Mohamed Salah squeezed a volley under the goalkeeper to give a nervous Egypt a 1-0 win over tiny Guinea-Bissau, which was denied maybe its biggest result at the African Cup of Nations on Saturday when it had a brilliant late equalizer contentiously disallowed after a VAR check.

Salah’s breakthrough came in the 69th minute after the record seven-time African champion labored to break down Guinea-Bissau.

But the Liverpool forward’s smart finish with his left foot from a tight angle wasn’t nearly the most dramatic moment of the game.

Guinea-Bissau forward Mama Baldé weaved in from the left wing and unleashed a shot that flew into the far corner of the net with eight minutes to go to seemingly stun Egypt, and the entire tournament in Cameroon.

But after a long delay, referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana of Burundi went over to consult VAR and eventually disallowed the goal for a foul by Baldé on Egypt defender Omar Kamal.

Baldé had put a hand on Kamal’s shoulder as he forced his way past him on the way to scoring, but it was a tight, tight call.

Egypt survived another scare from a shot by Moreto Cassamá in what was just about the last kick of the game. Egypt goalkeeper Mohammed el-Shenawy dived to push it away with two hands and it was Guinea-Bissau’s last chance.

Egypt hit the post three times in the game, one of those by Salah in the first half, but the sense of relief for the Egyptians at fulltime was obvious.

The victory revived Egypt’s Group D campaign after it lost its opening game to Nigeria 1-0. But it was not the convincing reaction Egypt fans demanded and there was increasing pressure on coach Carlos Queiroz, the former Real Madrid boss.

Source: AP

Musa Barrow converted a 90th-minute penalty for Gambia to snatch a 1-1 draw against Mali with the matchday 2 result set to take both teams through to the second round of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Mali went ahead after 79 minutes in Limbe when Ibrahima Kone scored from another penalty, both of which were awarded after the Moroccan referee watched replays on a VAR monitor.

The draw keeps Gambia and Mali level at the top of Group F with four points each. Pointless sides Tunisia and Mauritania meet later on Sunday and a win for either country will bring them into contention.

Group winners and runners-up after three matchdays qualify for the round of 16 along with the best four third-placed sides.

Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, who came off the bench in a matchday 1 win over Tunisia, was promoted to the starting line-up by Mali coach Mohamed Magassouba.

The other Premier League player in the Mali team, Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo, retained his place as the west African nation sought a ninth win in 19 matches in all competitions against Gambia.

In 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) early afternoon heat and 75 percent humidity at the 20,000-seat Stade Omnisport it was no surprise that the match began at a slow pace.

Mali were more impressive in the early exchanges with Bissouma firing a free-kick wide and Djenepo having a header saved by Modou Jobe, who plays in the South African second division.

After being on the back foot for 20 minutes, Gambia were awarded a 35-metre free-kick and Musa Barrow unleashed a thunderbolt that rattled the crossbar.

After two cooling breaks within eight minutes to enable the players to drink water, the woodwork came to the rescue of Mali again.

This time Ablie Jallow was the unlucky Gambian as his angled shot rebounded off a post to the relief of Mali goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro.

Djenepo was harshly yellow-carded by the Moroccan referee as half-time approached, ruling him out of the final group match against Mauritania on Thursday as he was also cautioned against Tunisia.

After a slow start to the second half, the match burst into life with Mali having three scoring opportunities in quick succession and Gambia one.

Bissouma fired just over, Adama ‘Malouda’ Traore narrowly lost a chase for the ball with Jobe, who then blocked with his chest a close-range attempt by Traore.

A Gambian counterattack threatened to break the deadlock until they were dispossessed on the edge of the Mali box.

Then came the two penalties with Kone and Barrow holding their nerve to send the goalkeepers the wrong way.

Source: AFP

Nigeria showed why they are one of the favourites to win the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations as they played a confident attacking game to thump Sudan 3-1 on Saturday – giving themselves an early ticket to the knockout rounds.

Nigeria dealt Sudan a fierce blow early on as Samuel Chukwueze scored in the 3rd minute; a calm finish after sterling creative play. Taiwo Awoniyi made it 2-0 in the dying minutes of the first half, then Moses Simon scored soon after the pause.

Simon’s was arguably the best performance in this match – and his was an exquisite, richly deserved goal that saw him burst down the left, lob the ball into the box for a one-two, take it back off his chest, then practically dribble it into the back of the net.

Sudan got a penalty because of shirt-pulling in the box and Walieldin Khidir converted it with aplomb. But it was only ever going to be a consolation goal as Nigeria dominated possession and made wave upon wave of fast-paced attack right until the end.

Source: France 24

Cameroon football fans are set to be forced into stadiums without a vaccine passport to attend Africa Cup of Nations matches – and the new directive from the Prime Minister could be in place as soon as Monday.

After thousands of both English and French speaking Cameroonians decided not to go to the stadiums, the ruling CPDM crime syndicate headed by President Paul Biya is reportedly ready to implement ‘ Plan B’.

This will include forcing all state agents, council workers and high school students to attend football matches without any Covid restrictions.

The Prime Minister’s Office informed school authorities to shutdown all government academic establishments by midday for students  to fill the scanty stadiums.

Two press releases-one from the Mayor of Buea and another from the Prime Minister’s Office sounded a note of caution to all civil servants and council workers to attend football games or face severe consequences.

Many Cameroonian football fans had challenge regulations that limited attendance at stadiums as a precaution against Covid-19.

Cameroon Concord News gathered that fewer spectators inside stadiums does not make financial sense as it does not allow the Biya regime to cover the costs of hosting the tournament.

