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.

Nigerian Team In Bus Argument

ThisDay newspaper of Nigeria asserts that Austin Ejide almost came to blows with Joseph Yobo after Nigeria's defeat to Cote d'Ivoire...

ThisDay claims that squad harmony is far from optimal in the Super Eagles camp.

The Nigerian daily claims that the team bus was far from a happy place during the side's brief journey from the stadium to the hotel after their 1-0 loss.

Goalkeeper Austin Ejide was reportedly restrained by other travelers after his argument with Joseph Yobo nearly came to blows.

Ejide was berating the stopper for failing to close down Salomon Kalou in the incident that led to the goal. The two had already traded harsh words on the pitch to this effect.

John Mikel Obi downplayed talk of disharmony, but admitted that things had not gone well.

"We made one mistake and that was the goal. When you make such mistakes you pay dearly for it," Obi sighed. "We should learn from them and people should take full responsibility."

"If we can do that, we've got a long way to go in this tournament, because we've got a good team and we played well," the 20-year-old midfielder added.

"We just need to concentrate all the time if we want to achieve anything."

Nigeria 0 - 1 Ivory Coast

The Ivory Coast deserved their win over a Nigeria side that couldn't quite match the lustre of the Elephants...

Salomon Kalou's tremendous solo effort 66 minutes in separated the West African titans in a match that will have repercussions right until the tournament's end.

The Ivorians looked more disciplined and accomplished throughout, and while Nigeria may feel that they should have had a first half penalty, the Elephants' second-half showing was more than enough for the win.

Ghana versus Guinea may have caught the imagination of the hosting support, but this was the fixture that was to really seize the world's attention. Africa's number-one ranked team, the Super Eagles, facing off against tournament favourites Ivory Coast.

The players seemed up for the occasion from the outset, although there was little by way of nationalistic posturing between them. Instead, the European superstars who play with and against each other so regularly exchanged handshakes prior to the match.

Then hostilities began.

Any talk of a cagey opening was soon dismised as John Mikel Obi teed up Nigeria's centre-forward Kanu for a long-range effort, but the Portsmouth man's shot flashed just wide.

Long-range shots were largely the staple of the first half, with mixed results: Taye Taiwo was inches away from opening the scoring 16 minutes in with a thundering 35-yarder that hit the crossbar, while Yaya Toure brought out the best in Ejide with his own distant effort.

That shot twenty minutes in signalled the start of a period of Ivorian dominance in midfield, but Nigeria should through Utaka that they can be dangerous on the break: the powerful forward broke through on the half hour mark, but pulled his attempt wide.

The most dramatic moment of the half came through another Super Eagle surge forward. Obafemi Martins fell in the box under pressure from Gohouri, only to pick up a booking for his troubles. There did appear to be the slightest bit of contact, but the Tunisian referee was adamant that the Nigerian had taken a dive.

The tempo slowed as half time approached, with it far from apparent that there was a goal in the offing.

Ivory Coast boss Gerard Gili hooked the booked Gohouri in favour of Kader Keita of Lyon at half time, replacing defensive influence with forward in an attempt to turn the game.

However, there was surprisingly little action to shout about - a Danny Shittu header wide of the target notwithstanding - in the early stages of the second period, with the midfield battle the most engrossing part of play.

But when the goal eventually came, it was well worth waiting for, and it came from the boot of Salomon Kalou. The Chelsea forward weaved his way with power and aplomb all the way from the midfield to the centre of the area, where he slotted home from twelve yards. A mesmerising run - the ex-Feyenoord man cut inside past his marker, strode into the box, turned a lunging defender, and another, reached the penalty spot and finally launched a cool finish goalwards. A world-class goal, indeed.

What followed was a world-class miss. Keite did extremely well to break past Apam into the box, but steered his close-range effort wide when hitting the target would have been easier. 2-0 it wasn't.

Nigeria then attempted to take the initiative, but the Ivory Coast took advantage of the new spaces on the pitch to drive forward. Didier Drogba tried his luck with a 35-yarder, only to trundle his effort off the defence.

