Namibia look for Monday miracle

Wilfried Zaha © Getty Images

Namibia will look for a miraculous advancement in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations when they face Group D rivals Ivory Coast at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo on Monday 1 July.

Kick-off is at 6pm CAT.

Namibia suffered a second successive 1-0 loss at the Afcon when they went down at the hands of regional rivals South Africa on Friday night, with Bafana Bafana’s Bongani Zungu scoring the only goal of the game.

The defeat came on the back of a loss to Morocco by the same score line earlier in the week. Coach Ricardo Mannetti and his Brave Warriors may be sitting at the bottom of the group standings, but they have certainly not disgraced themselves with two gritty but unlucky showings.

And they still have a slight chance of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams, though they’ll need to defeat Ivory Coast and hope that results elsewhere in the tournament allow them a chance of a spot in the last 16.

As for Ivory Coast, they slumped to a 1-0 loss at the hands of Morocco in their second Group D match and come into this clash against Namibia needing a win to guarantee progression (while a draw may also be enough to claim either second place, or likely be one of the best third-place teams).

In head-to-head stats, Namibia and Ivory Coast have met in four previous matches, with the Elephants claiming two wins and the Brave Warriors one. The teams’ most recent meeting was a group stage match in the 2018 African Nations Championship (Chan) which the Southern Africans won 1-0.

Madagascar out to upset Nigeria

Madagascar are set to square off with Nigeria in their final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group B match at the Alexandria Stadium in Egypt on Sunday.

Kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT.

Barea boosted their chances of reaching the knockout phase by securing their maiden win at the Afcon finals when they defeated fellow tournament debutants Burundi 1-0 on Thursday.

Madagascar are placed second on the group standings with four points and a draw or victory against Nigeria will see them advance to the Round of 16.

Nicolas Dupuis, the Madagascar head coach, is looking to mastermind the Super Eagles’ downfall after making history in the continental competition.

“I am so happy because of this victory (against Burundi). It was our first in the history of the Afcon and we worked hard for it,” Dupuis said.

“It was not an easy match because Burundi gave us a tough time especially in the second half. But we can be proud of our efforts, we can be proud of what we achieved but the work is not yet over. We still have Nigeria to think about.”

Saudi Arabia-based striker Carolus Andriamatsinoro, who scored against Guinea on match-day one, will be looking to help Madagascar overcome the Super Eagles.

Meanwhile, Nigeria secured their place in the Round of 16 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Guinea with one game left in the group stage on Wednesday.

The Super Eagles are placed at the top of the group standings with six points and they will be looking to finish at the top of the table with a victory over Barea.

Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr has stated that they will be looking to ensure that they finish their group stage campaign on a winning note.

“It was a good performance from the team, we played really well though it was a tough game from Guinea,” Rohr said.

“I am happy we could deal with the danger they posed and being the first into the round of 16 is a joy for us. Now we have to ensure we finish off well against Madagascar in our last game to top the pool.”

China-based striker Odion Ighalo has already scored once at the ongoing tournament and he will be keen to inspire Nigeria to victory over Madagascar.

In Head-to-Head stats, Madagascar and Nigeria have clashed four times with the Super Eagles recording three wins, and one game ended in a draw.

Burundi will battle with Guinea in their final 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group B match at the Al Salam Stadium in Egypt on Sunday.

Kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT.

The Swallows’ hopes of reaching the knockout stages were dented when they suffered a 1-0 defeat to fellow tournament debutants Madagascar on Thursday.

The defeat left Burundi placed fourth on the group standings without a single point and they can only reach the Round of 16 if they defeat Guinea and the results in the other groups go their way.

Burundi head coach Olivier Niyungeko has made it clear that they have not lost hope of advancing to the knockout phase.

“I don’t think we deserved to lose (against Madagascar) because we created the chances to score. I am sad we couldn’t get a win and now this makes work harder for us,” Niyungeko said.

“We can’t lose hope, we will continue fighting. We will go in and give everything we have to ensure we win the last game against Guinea.”

The Swallows will look to their England-based captain and striker Saido Berahino, who will be keen to inspire his nation to victory over the National Elephants.

Meanwhile, Guinea’s hopes of advancing to the knockout phase are still alive despite losing 1-0 to Nigeria in their previous match on Wednesday.

The National Elephants are placed third on the group standings with one point and they will stand a good chance of reaching the Round of 16 if they defeat the Swallows.

Guinea coach Paul Put has stressed the importance of winning their last group match against a wounded Burundi side.

“We had a small moment of lapse of concentration from a set-piece and we conceded (against Nigeria),” Put said.

“It is disheartening because this was an important game for us which we really needed to win. It is now tough for us; we must win against Burundi in our final game to stand a chance.”

