2012 Africa Cup of Nations-Fixtures,News etc

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Fixtures and tables for the qualifiers for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations to be co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
Holders: Egypt

Group A
P W D L GF GA Pts
Eq Guinea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Libya 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Senegal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Zambia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
21/01/12: Equatorial Guinea v Libya, Bata
21/01/12: Senegal v Zambia, Bata
25/01/12: Libya v Zambia, Bata
25/01/12: Equatorial Guinea v Senegal, Bata
29/01/12: Equatorial Guinea v Zambia, Malabo
29/01/12: Libya v Senegal, Bata

Group B

P W D L GF GA Pts

Ivory C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Sudan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Burkina F 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Angola 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
22/01/12: Ivory Coast v Sudan, Malabo
22/01/12: Burkina Faso v Angola, Malabo
26/01/12: Sudan v Angola, Malabo
26/01/12: Ivory Coast v Burkina Faso, Malabo
30/01/12: Sudan v Burkina Faso, Bata
30/01/12: Ivory Coast v Angola, Malabo

Group C

P W D L GF GA Pts

Gabon 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Niger 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Morocco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Tunisia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23/01/12: Gabon v Niger, Libreville
23/01/12: Morocco v Tunisia, Libreville
27/01/12: Niger v Tunisia, Libreville
27/01/12: Gabon v Morocco, Libreville
31/01/12: Gabon v Tunisia, Franceville
31/01/12: Niger v Morocco, Libreville

Group D

P W D L GF GA Pts

Ghana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


Botswana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Mali 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Guinea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

24/01/12: Ghana v Botswana, Franceville
24/01/12: Mali v Guinea, Franceville
28/01/12: Botswana v Guinea, Franceville
28/01/12: Ghana v Mali, Franceville
01/02/12: Botswana v Mali, Libreville
01/02/12: Ghana v Guinea, Franceville

Quarter-Finals:
1. 04/02/12: 1st A v 2nd B, Bata
2. 04/02/12: 1st B v 2nd A, Malabo
3. 05/02/12: 1st C v 2nd D, Libreville
4. 05/02/12: 1st D v 2nd C, Franceville

Semi-Finals:
08/02/12: QF1 winner v QF4 winner, Bata
08/02/12: QF3 winner v QF2 winner, Libreville
3rd place play-off: 11/02/2012, Malabo
Final: 12/02/2012, Libreville

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Botswana's Mogorosi to miss Nations Cup with broken arm
Africa Cup of Nations debutants Botswana have suffered yet another blow after winger Joel Mogorosi was ruled out of the finals.

Mogorosi fractured his lower left arm during training on Wednesday evening in Douala, Cameroon, where the team is presently on a 10-day training camp.

Botswana's FA plans to call up Township Rollers midfielder Abednico Powell.

"Joel has been ruled out of the tournament because of the injury," said BFA media officer Sakaeyo Jani.

"He broke the bone between his elbow and wrist," Jani told BBC Sport.

Zebras coach Stanley Tshosane already has to do without his most capped player Diphetogo 'Dipsy' Selolwane, who will miss the opening Group D game against Ghana on Tuesday owing to suspension.

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Ghana arrived in Gabon for the African Cup of Nations, late Friday from their pre-competition camp in South Africa.

The Black Stars touched down in the capital Libreville before transferring to its base in the country’s second city, Franceville.

Goran Stevanovic’s team plays debutant, Botswana in their opening match in Group D on Tuesday before games against Mali and Guinea, all at Stade de Franceville.

Ghana, four-time African champions completed its preparations with a 2-0 win over South African club side Platinum Stars on Wednesday.

Source: Ghanafa.org

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The build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations risks being overshadowed, with teams complaining about the accommodation provided.

Zambia are among a number of sides to claim their preparations have been disrupted, after switching hotels.

The Chipolopolo are based in Bata, Equatorial Guinea, ahead of their first game against Senegal on Saturday.

"The first hotel we got was not of the standing of the Africa Cup of Nations," Zambia coach Herve Renard said."I think people need to have respect for the Zambian national team. It's not our first qualification," he told the BBC.

"If you look at the background of Zambia, we are all the time qualifying, except maybe one time in 2004.

"Maybe we are not the best, maybe we are not a team with a big name, but we deserve respect."

