score in six of their last eight Africa Cup of Nations games, as many as in their previous 24 games in the competition.
● Tunisia have failed to win their last five opening games in the Africa Cup of Nations, after already doing so for seven AFCONs in a row between 1978 and 2002 ; Tunisia is the only team to have two five-game winless streaks in AFCON opening games.
● Tunisia have conceded two of their last three goals in Africa Cup of Nations after the 87th minute ; the first one happened against Gambia last AFCON and also meant a last-minute defeat in Group phase.
● Namibia have kept the first clean sheet in their Africa Cup of Nations history, after conceding an average 2.66 goals per game in their nine previous games in the competition.
● Taha Khenissi is the first Tunisian player to be subbed off after playing less than 15 minutes in an Africa Cup of Nations game, since Opta collects this data (2010).
● Peter Shalulile (Namibia) has shot six times, including three times on target : these are two all-time best for a Namibian player in an Africa Cup of Nations game since Opta collects this data (2010). Moreover, Shalulile recorded 1,15 Expected Goals, more than the whole Tunisian team (0,69).