The African Nations Cup thread

I read that Ethiopia, who have no Europe-based players except one in the Swedish league, were playing an attractive passing game, any truth to that? I love watching sides that are completely unknown quantities but can still play a bit, cf North Korea at the last WC.

Ethiopia were by far the better side in their first match and did play really nice football, but played for an hour with 10 men which curtailed their game a bit - that said, Zambia were dreadful at the back and should have been punished heavily. I'd guess if there's a result in tonight's Ethiopia/Burkina Faso game then the winner of that will top the group, especially if it's Ethiopa as Nigeria look woeful.

South Africa's group (them, Cape Verde, Morocco, Angola) has probably been the dullest, Ghana's the one with the most fouls. Ivory Coast/Tunisia tomorrow will decide the winner of the group as those two are easily the best two teams in it.

Burkina 1-0 up at half time, but they've hit the post and passed the ball around beautifully. Unfortunately they've had to substitute both players who look likely to get them goals through injury, the first appears to have had a sudden pain in the cock after 3 minutes (nobody around him, completely off the ball) which he struggled with for 5 more before leaving the field in tears. This is the worst pitch in the competition though - it looked dry as concrete, with about as much grass, during the Nigeria game which they've 'cured' by dumping a couple of tons of sand on it.

Burkina's keeper gets a straight red, he's come for the ball and completely forgotten there's a thing called a penalty area. A country mile outside of the box.

Read this article the other day, it's on one of Ethiopia's forwards who grew up in the US. Doesn't look to have gotten on the field much yet if at all but it's an interesting story.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/18/sport/football/football-africa-cup-nations-ethiopia-fuad-ibrahim/index.html

but they've hit the post and passed the ball around beautifully. Unfortunately they've had to substitute both players who look likely to get them goals through injury,

is "they" here Burkina or Ethiopia?

Sorry, they is Ethiopia.

And as I type that, Burkina have a second.

End up with 4, naked men protesting on the pitch.

Ethiopia's goalkeeper just got red carded for a challenge on Victor Moses & all the subs have already been made.

Yeah, it's always heartwarming to see an outfield player pull on a keeper's jersey. Got pretty close to the penalty as well.

togo through after a draw with tunisia. no north african teams make it out of the groups.

They've all been scrap, that might be why. Algeria's performance this afternoon against Cote D'D'Ivoire might well be the best any if them have played all tournament.

First time I've seen anything of this year's tourney. Nigeria looking v good in the 1st semi vs Mali, just taken the lead. Had managed to forget about the vuvuzelas.

3-0 and it's not even half-time yet.

This was meant to be the close semi final.

Moses causing merry havoc down the right wing all half.

Nigeria have been very average up till now, only coming to life in the Ivory Coast match where neither side were that convincing. Mali came back from 3-0 down in the 2010 semi so it's not over yet by any means.

Fancy Burkina to take Ghana in the other semi.

4-0

looked offside tbf

Haha I am the kiss of death. Both of them looked like there was something wrong with them but they're all on the scoreboard.

pens in the other semi.

vorsah goes first for ghana and shanks it about 3 yards wide, lol

burkina faso win! Some shameful pens in that shootout tho'.

I forgot that Eurosport (exists) are showing this. DR Congo (Bolasie plays for them) and Tunisia about to play on TV now. Group B has every team on 2 pts! Anyone been following this?

O'Neills make DR Congo's jerseys lol

The last six finals have produced a cumulative total of three goals. Nil nil at 90 minutes this time.

Penalties.

Bony hits the bar!

CIV miss second penalty. Ghana two nil up.

Ghana miss two!

Doumbia levels it.

lol boubacar barry you wanker

since the last miss all these have been brilliant

Barry can win it!

If he ever stops feigning injury.

omg no barry can't win like this

There it is.

and away he runs on his injured leg

he is the worst/best

lol, this Cote d'Ivoire side winning feels, word to Chris Rock, like Wile E. Coyote finally catching the Roadrunner. Guess ACME finally came up with some shit that worked.

Maybe Drogba was holding them back

Heard that a lot around the 2010 world cup, that Did Drog basically appointed Sven Goran Eriksson as his own puppet coach.

Madagascar currently beating Nigeria 2-0. Both qualify but Madagascar will go through as group winners. I think this is the first time they’ve even qualified for the finals.

Beautifully worked South Africa goal three minutes away from knocking out the hosts, Egypt.

such a weird opener, the announcer didn't even realize it was a goal

and that's the goal that wins it for Algeria, wow

18ème going even more nuts tonight than for the last two games. Shirtless grown men on the shoulders of other shirtless grown men, singing the 123 chant

Sudan vs Guinea Bissau is going to be the eighth consecutive game to finish either 1-0 or 0-0 this tournament. The heat is definitely having an impact.

Senegal looked really poor vs Zimbabwe yesterday and were lucky to get a late penalty. Nigeria have looked the best value of the teams I’ve seen so far.

The keepers are performing well!

Following Sierra Leone because there's a league side partially funded through one of the Hereford fan groups, and mainly because Mustapha Bundu - who I thought was the best non-defender today - featured in our first season back (just don't mention Wembley).

I have a feeling that Gambia vs Mauritania could be the two goal thriller the tournament has been missing. I like Musa Barrow, currently at Bologna, a lot.

Burkina Faso deservedly through to the semis. Tunisia were really poor.

COME ON MOROCCO

C’mon Onana. I’m not watching Egypt do this again in the final.

Aaagh.

Horrendous pens

Yeah, you could have put the mortgage on Moukoudi and N’Jie not scoring just from their run-ups.

It was written in the stars that Mo and Sadio would meet in the final. So why I put that pre-tournament tenner on Morocco I'll never know

If Egypt win this, having scored three goals in six matches, excluding the one in extra time, I will be extremely mad. Greece managed six in 2004.

Get in sadio lad!!!!

I don’t think anyone fucked about with their run-ups - take note Cameroon!

lol where the fuck are these cunts taking the trophy