“Those who are making the money are in the fan zones”, a French Cameroun football fan hinted our Douala city reporter. “In the fan zone there is so much excitement, and there are no regulations to get in, you just need your mask, whereas in the stadium you have to get vaccinated, get Covid test, here it’s easier because you get together and there’s joy”, another football fan was quoted by Africa News as saying late on Friday.

Aside from an Olympic bunker where organizers recruited high school students and other supporters of President Paul Biya to rally, spectators did not turn out in droves for matches elsewhere.

“It is a pity we have not gotten fans in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations. We love to see fans in the stadiums” a FECAFOOT official told Cameroon Concord News.

Publicly, the regime in Yaoundé is blaming the boycott on its so-called strict Covid-19 rules with government regulations allowing 80 per cent  vaccinated supporters. However, Cameroon Concord News understands the Southern Cameroons Crisis and the numerous anti Bamileke statements coming from highly placed Cameroon government officials from the ruling Beti Ewondo tribal extractions are directly responsible for the empty seats.

By Rita Akana in Yaoundé

It ruled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of Friday’s game against Ghana and put the rest of his African Cup in doubt.

Gabon and Arsenal forward It ruled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang out of Friday’s game against Ghana and put the rest of his African Cup in doubt. He has been diagnosed with heart lesions at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon after contracting the coronavirus, the Gabon Football Federation said.

It ruled Aubameyang out of Friday’s game against Ghana and put the rest of his African Cup in doubt.

The “cardiac lesions” were found in a check by Confederation of African Football medical officials, who examined Aubameyang to ensure he was OK to play again after he returned from a positive virus test, the Gabon federation said in a statement.

Two other Gabon players were also prevented from playing after similar medical checks following their return from positive virus tests.

The Gabon federation said Aubameyang’s diagnosis wasn’t serious but the medical officials “did not want to take any risks,” and CAF’s medical commission ruled Aubameyang was not able to play against Ghana. A lesion is damage or abnormal change to body tissue.

Aubameyang tested positive for the virus at an airport on arrival in Cameroon last week and was put into isolation. He also missed Gabon’s first game, a 1-0 win over Comoros.

The Gabon captain has since tested negative for the virus and was out of isolation two days before the Ghana game and was expected to return to the team.

Gabon forward Axel Meyé and midfielder Mario Lemina were the other two CAF prevented from playing against Ghana after they also had evidence of cardiac lesions, the Gabon federation said. They had also been isolating because of positive virus tests.

The news regarding Aubameyang and his teammates came on the same day it was announced that Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has been sidelined with evidence of heart muscle inflammation after he contracted the virus.

At the African Cup, Gabon played against Ghana without two other players because of the virus. Defenders Sidney Obissa and Lloyd Palun tested positive on Wednesday in mandatory testing of the squad 48 hours ahead of its game, the latest cases in Gabon’s outbreak.

Gabon coach Patrice Neveu also tested positive on Wednesday but returned a negative test later ahead of the Group C game and was allowed to take his place on the sidelines.

Gabon scored an 88th-minute equalizer to draw with Ghana 1-1 and give itself a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Source: AP

Not many football fans remember Cameroon’s game against Ethiopia, and there are reasons for that. Cameroon’s fine victory was played out in front of vast swathes of empty seats at the 60,000-capacity Olembe Stadium and Gabon’s match against Ghana ended in chaos and resulted in Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh being shown a red card.

In the words of our chief football correspondent “It was as if Ghana recruited the Batcha Boys from Mamfe and some Likomba warriors to help them fight the Gabonese team and coaching staff.”

Earlier, the tournament descended into farce, thanks to an incredibly inefficient performance from the referee in the Group F match between Tunisia and Mali.

And as we write,Tunisia’s protest over their bizarre Africa Cup of Nations defeat to Mali in which the referee blew the final whistle twice before full time was thrown out on Thursday.

Mali were leading Wednesday’s match 1-0 when Zambian official Janny Sikazwe signalled the end of the match after 85 minutes, then again at 89 minutes and 47 seconds — even though three minutes of time added on had been scheduled.

The Tunisians, who had been desperately searching for an equaliser against a Mali side reduced to 10 men, were furious.

When the teams were informed that the match must resume, only Mali complied while Tunisia’s players were already in ice baths, refusing to return to the pitch.

“After examining the protest of Tunisia and all the match officials report, the organising committee decided to dismiss the protest lodged by the Tunisian team….and to homologate the match result as 1-0 in favour of Mali,” said a statement released by the Confederation of African Football (CAF)

So while it is wonderful that Cameroon, Gabon and Nigeria are thriving, at least for now, it has come at a price-The poorest Africa Cup of Nations of the modern era.

The expansion to 24 teams has favoured only the football politicians in CAF and has benefited the rich hotel owners.

Every football delegation in Cameroons team has been embarrassed and Samuel Eto’o and his corrupt acolytes in CAF will claim a nation such as Comoros has been given the opportunity to experience the tournament as never before.

With the group stages heading towards a close, the competition is yet to come to life.

By Isong Asu and Rita Akana in Yaounde

It was a game of two halves and two great goals as a magnificent 25-yard strike by ex-Marseille striker André Ayew put Ghana 1-0 up against Gabon in the 18th minute – then Jim Allevinah equalised with a similarly magnificent shot in the 88th minute.

However, the match ended in chaos and resulted in Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh being shown a red card.

Gabon attacked well in the game’s opening minutes but Ghana’s André Ayew scored a corker of a goal nearly 20 minutes in – smashing in a tremendous shot from the edge of the box, setting the mood for Ghana’s ascendancy in the first half.

But Gabon were the team with all the attacking momentum in the tense second half, as Ghana defended well but also resorted to scrappy challenges and time-wasting. Then the inevitable moment came when Gabon’s Jim Allevinah surged forward to smash the ball into the net in the dying minutes of the game.

Reported by Camcordnews and France 24