The French coach also said that he blamed Zambia's football federation for poor organisation, adding that "there are people in our federation who didn't do their jobs".

Zambia are not the only team unhappy with their accommodation, with tournament favourites Ivory Coast also considering switching hotels.

Upon arrival at their base in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinea capital, an Ivorian official told BBC Sport that they considered swapping their base for Libreville in co-host country Gabon.Burkina Faso have also complained about their Malabo base, with their coach Paulo Duarte claiming his team have been unfairly discriminated against since their arrival at the tournament.

"When we arrived here, they gave us a restaurant/cafe to sleep in. It wasn't even a hotel," he said.

"There was no video room, no conference room. Each time we have to improvise. That's what the Nations Cup is like."

Duarte also complained that his team's main group rivals - Ivory Coast and Angola - receive preferential treatment.

"They are protected. Everyone here is not working in the same conditions," he said.

"Some teams have journeys of 10 or 15 minutes to get to training, while we have to travel for one hour along a winding road to have a session."

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) have responded, saying the allocation of team hotels was conducted by lots "to avoid any injustice".

"Burkina Faso's hotel was initially situated one or two kilometres from the training centre," Caf General Secretary Hicham El Amrani said.

"If they had remained in the hotel which had been allocated to them, they would have been right beside the training ground."

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Africa Cup of Nations 2012 Senegal v Zambia
Venue: Estadio De Bata Group: Group A Date: Saturday, 21 January Kick-off: 2100 GMT Coverage: Watch live on Eurosport; live text commentary and full report plus reaction on the BBC Sport website
TEAM NEWS
Neither Senegal nor Zambia have any injury concerns as both sides prepare for their Group A opener.

Coach Amara Traore does have a major decision to make up front though, where he must choose which of his top strikers starts on the bench.

Demba Ba, Moussa Sow, Souleymane Camara and Papiss Demba Cisse are fighting to start alongside captain Mamadou Niang.

Meanwhile, Zambia coach Herve Renard will reveal who he has chosen to replace absent striker Jacob Mulenga.

MATCH PREVIEW
Senegal are one of the tournament favourites following their fine qualifying campaign and abundance of talent in attack.

Boasting stellar forwards and a mean defence, the Teranga Lions are tipped to go far at this year's finals even if coach Amara Traore is trying to downplay expectations.

"We are not the favorites, but Senegal has ambition,'' he said. "We have a lot of motivation to win the first match so we can relax a bit for the second game.''

Traore is expected to field Kader Mangane and Souleymane Diawara in central defence, with Wigan's Mohamed Diame bossing the centre of midfield.

For Zambia, a clash with Senegal at a Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon immediately conjures up memories of the tragedy in 1993, when 19 Zambian footballers died in a plane crash.

Their vessel came down off the coast of Gabon en route to a World Cup qualifier in Gabon and many in the squad have spoken of the need to represent the fallen heroes in a suitable fashion.

"The souls are still there and we have to do something about what happened to that team which perished in Gabon," captain Chris Katongo told BBC Sport.

The Chipolopolo's preparations were disrupted after being forced to move hotel but coach Renard says the incident is over and has spoken of the need to focus on the tournament.

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Mali international Mohamed Fofana has been declared unfit for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations after he picked a groin injury during a pre-tournament match with the Eagles.

The 26-year-old Toulouse defender will be flown to France on Friday for treatment and might stay out of the pitch for a period of three weeks, according to Mali coach Frenchman Alain Giresse.
Fofana is one of the team’s key defenders and his absence is a blow to Mali, who are hoping to right the wrongs of the past editions this time at the Gabon / Equatorial Guinea 2012.
Mali are drawn in Group D against Ghana, Botswana and Guinea, and will begin their campaign against the Syli National on January 24 at the Stade de Franceville.

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Zambia earned an excellent opening day 2-1 win over fancied Senegal in Group A of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Emmanuel Mayuka opened the scoring for Zambia after 12 minutes, with Rainford Kalaba doubling their lead seven minutes later.

Senegal substitute Dame Ndoye pulled one back for Senegal with a beautifully taken strike.

But the Teranga Lions proved sluggish throughout and wasted a handful of chances to level the tie.

Zambia started brightly, while Senegal struggled to get into the match. The Chipolopolo made their early pressure pay, with Mayuka catching the Senegalese defence napping as he converted a looping ball with a smart header.