The Super Eagles threw the dice, with Odemwingie coming on for Utaka and then Martins trudging off to be replaced by Makinwa. But Berti Vogts' hopes of his side becoming the "Germany of Africa" seemed forlorn as the Ivory Coast again pressed their advantage.

Tight at the back, even the offensive influence of the now-attack-minded Nigerian defensive line couldn't ruffle the Ivorians overmuch, the active Taiwo finding himself frustrated on two occasions as he sought the final ball.

Belief was clearly on the wane in the Super Eagles camp, particularly after Yakubu's low shot - perhaps Nigeria's best chance of the second half - went wide.

Indeed, the Ivorians enjoyed the final chance of the game, with Kalou shooting off-target. He'd done enough already, though - more than enough.

Drop your comment on any of my posts let me know where I am getting it wrongh

CAN 2008 Preview: Ivory Coast - Nigeria

What: African Cup of Nations, Group B
Who: Ivory Coast vs Nigeria
When: Monday, 21 January 2008, 17:00 GMT
Where: Sekondi Stadium, Sekondi-Takoradi

This is arguably the biggest encounter in the group stages of the competition, and a great advert for African football. The first of the battle of the West Africans in Group B sees Nigeria, who are the number one FIFA ranked team in Africa, square off against the number one contender for the continental trophy.

There has been much hype and talk about this encounter and both teams will be under immense pressure to get something from the game.

The Ivorians won the last meeting between the two sides, thanks to that controversial Didier Drogba goal in one of the semi-final games at the last edition of the tournament in Egypt.

But for all the hype and history, it's hard to see this encounter producing the sort of sparks that is expected. It is going to be mainly a game of the defences: which one holds out longer, which one avoids making that silly mistake. That’s all it would take for a Didier Drogba, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Salomon Kalou or an Obafemi Martins to pounce and seal the encounter for his team.

The sides both know they are favorites to emerge from this group and will enter the game with a very cautious mindset, knowing failure to get something from this game would put them in a lot of pressure in their remaining group fixtures and all but kill off the possibility of sealing top spot.

That said, the sparks could start flying if a goal gets scored early in the game. The chasing team will come out and force the opponents into either lying back and defending or returning the attacks.

The result of this game will surely go along way in influencing who gets to qualify from the group. A loss for either Nigeria or the Cote d'Ivoire men will put them under immense pressure when they face the group’s other big gun, Mali.

I always regard the Ivorians as the “Dutch-team” of African football. Aside from their orange jerseys, they have that completeness that is lacking in several other African sides. They have a strong defence marshaled by Kolo Toure; a midfield that holds, creates, and moves; and an attack that parades some of the most potent strikers in world football.

The Elephants would most likely be playing a 4-4-1-1 formation, which has always favored burly striker Didier Drogba. The Nigerians are expected to retain a 4-3-3 setup that will seek to rely more upon the capabilities of their enviable strike force, with the pacy Martin looking to cause some problems for the Ivorians.

The midfield battle looks like a straight fight between Didier Zokora and Mikel Obi. These two players will surely determine the pattern and pace of play for their respective teams. Whoever gets to close one down would have effectively granted his team the upper hand.

FORM GUIDE

Cote d'Ivoire (full internationals only)

12 Jan 08 - Kuwait 0-2 Cote d'Ivoire (Friendly)
21 Nov 07 - Qatar 1-6 Cote d'Ivoire (Friendly)
17 Nov 07 - Angola 2-1 Cote d'Ivoire (Friendly)
17 Oct 07 - Austria 3-2 Cote d'Ivoire (Friendly)
08 Sep 07 - Gabon 0-0 Cote d'Ivoire (ANC Qual.)

Nigeria (full internationals only)

09 Jan 08 - Nigeria 2-0 Sudan (Friendly)
20 Nov 07 - Switzerland 0-1 Nigeria (Friendly)
17 Nov 07 - Australia 1-0 Nigeria (Friendly)
14 Oct 07 - Mexico 2-2 Nigeria (Friendly)
08 Sep 07 - Nigeria 2-0 Lesotho (ACN Qual.)