In Head-to-Head stats, Burundi and Guinea have clashed three times and the matches have all ended in a draw.

Egypt legend Gomaa hails Salah, slams coach Aguirre

Egypt legend Wael Gomaa has praised superstar Mohamed Salah and criticised coach Javier Aguirre before the Africa Cup of Nations hosts confront Uganda in Group A Sunday.

“We depend on Salah and Trezeguet (Mahmoud Hassan) in attack, the determination of midfielder Tarek Hamed and brilliant defender Ahmed Hegazy,” said the beIN Sports analyst.

“We have no tactics or strategy. Aguirre is so bad with his line-ups and substitutions,” added the former Egypt and Al Ahly centre-back, who retired five years ago.

Here, AFP Sport previews the final matches in Group A and Group B with record seven-time champions Egypt and Nigeria already sure of last-16 places.

EGYPT V UGANDA

This will be the fifth Cup of Nations clash between the countries and Egypt are set to maintain a perfect record and finish top of the table in Cairo.

Mexican Aguirre was puzzled by the second-half loss of tempo in a midweek win over the Democratic Republic of Congo and is considering making changes.

“Many players appeared exhausted against the Congolese and need rest, so I am considering introducing new faces against Uganda.”

Uganda lie second and are set to reach the knockout phase of a Cup of Nations for the first time since 1978 whatever the result.

DR CONGO V ZIMBABWE

Although the Congolese have suffered two-goal losses to Uganda and Egypt, they could still sneak into the second round as one of the best four third-place teams if they win in Cairo.

Woeful against Uganda, the Congolese were much better in their second outing and struck the woodwork twice when falling to Egypt.

“After the unacceptable performance we produced against Uganda, the boys played a great game against Egypt and will fight for three points against Zimbabwe,” vowed coach Florent Ibenge.

Taking a point against Uganda means Zimbabwe are better placed than DR Congo to survive, provided the likes of captain Knowledge Musona finish better and secure maximum points.

NIGERIA V MADAGASCAR

Nigeria are through to the second round after two single-goal Group B victories in coastal city Alexandria and debutants Madagascar should also progress.

In the likely event that the Indian Ocean islanders lose to the three-time champions, they still look good to book a last-16 place as one of the four best third-place finishers.

It would be remarkable achievement for a nation ranked so low that they had to beat Sao Tome e Principe just to reach the qualifying competition for the 2019 Cup of Nations.

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr was thrilled that the winner against Guinea followed a corner, saying: “We have spent a lot of time during training practising corner-kick situations.”

BURUNDI V GUINEA

Guinea, whose best Cup of Nations finish was second behind Morocco in Ethiopia 43 years ago, must defeat debutants Burundi in Cairo to avoid a shock early exit.

Belgian coach Paul Put axed goalkeeper Aly Keita after an error-riddled draw with Madagascar and the side performed much better despite losing to Nigeria.

“We have made things difficult for ourselves,” admitted Put, who took outsiders Burkina Faso to the 2013 final won by Nigeria. “We must beat Burundi to stand a chance of qualifying.”

Burundi need a win to have any chance of surviving and are looking to score for the first time in the tournament after losing twice to late second-half goals.

Egypt’s Warda recalled after harassment claims

Egypt midfielder Amr Warda, who was kicked out of the squad over claims of sexual harassment, will return for the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stages at the request of his teammates, the country’s football association said on Friday.

The 25-year-old Warda was excluded ahead of Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo after sexual harassment claims surfaced earlier this week on social media platforms. Multiple women posted screenshots and testimonies of Warda’s alleged lewd comments, as well as explicit videos attributed to the player.

The head of the Egyptian FA, Hani Abou Rida, “has decided to reduce the suspension of the player so it only runs until the ends of the first round,” the association said in a statement.

Hosts Egypt are already qualified for the last 16 of the competition after victories in their first two games in Group A.

Warda’s teammates expressed support for him both during and after the win over DR Congo, with Mohamed Salah calling for “a second chance” while strongly condemning harassment.

Warda, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Atromitos from PAOK in Greece, issued an apology to supporters in a video on Facebook.

“Hani Abou Rida recognised the spirit of solidarity between the players and their wish to forgive their teammate Amr Warda,” the Egyptian FA added.

His reintegration into the squad sparked controversy on social media in Egypt, considered one of the worst offenders worldwide for sexual harassment – endured by more than 99 percent of women in the county according to a 2013 United Nations report.

A lot of internet users, including women, took to his defence while the “team of harassers” hashtag, in Arabic, was the most shared in Egypt on Friday according to Twitter.

Faced with calls for leniency towards Warda, other internet users denounced a double standard in a country where several women and homosexuals are imprisoned for “inciting debauchery”.