Minutes later, the Zambians stunned the team many have tipped for the trophy, by going 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.

This time it was Rainford Kalaba who beat the Senegalese offside trap and finished coolly.Zambia thrived on the lively atmosphere in the ground - with many fans still celebrating Equatorial Guinea's 1-0 win over Libya - while the Senegalese laboured.

Senegal coach Amara Traore reacted by making several changes, which helped his team to get a foothold in the game.

Substitue Dam Ndoye made an impact, but wasted the first of a number of excellent chances before finding the net with a wonderful strike.

The Copenhagen forward collected Guirane Ndaw's excellent ball and fired in a beautiful diagonal shot on the half volley past Kennedy Mweene.

Traore brought on Newcastle new-boy Papiss Demba Cisse, who also made an immediate impact, sending in a brilliant cross for his new club-mate Demba Ba, who slammed his header against the woodwork, when it should have hit the net.

Senegal continued to search for an equaliser, but Zambia held on to give Herve Renard's side a great start to the Cup of Nations.The coach hailed his players' effort afterwards, saying the result was not a surprise for them.

"It's fantastic to beat Senegal," Renard said.

"We knew [that] to score [we had] to play behind their backs, because they have very strong players in the air.

"We did that to perfection in the first half. It's not a surprise for us."

"It's only the result of a lot of hard work. We knew we were able to do that," he added.

"And we were a bit lucky in the second half because they hit the post."

Traore expressed his frustration with his team's performance, but said they still have a chance of progressing.

"The first half was a calamity," Traore said.

"Zambia caused us a lot of discomfort and did more running.

"But we still have a chance to get through. Tonight changes nothing."

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Eq Guinea squad earn US$1m for Libya win
US$20,000 will also be awarded for every goal the co-hosts manage to score during each game.

Co-hosts Equatorial Guinea pulled off a shock by beating Libya 1-0 in the opening game of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Former Real Madrid player Javier Balboa scored a dramatic late winner when curling home with three minutes left.

The result means the Equatorial Guinea squad will receive one million dollars from President Obiang Nguema's son.

The National Lightning thought they had scored early on only for Ivan Bolado's shot to be ruled out for offside.In an extraordinary sequence of events in the 16th minute, the co-hosts had the ball in the Libyan net on two occasions in the space of a few seconds only to not be awarded a goal.

After captain Juvenal's deflected shot came back off the post, goalkeeper Samir Aboud made a meal of Ivan Bolado's effort as the Libya captain let the ball squirm under his body and over the line.

Officials ruled out the strike for offside however after Thierry Fidjeu was adjudged to be interfering with play - with the drama magnified by the net bulging as a scrambled clearance rebounded into the net.

Libya, who qualified for the finals against the odds, forced Confederation of African Football officials to remove the old Muammar Gaddafi-associated flag from its tournament website ahead of a match which they started strongly.

However, they allowed the co-hosts to take control in the middle period of the first half as Randy, Juvenal Edjogo and Balboa impressed on the counter-attack, even if one of the best chances came from a corner as Fousseny Kamisoko headed wide.

At the other end, Libya were struggling to create any clear-cut chances - with Ahmed Zuway toiling alone up front despite some bright play from midfielder Walid El Khatroushi, who fought for the rebels during the anti-Gaddafi revolution.


In the second period, Equatorial Guinea - who were playing their first competitive match under a coach who took charge just 18 days ago - were again slow to make any impression on the half.

But Balboa's effort midway through the first half was well-blocked by Abdulaziz Berrish before central defender Laurence Doe stung the palms of Aboud with a thunderous 30-yard free-kick.

With Libya restricted to half-chances, the finals' opening game looked set to end in a lacklustre draw until substitute Daniel-Bladimiar Ekedo played in Balboa just a minute after a coming on.

Steadying himself on the edge of the box with his first touch, Balboa - who played a handful of games for Madrid in 2007 - advanced on Aboud before opening his body to curl into the top corner.

The late strike sparked the game into life as Danilo smartly tipped a fierce drive from Libyan midfielder Djamal around the corner, only for the co-hosts to instantly break free at the other end.

