Morocco will battle with Ivory Coast in their second 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Group D match at the Al Salam Stadium in Egypt on Friday.

Kick-off is at 7pm CAT.

The Atlas Lions began their group stage campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Namibia’s Brave Warriors on Sunday.

Matches are coming thick and fast with an EPIC line up for today’s fixtures.Which clash are you most excited to watch?#CarthageEagles v #TheEagles#AtlasLions v #LesÉléphants#BafanaBafana v #BraveWarriors pic.twitter.com/2Tr3tiMIl3— SuperSport ???? (@SuperSportTV) June 28, 2019

An own goal by Namibian midfielder Itamunua Keimuine handed the North African giants the victory and they are placed second on the Group D standings.

Morocco midfielder Mbark Boussoufa feels that Herve Renard’s charges will need to produce a better performance against Ivory Coast.

“We were the better side (against Namibia) and missed many chances. The first game is always difficult,” Boussoufa said.

“We are happy to win even by a slim margin. We hope to continue on good results and to perform better next time.”

Al Shabab midfielder Boussoufa scooped the Man of the Match award after their clash with Namibia and he will be keen to inspire the 1976 Afcon champions to another victory.

?? After a strong first round, Ladies and Gentlemen the group as it stands: Top game to snatch a spot in the knock-out stages and the other two teams fighting to give themselves a chance to go further in #TotalAFCON2019 pic.twitter.com/rP8lporpW2— CAF (@CAF_Online) June 28, 2019

Meanwhile, Ivory Coast also recorded a victory in their first group match as they edged out South Africa’s Bafana Bafana 1-0 on Monday.

Jonathan Kodjia’s solitary goal was able to earn the Elephants a victory which took the West African giants to the top of the Group D standings.

Ivory Coast captain Serge Aurier has promised their supporters that they will do their best to secure a victory against Morocco.

“We are very happy. For so long we always failed to win our opening game. We were the better side especially in the first half (against South Africa),” Aurier said.

“Our target was the maximum points and we did that. We have a few days to rest before meeting Morocco. We will do our best to please our supporters.”

Tottenham Hotspur right-back Aurier was named Man of the Match after their clash with South Africa and he will be eager to lead the two-time Afcon champions to another win.

In Head-to-Head stats, Morocco and Ivory Coast have clashed 19 times.

Both teams have recorded six victories, while seven matches ended in a draw.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) and the players were locked in talks over unpaid salaries on Thursday with both parties threatening to withdraw from the Africa Cup of Nations ahead of their final pool match, local media has reported.

Reports said no agreement was reached with ZIFA offering to pay $5,500 of the $12,500 the players are owed on Friday, but it was rejected amid the threat of a boycott of training until the full amounts were settled.

Both parties then threatened to quit the tournament ahead of Sunday’s clash with struggling Democratic Republic of Congo, where victory would give Zimbabwe a strong chance of progressing to the second round.

“We were called in and told of the developments about the possible withdrawal from the tournament and we told them (ZIFA officials) that we were ready to go home because we believe they haven’t fulfilled our contracts,” Zimbabwe’s Herald newspaper quoted an unnamed player as saying.

The reports suggested ZIFA has gone so far as to engage the Confederation of African Football over the cost of withdrawing – which could invite a ban from future tournaments.

For their part, a number of players have told officials they are ready to call it quits as the parties trade barbs and clamour for the upper hand in negotiations.

A ZIFA spokesman told Reuters he would not comment on the matter, but suggested clarity would be provided later on Friday.

The players were at loggerheads with ZIFA before the team left for Egypt and had threatened to boycott their opener against the host nation on June 21.

ZIFA crafted a lengthy statement on Tuesday to dismiss “misleading and false” allegations made on social media that funds destined for tournament preparations and player salaries had been misappropriated by officials.

“ZIFA is advising both CAF and Fifa on the role of these individuals in destabilising our football,” the statement read.

“At the right time, a full dossier shall be released by ZIFA with detailed information on resources received and used, (as well as) destabilising efforts prior and during the tournament.”

Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah says the time has come to end the dominance of Cameroon over his country in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Black Stars have confronted the Indomitable Lions four times from 1982 and the best they have achieved is two group draws while suffering two semifinal defeats.

“We are going to give Cameroon a really good game and I am sure we will emerge victorious,” said the coach in his second spell as Ghana coach.

Defending champions Cameroon will start as slight favourites to win the Group F clash in Ismailia Saturday having been the more impressive performers earlier this week.

Cameroon scored twice in three minutes to end the resistance of Guinea-Bissau and win 2-0 while Ghana had John Boye red-carded as they were held 2-2 by Benin.

Here, AFP Sport previews the three Saturday matches, with Benin and Guinea-Bissau the other fixture in an Ismailia double-header, while Angola meet Mauritania in Group E in Suez.

CAMEROON V GHANA

Appiah is not overly concerned with the two dropped points against lower-ranked Benin because Ghana are traditionally slow starters at the Cup of Nations.

They always recover and boast a record of six consecutive top-four finishes from 2008, including finishing runners-up twice.

He was upset by the dismissal of veteran Boye, believing his time wasting should have earned a verbal warning rather than a second yellow card.