Bafana stay in hunt for last-16 spot after laboured win

France-based Bongani Zungu scored as unimpressive South Africa laboured to a 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations Group D win over Namibia on Friday to keep alive hopes of making the second round.

However, to book a last-16 place the winners will probably need at least a point against leaders Morocco, who defeated the Ivory Coast 1-0 in the first match of a double-header.

Already qualified Morocco have six points, the Ivory Coast and South Africa three each and Namibia remained pointless after two solitary-goal losses.

With Ivory Coast set to beat Namibia Monday, the best South Africa can realistically hope for is one of four places reserved for the best third-place finishers.

It looks increasingly likely that teams coming third in the six groups will need a minimum of four points to be among the quartet that survives.

Zungu netted on 68 minutes with a header off a corner to settle a match that lacked the quality of the clash between Morocco and the Ivory Coast.

South Africa made four changes to the team that started in a loss to the Ivory Coast four days ago, including the shock demotion of goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who was outstanding.

He was replaced by Darren Keet and Hlompho Kekana, Zungu and Sibusiso Vilakazi were also promoted with Kamohelo Mokotjo, Lebohang Maboe and injured Dean Furman dropping out.

Namibia coach Ricardo Mannetti included Egypt-based Benson Shilongo for Absalom Limbondi in the lone change to the side that unluckily lost to Morocco after conceding a late own-goal.

BLAZED OVER

South Africa had a chance to go ahead on 16 minutes, but Vilakazi blazed over at the Al Salam Stadium in the Egyptian capital after a Themba Zwane backheel gave him a clear sight of goal.

Mannetti must have been pleased when the 21st minute passed as he was part of the side trailing South Africa 4-0 at that point when they last met 21 years ago in Burkina Faso.

Now retired Benni McCarthy scored all four Bafana Bafana (The Boys) goals in the victory and how England-born coach Stuart Baxter must have longed for someone similarly clinical in this match.

South Africa had plenty of possession, but lacked creativity in the final third of the pitch and their frustration led to many hopeful, long-range shots.

Namibia, with four South Africa-based players in the line-up, held their own and did not resemble a side 41 places lower in the world rankings.

Percy Tau, of whom much had been expected in this Cup of Nations, could have broken the deadlock as halftime approached but a weak shot was comfortably saved by Loydt Kazapua.

Deon Hotto came close to putting Namibia ahead midway through the second half after Keet spilt a cross and the Namibian had his shot cleared off the line by Buhle Mkhwanazi.

Almost immediately, South Africa forced a corner and Zungu from Ligue 1 outfit Amiens rose unchallenged in the middle of the six-yard box to nod the former champions into the lead.

?? ZUNGU ????#BafanaBafana have broken the deadlock against Namibia at last as Bongani Zungu heads home the opener!#TotalAFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/ztN0fWFXVn— SuperSport ???? (@SuperSportTV) June 28, 2019

Senegal inadvertently do themselves a favour with defeat

Senegal coach Aliou Cisse has been battling to convince the media and public that his team are not favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations and his players might have inadvertently done the job for him.

The Lions of Teranga certainly did not look like potential champions as they allowed themselves to be bullied by Algeria’s more physical approach during their 1-0 defeat on Thursday.

They must now beat Kenya in their final group C game to qualify for the last 16 without having to rely on other results going their way.

In a tournament where many players ply their trade in the lower divisions of European leagues or are still based in Africa, Senegal are an exception.

The squad, entirely based in Europe, brims with talent and top-level experience, boasting players such as Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Inter Milan’s Keita Balde and Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, who is arguably one of the world’s top central defenders.

They also enjoy a stability rare in African football with coach Aliou Cisse, himself with wide European experience from his playing days, into his fifth year in charge.

Cisse had become exasperated at having to explain that Senegal, who have never won the competition before, were not favourites this time.

“They have talked about Senegal being favourites for years,” he said before the match.

“If I had the recipe for winning the tournament, I wouldn’t tell anyone what it was. To play at the Africa Cup of Nations is complicated, the conditions are difficult, the matches are tough… you have to be ready to suffer.

“This generation of 2019 is an extraordinary one with very good players, but that does not mean we are favourites. The favourites are the teams who have won the competition before.”

After Thursday’s defeat, Cisse blamed “details” and the absence of three regular starters – Marissa Gueye, Ismailia Sarr and Salif Sane.

He said he expected more of Mane who was neutralised by the aggressive Algerians.

“Of course Sadio Mane can do better,” he said. “In this match, we let our technical ability go to waste.

“We need to get ready for the match against Kenya which will not be a formality. This was a warning and we need to mobilise quickly. I have confidence in the players and the team but the whole team has to raise their level.”

Burundi look to end Guinea’s hopes