Narcisse Ekanga must have thought he had won the game as he crashed a curling 20-yard shot against the crossbar with the outside of his right foot, but to the delight of a packed house the co-hosts did not have to wait long for the final whistle.

Saturday's victory was a bittersweet event as regular captain Rodolfo Bodipo, who came on as a late substitute, was stretchered off with an injury - but that will be an idle thought for many Equatoguineans as the country celebrates its Nations Cup debut with a famous win.

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Ivory Coast beats Sudan,Angola defeats B'Faso in African Cup

Didier Drogba scored from a first-half header as pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast opened its African Cup of Nations campaign with a 1-0 win against Sudan on Sunday.
Drogba's header thumped into the back of the net from Chelsea teammate Salomon Kalou's cross in the 39th minute to cap a period of constant pressure.
Arsenal striker Gervinho had several chances to extend the lead but his finishing let him down, forcing Ivory Coast to endure a nervous finale.
Ranked more than 100 places below Ivory Coast, Sudan went closest when Mudathir El-Taieb's shot rattled the crossbar just before halftime.
Drogba led Ivory Coast's attack, with Yaya Toure positioned in an advanced midfield position to link moves and offer support.
Sudan coach Mohamed Abdallah opted for a single striker as his team aimed to provide an upset against Ivory Coast's highly paid superstars.
Angola 2, Burkina Faso 1
Angola joined Ivory Coast in winning its opening match at the African Cup of Nations on Sunday by beating Burkina Faso from Manucho's long-range strike in the second half.
The former Manchester United forward struck in the 68th minute after Alain Traore had leveled for Burkina Faso from a free kick in the 57th.
Mateus Da Costa had put Angola ahead in the 48th following a forgettable first half.
Both Angola goals came from defensive blunders.
Group B fixtures continue Thursday. Group C opens tomorrow with Gabon vs. Niger and Morocco vs. Tunisia.

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Ten-man Ghana got their 2012 Africa Cup of Nations campaign underway with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Botswana in Franceville on Tuesday.

Captain John Mensah got the only goal of the game when he bundled in the opener on 25 minutes.

But the France-based defender was sent off in the second-half which led to some anxious moments for Ghana later in the game.

Mensah reacted quickly to bundle the ball home from close range after Emmanuel Agyemang Badu's corner kick failed to find Asamoah Gyan's head.

Gyan could have doubled the Black Stars lead just before the break when he beat his two markers but his shot from the edge of the box went just wide.

The Zebras returned from the interval and did away with their ultra-defensive style of play which caused some anxious moments for Ghana.

A classic acrobatic goal-line clearance from man-of-the-match John Boye prevented the southern Africans from drawing level after Mongala Phenyo's header left Adam Kwarasey with no chance.

Ghana responded immediately with Andre Ayew decieving his three markers but his shot was blocked by rough tackling defender Ramobihidu Mosimanegape.

The Zebras continued with their pressure on the Black Stars and when Masahudu Alhassan mistakenly headed into the path of Phenyo but John Mensah had no option but to foul him at the edge of the box.

The Ghana captain was sent off for the professional foul on the last man that left Ghana with ten players with several minutes of play left.

But quick changes with Jonathan Mensah coming on to fortify the defence helped the Black Stars to secure the win in their opening game.


Source: ghanafa.org

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Tunisia captain Karim Hagui said his young side want to write history by winning the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Carthage Eagles defeated the Morocco 2-1 in Monday's Group C game at Libreville's L'Amitie Stadium, prompting hope of a second continental title in eight years.

"We deserved to win as we played a really good game," Hagui said.

"Tunisia's new generation wants to write its own history and looking at the potential of these young players that we've got, I really hope we can write it at this Nations Cup."

Coach Sami Trabelsi also sounded enthusiastic about the victory as Tunisia aim to win their second Afcon trophy.

Tunisia won last year’s Championship of African Nations and will hope that Gabon becomes another fruitful hunting ground for them.

"It's a precious win, which is going to help us in our journey during this cup," Trabelsi said.

"We were up against a technically very good side, but my men were excellent on the level of tactics and the aggression they showed. Without our spirit and aggression we wouldn't have won."

Tunisia will next take on debutants Niger before their final group game against hosts Gabon.

"The competition is long, it's just one win and we have more matches to come. I hope we can qualify," Trabelsi said.

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Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan is expecting plenty more shock results at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations.