Cameroon centre-back Ambroise Oyongo, one of four starters against Guinea-Bissau who were part of the 2017 title-winning team, says they must improve against Ghana.

“We have to raise our game against Ghana. We did not start with a win in 2017 but this time we did and I believe that is a good omen going forward in the competition.”

BENIN V GUINEA-BISSAU

Former English Premier League midfielder Stephane Sessegnon has personal and team ambitions ahead of his probable return to the team after missing the Ghana match through suspension.

The Turkey-based 35-year-old captain of the Squirrels needs one goal to overtake Razak Omotoyossi and become the record scorer for the national team.

He also wants to help Benin finally win a match at the Cup of Nations after two draws and eight losses since debuting 15 years ago.

Another threat to Guinea-Bissau will be physically imposing Mickael Pote, who also plays his club football in Turkey and bagged a brace against Ghana.

Guinea-Bissau contained Cameroon for 65 minutes, but once they fell behind to a Yaya Banana header the Djurtus (wild dogs) had little bite in attack.

ANGOLA V MAURITANIA

These Group E rivals defeated each other at home in qualifying for a 2019 Cup of Nations switched to Egypt after Cameroon fell behind with preparations.

Angola recovered from falling behind after just two minutes to triumph 4-1 in Luanda and Mauritania gained revenge four days later with a 1-0 win in Nouakchott.

Mauritania conceded four goals again this week when losing to Mali and often poorly positioned goalkeeper Brahim Souleimane could be axed by French coach Corentin Martins.

Serbia-born Angola coach Srdjan Vasiljevic was thrilled by the come-from-behind 1-1 draw with Tunisia, who are making a record-extending 14th straight appearance at the tournament.

“We got a good result after enormous difficulties in the preparation period. We want to play good football and compete with the best African teams,” he said.

Following in the footsteps of Joseph-Antoine Bell, Thomas Nkono and Jacques Songo’o as the latest in a line of acclaimed Cameroon goalkeepers is no minor task, but the Indomitable Lions are placing their faith in Andre Onana, one of the season’s revelations in Europe, as they bid to defend their title in Egypt.

Remarkably, his season which started with Ajax last July in the second Champions League qualifying round is still not over.

Throughout a campaign equally gruelling as unforgettable, Onana has experienced it all – from an epic European adventure, featuring memorable matches against Real Madrid, Juventus and Tottenham, to a league and cup double.

But that’s not enough to satisfy the 23-year-old who is craving further success at the Africa Cup of Nations, as Cameroon look to defend their continental crown on July 19.

“Our goal is to bring this title back to Cameroon once more,” he told AFP, ahead of his team’s opening 2-0 victory against Guinea-Bissau in Ismailia.

“It’s true it’s complicated and difficult, because we’re going to play against very good teams. But I think we’re going to succeed,” he said.

‘SOMETHING INNATE’

Unlike his cousin Fabrice Ondoa, a major architect behind Cameroon’s run to the 2017 title, Onana wasn’t in Gabon, a tournament played in its traditional January and February time slot, having preferred to focus on his club.

A fan favourite, Ondoa has since lost his place in goal, but he did earn the right to a song penned in his honour to celebrate his achievements.

“Fabrice and me, it’s family! We’re different … I don’t need a song, the most important thing is the title, both individually and collectively,” Onana said, refusing to draw comparisons between the two stoppers.

“If we bring it back to Cameroon, it will be something good for the country. Sporting victories form part of the stability of our country,” he added, with Cameroon, the original hosts of this year’s edition, stripped of the tournament last November after falling behind in preparations.

Blood relations aside, Cameroon’s knack of consistently producing top goalkeepers in uncanny.

“It’s something innate in this country,” laughed Onana. “On a more serious note, it’s a good question! When you look at the history of Cameroon, it’s incredible all the same. We’ve had Bell, Nkono … It’s thanks to the work put in by these people.”

STRONG AJAX INFLUENCE

For a former student at the Samuel Eto’o Foundation who passed through the Barcelona academy (2010-2015), the relaying of this know-how by former greats has played a decisive role in the spawning of a new generation.

“I was lucky enough to work with ‘Tommy’ Nkono (goalkeeping coach at Espanyol) with whom I learned a lot of things, Fabrice as well. We did little training camps and everything. It’s normal to progress, especially when you play at the top level and you know the right people,” he said.

In the national team, Onana can call on a pair of Ajax legends to continue his development in Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert. The duo were appointed Cameroon’s head coach and assistant respectively last August.

With three Ajax representatives in their ranks, it begs the question whether there is a temptation for Cameroon to adopt the Dutch giants’ famous philosophy.

“It’s difficult. It’s clear we want to control the game, but African football has its own realities. It’s hard to stay true to this philosophy because the state of pitches is not too favourable to that system,” said Onana.

“But we will go to Egypt with our own way of playing, our ‘winner mentality’,” he added. It’s certainly proved a recipe for success in the past with Cameroon triumphing in Africa’s most prestigious competition five times, in 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002 and 2017.

