Africa Cup of Nations Update : Ivory Coast 5 - 0 Guinea

Five-Star Ivory Coast Sail Past Guinea

Ivory Coast 5 - 0 Guinea While the scoreline slightly flatters the Ivorians, the Elephants are deservedly through to the semi-finals after a very convincing win over Guinea...

Despite being without influential captain Pascual Feindouno, Guinea ran the Ivory Cosat close for portions of this game, only to succumb to a late onslaught from the far superior Elephants.

In truth, Cote d'Ivoire 100% deserved their win, even though the margin of victory was something quite out of the ordinary based on the performance.

After a cagey start, Kalou and Drogba began to turn the screw, with the former having a great chance to open the scoring 13 minutes in. However, despite being unmarked, his effort was poor.

Dindane then came close with a header, although the opener was yet to come.

It eventually did 25 minutes in, when Kader Keita tiptoed into the box and, rather than play the ball across goal, battered it past Kemoko Camara and into the net, running into an inflatable Pepsi can located trackside by way of celebration.

Guinea were on the back foot, but they were able to hold out for the rest of the half.

Camara kept his side in it with a tremendous save from Aruna and then Kalou on the rebound, but the Syli Stars themselves brought out the best in Barry via a Bangoura solo effort on the counter.

But it was clear the the Ivory Coast were in the asendancy, closing the half with a Keita effort that rolled just wide and a tremendous save from Camara to deny Drogba.

After the break, though, Guinea improved further, and could have equalised when Youla was left unmarked to tip Bangoura's cross just wide on the volley.

On the hour mark, Jabi's effort hit the side-netting after a deep free-kick, and despite the Ivory Coast's clear superiority, it seemed that there was life in the Guineans' challenge yet.

However, there was not, for what followed was nothing short of a goal blitz.

Aruna Kone should have made it 2-0 after rounding the 'keeper 22 minutes from time, only to blast his effort wide, but Drogba made no such mistake two minutes later with a strong, solo run reminiscent of some of his better Chelsea goals.

Then Kalou emulated Kone by rounding the 'keeper, but the Chelsea man different from the Sevillista by being able to put the ball in the net, thus ending the game as a contest.

A contest, yes, but not a spectacle. Ten minutes from time, Guinea inexplicably stood off as Toure tore towards the touchline, eventually kutting it back for Kalou, who wasted nothing in claiming his second goal.

Then, Baki Kone made it 5-0 with a tremendous twenty-yarder, with punch-drunk Guinea having well and truly wilted in the face of enormous late pressure.

Ten-Man Guinea Edge Past Morocco

Guinea 3 - 2 Morocco

Two goals and a red card - all in a day's work for Pascal Feindouno as his side ran out 3-2 winners over Morocco...

Pascal Feindouno was hero-turned-villain in this one, with the St. Etienne striker facing a suspension for a match that is now utterly vital for his side.

For despite his second-half red card, the Guineans managed to hold onto their 3-1 lead against an Atlas Lions side that will look back with anger at their concessions, particularly at the first goal.

Unusually for this tournament, the assembled crowd in Ghana wasn't huge, but it more than made up for it in volume as the game began.

Morocco looked the better side early on, with Sektioui looking particularly dangerous early on, but Guinea were to take a lead against the run of play.

This was largely down to Fouhami between the Moroccan sticks, who stood statuesque as an admittedly accurate, but still eminently savable shot from Pascal Feindouno sailed past him after a direct free-kick.

Sektioui, going from wing to wing, tried his best to bring his side back into it as the Moroccans responded strongly, but all too quickly they ran out of steam.

A long-range effort from Hadji, well held by Camara, was about the best Morocco could manage by way of finding an equalsier, with set-pieces offering the best threats otherwise.

In truth, Guinea looked relatively comfortable as half time approached, but there was always the lingering suspicion that there was more to come from the game.

That seemed to be the case as Hadji threatened once more with a long-ranger, this time saved brilliantly by Camara, just after the break, while Zerka volleyed over the bar from close range.

Once again, Guinea bided their time before striking, and this they did when Bangoura gave his side a 2-0 advantage just before the hour mark. The orchestrator was once again Feindouno, but Bangoura did brilliantly to get on the end of the through ball and waltz towards goal to beat Fouhami.

But the game was back in the balance just sixty seconds later when Aboucheroaune marked his substitute appearance with a lovely 25-yarder to make it 2-1.

Then, just to ensure the fans couldn't sit down for a second, Guinea were awarded a penalty 63 minutes in, which Feindouno placed into the corner to restore Guinea's 2-1 advantage.

Chamakh came on for a Morocco side still eager to get back into it, and they were given a great chance to do so when Feindouno picked up a needless red card for reacting angrily to a case of high-feet from a Moroccan player.

Ten-man Guinea began to sit back, aallowing Chamakh in particular to get forward, but with chance after chance missed as the minutes ticked away, it all seemed to be for nought.

That was, of course, until Ouaddou dived in to head past Camara and make it 3-2 just as the game entered its three minutes of stoppage time.

It wasn't enough to spark a true comeback, though, and Guinea wiped the sweat from their brows as the full-time whistle went.