Following Senegal's upset 2-1 loss to Zambia on the opening day of the tournament and victories by co-hosts Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the Al Ain forward has warned his team-mates to guard against complacency.

"I predicted that there would be a lot of surprises in this competition, and already we have seen some," Gyan said.

"There will be more. That is why Ghana will not underrate any team in this tournament."

The west Africans are looking to win their fifth Cup of Nations trophy and their first since 1982.

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Samuel Eto'o has backed Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba to lift the Orange Africa Cup of Nations.

The 30-year-old striker is in Libreville as an ambassador of SANS SIDA, a non-government organisation fighting Aids, founded by Gabonese first lady Sylivia Bongo Ondimba.Eto'o, in a blue suit and tie, at first declined to talk about football other than his mission, but could not resist endorsing his friend Drogba, 33, to lead the Elephants to victory. "I am wishing Drogba all the best. At his age, he needs the victory more," he said.

Cameroon along with other regular campaigners Nigeria and Egypt did not make it to the 2012 finals. Cameroon finished second behind Senegal.

On his mission, he appealed to everyone on the continent to fight Aids.


"Roger Milla influenced my career and I want every young kid to have a role model. Let us try to be open with the young society about the danger of the Aids. It should not be a taboo," the four times Africa Football player said.

Eto'o was suspended for 15 months by the Cameroon Federation after the team refused to play a friendly match against Algeria in November. However after a public outcry, the ban was early this month reduced to eight months, meaning he will miss four competitive matches. This was after the intervention of country's president Paul Biya who, asked the federation to reconsider the controversial sanction.

The celebrated striker currently plays his club football in Russia with Anzhi.

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Two-match ban for Ghana's Mensah
Ghana's hero-to-zero defender John Mensah will not be involved against Mali and Guinea in the rest of the team's group games in the Nations Cup.

In the 66th minute, the sturdy backliner was red carded as he fouled his Botswana opponent, Jerome Ramatlhakwane. The player was on his way to a certain goal scoring chance when Mensah, the last man, fouled him.

According to Confederation of African Football rules, Mensah will have a two-game ban. John Mensah, 29, will sit out the next two crucial games. Options for Ghana in his place are John Boye, Jonathan Mensah and Lee Addy. Should Ghana fail to make it past the group stage, Mensah’s Nations Cup campaign would be over already.

The red card is John Mensah's second in his African Cup career, having taken one for the team similarly in 2008 against Nigeria. On that occasion, Ghana won 2-1 to advance to the semi-final.

It is not clear if Ghana will appeal the decision, which appeared very right from the referee. As for John Mensah himself, he said: "I have no problem with the red card, the referee made his decision and that's football."

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, son of Equatorial Guinea's president, has honoured his promise to pay the Nations Cup co-hosts' squad $1m (£641,000).

He handed over a cheque to captain Juvenal Edjogo on Tuesday afternoon.

Obiang, the country's agriculture minister, had promised the players the money if they beat Libya in the opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations.The National Lightning won 1-0 but left it late with Javier Balboa earning the win just three minutes from time.


Balboa himself earned an extra $20,000 for scoring the goal on Saturday, as did Ivan Bolado.

Bolado had the ball in the Libyan net in the first half, only for the goal to be disallowed, but Obiang overlooked this as he handed over the money.

'Serious concerns'

Known as Teodorin in Equatorial Guinea, Obiang also pledged more bonuses to the squad should they continue their Group A success.

Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue with the cheque he handed to the squad
But rights groups have expressed concern about the prize money.

"It is remarkable that the president's son has managed to find such a large amount of cash to help motivate his team to win. But the question must be, where has this money come from?" Adrian Lovett, Europe director for the campaign group One, told the BBC in a statement.

Last year, the US government began legal proceedings to recover assets worth more than $70m from Obiang, who is accused of using his ministerial position to plunder Equatorial Guinea's wealth.

Most residents of Equatorial Guinea, where President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been in power for more than three decades, live below the poverty line - despite the country's vast oil revenues.

"It raises serious concerns when a government official like Teodorin gets enormously wealthy in a country with widespread poverty, especially when the government operates in secrecy by refusing to publish its budgets or reveal how much money it receives from oil," Tutu Alicante, executive director of non-governmental E Guinea squad handed cash bonusorganisation EG Justice, told the BBC.

EG Justice and One want the European Union to adopt new rules to force multinational companies operating in Equatorial Guinea to publish the payments they make to the government for the right to extract oil.

Obiang refused to divulge how much money he would give the national football squad but news of future bonuses may boost the players ahead of their second match against Senegal on Wednesday.

This is the co-hosts' final match in Bata, the Equatoguinean city on the African mainland, with their last group match against Zambia taking place in the capital Malabo on 29 January.

Equatorial Guinea, the lowest-ranked team at the finals according to Fifa, currently lie second in Group A, trailing the Zambian group leaders on goals scored alone.

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A last-gasp Kily screamer saw Equatorial Guinea shock Senegal 2-1 in their African Cup of Nations Group A match - sending Senegal out and the co-hosts into the quarter-finals.

After a dreary first half the co-hosts, made up largely of semi-pro players from Spain's lower leagues, went for pre-tournament favourites Senegal and were rewarded when Randy met Kily's fine cross with a 62nd-minute header.

Senegal, for whom star player Demba Ba was disappointing, threw everything at the Equatoguineans in the latter stages, and drew level with a minute left when substitute Moussa Sow finished from close range.

But in their eagerness to win the match Senegal left huge gaps at the back and, deep into injury time, a stunning long-range drive from right-back Kily sent the home fans and players into delirium.

Equatorial Guinea - who had never qualified for an African Cup of Nations - now have six points, having won their opener 1-0 against Libya; Senegal's second defeat means they cannot qualify, with Zambia on four points following a 2-2 draw with the Libyans.

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Black stars defender John Boye has expressed joy after picking up the Man –of- the-match award in Ghana’s group opener against Bostwana at the African cup of nations tournament on Tuesday.

John Boye made a timely goal line clearance to deny Botswana an equalizer which could have changed the course of the game. The Rennes player is playing because of first choice Isaac Vorsah’s two match suspension.

He told Joy Sports that, he took advantage of the situation to establish himself in the team.

“I’m grateful to God and I hope to build upon this in the upcoming games”. Said Boye

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Goran Stevanovic is ruing the absence of John Mensah who is suspended for Ghana's next two games at the African Cup of Nations.

Mensah was dismissed in the Group D opener against Botswana after he scored to give the Black Stars a 1-0 win at the Stade de Franceville on Tuesday.

Stevanovic would now miss his captain for the Group D matches against Mali and Guinea.

"I'm worried because Mensah is very difficult to replace," he said. "He played well against Botswana but then got sent off."

However, the Ghana coach is equally happy with the options available and his team would be ready for Mali on Saturday.

"But while we were training in South Africa, I told the players that I need every one of them for this competition and so I have 20 other players who could replace him and we will be ready for Mali."



Source: Ghanafa.org

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Ivory Coast beat Burkina Faso 2-0 in Malabo to reach the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Chelsea's Salomon Kalou opened the scoring from close range in the 16th minute and Bakary Kone headed an own goal eight minutes from time.

However, an Ivory Coast side featuring six Premier League players were far from convincing as Burkina Faso enjoyed much of the possession.

Burkina Faso are out of the tournament after two defeats in a row.

The minnows were the more cohesive of the two sides but failed to create any clear-cut chances.

Kalou put the Ivorians ahead against the run of play from just outside the six-yard box, shortly after Jonathan Pitroipa's claims for a penalty were turned down.

Burkina Faso responded to falling behind in the form of several long-range efforts from midfielder Alain Traore, the closest coming when he hit the side-netting with a left-footed drive.

At the other end, Gervinho shot over the crossbar after being set up by Didier Drogba, who also failed to keep his shot down from distance.

Ivory Coast were largely unimpressive, though, and were therefore grateful when substitute Arthur Boka's looping cross was headed into his own net by Burkina Faso defender Kone.

Ivory Coast lead Group B with six points from two games, with Angola two points adrift in second following their 2-2 draw with Sudan earlier on Thursday.

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Botswana players at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations are demanding to each be paid 100,000 Pula (about $15,000) for making the final 23-man squad for the tournament.

They each received about $3,000 for bagging the country’s first-ever Nations Cup finals ticket.

Last week, officials of the Botswana Football Association (BFA) met with the players over the cash demands they made in November.

Before a warm-up match against Zimbabwe they threatened to go on strike until their monetary demands were met.

The BFA have insisted they do not have the cash to meet the players’ demand, but coach Stanley Tshosane said last week that the government has promised the team “some money”.

Tshosane has also said a cash boost would help his team past Guinea in a crucial Nations Cup Group D match in Franceville on Saturday.

“There are a lot of things the players are not happy with and it is high time they were given money to boost their morale,” urged the 55-year-old coach, whose contract will only be discussed after the Nations Cup.

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Ghana star striker Asamoah Gyan limped out of his team’s training on Thursday with a suspected ankle injury.

The UAE-based Gyan, who was a major doubt for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations on account of a hamstring injury he received last month, started the Ghana training with the rest of the squad.

However, the former Rennes player was soon forced out of the session and then had his right ankle wrapped with an ice pack.

He was then accompanied by a team official to the team's hotel, a walking distance from the training ground, for a further assessment of the injury.

"We have to do more tests to know how serious this injury is," said one official.

Skipper John Mensah also did not train for the second day running because of what Ghana team doctor Percy Annan said was a muscle contusion, but will not keep him out of the rest of the tournament.

Ghana face fellow west Africans Mali Saturday in a Nations Cup Group D match in Franceville.

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Gabon snatched a late winner to progress to the Africa Cup of Nations last eight as they beat Morocco 3-2.

Morocco had led 1-0 for much of the game, through captain Houssine Kharjah's first-half opener.

But goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Daniel Cousin put the co-hosts ahead, before Kharjah's penalty looked to have levelled it up.

Bruno Zita Mbanangoye then curled in a free-kick deep into injury time to seal a dramatic win and send Morocco out.

The frenetic atmosphere in Libreville added to a match that swung back and forth, but ultimately saw the Gabonese come out on top in stunning fashion.

The Moroccans had initially threatened to spoil the party mood, and were much improved from their 2-1 defeat by Tunisia, with captain Houssine Kharjah opening the scoring on 24 minutes.

Kharjah collected a pinpoint pass from Belhanda, before swapping to his left leg and burying it coolly to Gabon goalkeeper Didier Ovono's left.


Morocco protected their lead by getting in some meaty challenges on the Gabonese, who improved as the game went on, but struggled to take advantage of their opponents conceding a string of free-kicks.

Atlas Lions coach Eric Gerets had made four changes to his line-up and they appeared to be telling, but it was the Gabonese changes in the second half that would alter the course of the game dramatically.

Former Hull City and Rangers defender Cousin came on and immediately began hooking up well with the dynamic and pacey Aubameyang.

The co-hosts piled on the pressure and it paid off on 77 minutes.

Cousin nodded on strongly from a throw-in and Aubameyang steadied himself, before lashing in a wonderful left-foot volley to bring the fans down onto the running track in celebration.

And the Libreville crowd were in raptures again almost immediately, as Cousin made it two goals in as many minutes.

Aubameyang this time turned provider, picking out Cousin in the middle of the area, and the substitute swivelled, before scuffing a shot which trickled into the corner past a stranded Nadir Lamyaghri in the Moroccan goal.

Gabon thought they had won it with that second, but there was more drama to come as Morocco won a penalty for a handball by Moussono in the box, which Kharjah coolly dispatched low to Ovono's left, trebling his tally for the tournament.

But there was one more twist in the tail of an incredible climax, as Mehdi Benatia was very lucky not to see red with a reckless challenge on Andre Biyogo Poko at the edge of the area, conceding a free-kick in a dangerous area.

Up stepped another substitute Bruno Zita Mbanangoye, who whipped in a stunning match-winning free-kick from the edge of the box in the 94th minute, to put Gabon through, the crowd into dreamland and send Morocco packing.

The Panthers' coach Gernot Rohr praised his players for not giving up until the final whistle, while paying tribute the Libreville crowd for their part in the win.

"The turning point came when Pierre-Emerick scored, the crowd gave us new energy to push on," said Rohr.

"But then to lose the 2-1 lead and still fight back and win the game shows an incredible determination from my players."

Morocco coach Eric Gerets said his team lost their tactical discipline in the match's climax, costing them the result.

"Tactically we lost in the last 20 minutes," he said.

"The team did not seem capable of doing what we had done so many times in the past," he said.

Gabon join co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in the quarter-finals, after they had knocked Senegal out, also after just two matches, with another dramatic late winner on Wednesday.

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Africa Cup of Nations 2012
Venue: Stade De Franceville Group: Group D Date: Saturday, 28 January Kick-off: 1900 GMT Coverage: Watch live on Eurosport; live text commentary and full report plus reaction on the BBC Sport website and mobiles
TEAM NEWS
Two of the biggest names in the tournament go head-to-head in Franceville, after unconvincing wins in their opening games.

Ghana are without captain John Mensah, after the defender was sent off in their tight 1-0 win over Botswana.

The Black Stars are also waiting on the fitness of Asamoah Gyan, after he limped out of training on Thursday.

Mali's Seydou Keita has called for team unity as the Eagles seek a first quarter-final berth in eight years.

MATCH PREVIEW
Ghana coach Goran Stevanovic will be forced to field a relatively inexperienced centre-back pairing in his team's second Group D game.

Mensah's namesake Jonathan Mensah is likely to line up in his place, alongside John Boye - who made his Nations Cup debut against Botswana - tipped to keep his place, as another regular centre-half, Isaac Vorsah, completes a two-match suspension.

"It's difficult to replace a player like Mensah," Stevanovic said.

"But I have told the team that I would need all of them for this tournament and so I have 20 players who could replace him against Mali."

Stvanovic will await further news on Gyan, who limped out of his training with a suspected ankle, but he is expected to recover in time for Saturday's game.

Meanwhile, Keita - who captained the Eagles to the last four at the 2002 Nations Cup - said Mali are driven to beat the Ghanaians.

"Ghana remain the favourites in our group, but the Black Stars are not unbeatable," Keita said, who was emotional after a hard-fought 1-0 win over neighbours Guinea on Tuesday.

"The objective is to play to our potentials and get a positive result on Saturday.

"We have not achieved anything yet and in football.

"Things can happen so fast and so our second game against Ghana will be a lot more decisive."

Keita has also admitted to feeling the pressure himself, as he leads a youthful Mali team at the finals.

"Personally, I have been under a lot of pressure but I will continue to assume my responsibilities," said Keita, who spent several minutes giving thanks to Allah immediately after Tuesday's win.

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

Kwadwo Asamoah makes hid first start for Ghana at the 2012 African Cup of Nations in the Group D clash against Mali.


The attacker plays behind striker Asamoah Gyan as Goran Stevanovic makes three changes to his starting team.

Defender Masahudu Alhassan plays at left back in his Nations Cup debut whiles Jonathan Mensah pairs with John Boye in central defence ahead of the suspended John Mensah.

Starting line-up Adam Kwarasey, John Paintsil, Masahudu Alhassan, Jonathan Mensah, John Boye, Anthony Annan, Andre Ayew, Agyemang Badu, Asamoah Gyan, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari

Subs: Daniel Adjei, Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Lee Addy, Mohammed Abu, Jordan Ayew, Charles Takyi, Prince Tagoe, Derek Boateng, Ernest Sowah


Suspended John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah


Source: Ghanafa.org

[Pope Bitterz D'Alomo]

he Confederation of African Football have meted out a heavy punishment to two Tunisian photographers for breaching regulations of their AFCON accreditations.

Mehrez Toujan and Edine Manoubi Hassen illegally entered the field of play at Stade d'Angondje during Tunisia's 2-1 win over Morocco on Monday and were subsequently handed a three year ban on Friday.
The duo are said to have edged on to the field in an attempt to get a close-up of the writing on the under shirts of two Tunisia players as they celebrated their side's second goal.

As a result of the ruling, CAF will not allow the pair to cover any events under their jurisdiction for a period of three years.

The judgement has, however, been called into question by a number of fellow journalists, who have since signed a petition in protest of the heavy ruling.

Chdiri Tarek, a reporter for Tunis-based Arabic sports daily, Assarih, who is the coordinator of the petition, told SuperSport: "We accept that the two photographers committed the fault. They went closer into the field to get a close up of messages written on the under shirts of two Tunisian players who were celebrating the team's second goal against Morocco.

"We are protesting because the sanction is too severe. It is a first-time offence and CAF ought to review their ruling."