Michael Olunga scored twice as Kenya edged neighbours Tanzania 3-2 in Cairo on Thursday to keep alive hopes of reaching the second round in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Japan-based forward equalised in the first half and scored the 80th-minute winner in a lively east African derby.

Johanna Omolo was the other scorer for Kenya, who trailed 2-1 at halftime.

Saimon Msuva and Mbwana Samatta netted for Tanzania, who have never won a Cup of Nations match in two appearances spanning 39 years.

Earlier, Algeria defeated Senegal 1-0 in a foul-riddled first match of a Group C double-header at the 30 June Stadium and both countries are set to make the last 16.

Even if Kenya lose their final group match against Senegal, they will hope to squeeze into the knockout phase as one of the four best third-place teams.

After two rounds, former champions Algeria have six points, Senegal and Kenya three each and Tanzania are pointless.

Coaches Emmanuel Amunike of Tanzania and Sebastien Migne of Kenya reacted to two-goals losses in their opening group matches by making three changes each.

France-born Migne spoke before the match of the need “to start well” but Tanzania were the more committed side in the early exchanges and led after only six minutes.

Kenya goalkeeper Patrick Matasi could only parry a stinging shot from Taifa Stars captain Samatta and Msuva tapped in the rebound.

The Harambee Stars were unlucky not to score midway through the half when headers by Francis Kahata and Olunga struck the woodwork within seconds of each other.

Msuva nearly scored a second goal when his free-kick from well outside the box was heading for the corner of the net until Matasi tipped the ball over.

An intense match produced two more goals inside a minute close to halftime with Kenya levelling and then falling behind again.

When Tanzania goalkeeper Aishi Manula flapped at a free-kick, the ball struck teammate Erasto Nyoni and drifted toward Olunga, whose bicycle kick found the net.

The Kenyan joy was shortlived, however, as Samatta punished clumsy defending to fire the ball into the net and give Tanzania a 2-1 halftime advantage.

There was no let-up in the physicality from both teams as the second half progressed and Manula made a superb reflex save to parry a header from Kenya captain Victor Wanyama.

But Manula could not prevent Kenya equalising a second time on 62 minutes when a cross after a short corner was powerfully nodded into the net by Johanna Omolo.

It got worse for Tanzania 10 minutes from time when they fell behind for the first time as Olunga fired the ball into the net off a post from the edge of the box.

Game Stratistics.

FT: Kenya 3-2 Tanzania.

Riyad Mahrez and Algeria fired a warning to the rest of their Africa Cup of Nations title rivals with a deserved 1-0 win over Sadio Mane’s heavily-fancied Senegal in Cairo on Thursday.

Mane struggled to impress on his return from suspension as Youcef Belaili crashed home the winner on 49 minutes to guarantee Algeria a berth in the last 16.

It is almost a decade since Algeria last made an impact at the competition by reaching the 2010 semifinals, and this was a performance of great promise from the north African side in front of a large crowd at a blustery 30 June Stadium.

However Senegal, on the hunt for a first continental title, will still be expected to join Algeria in the knockout rounds as they wrap up the group phase against Kenya on July 1.

Mane was one of three changes to the Senegal team that brushed Tanzania aside 2-0 in their opening game, with Cheikhou Kouyate filling in for the injured Salif Sane in central defence. Algeria coach Djamel Belamdi stuck with the team that rolled Kenya over by the same scoreline.

Resuming a Premier League rivalry that saw City pip Liverpool in a thrilling title race last season, Mane’s Senegal controlled possession initially albeit without testing Algeria goalkeeper Rais M’Bohli. Mane ballooned one free-kick well over while Keita Balde completely miscued another.

Having absorbed Senegal’s advances with relative comfort, Algeria grew more assertive and Baghdad Bounedjah had Edouard Mendy scrambling across his goal when his a deflected effort that bounced narrowly wide.

Bounedjah, who hit 39 goals in just 21 starts for Qatar’s Al Sadd last season, looked odds on to score for the second game running in Egypt when he lifted the ball over Mendy only for a retreating Kalidou Koulibaly to clear.

The Algeria forward then nodded wide from a Mahrez free-kick and forced Mendy to force behind a scuffed attempt across goal.

The halftime interval failed to arrest Algeria’s momentum as a sweeping attack saw Bounedjah lay off for Sofiane Feghouli to curl wide, but the breakthrough soon came for the Desert Foxes.

After Senegal conceded possession Feghouli pulled back from the byline down the right for Belaili to take a touch and slam the ball beyond a motionless, unsighted Mendy.

Having created a raft of chances in a commanding win over Tanzania, Senegal’s attack found a compact Algeria far less forgiving and Mahrez went close to doubling the lead with a fizzing strike from distance.

Algeria survived a late scare when Bounedjah almost inadvertently poked a set-piece into his own net, but this was a display that should fuel belief for nation whose only title came in 1990 on home soil.

Madagascar are on the verge of making the last 16 in their first Africa Cup of Nations after Marco Ilaimaharitra scored to earn a 1-0 win over Burundi in Alexandria on Thursday.

The Indian Ocean islanders, ranked 108 in the world, can finish first, second or third in Group B depending on how they fare against leaders Nigeria this Sunday.

But whatever place they occupy in the final standings will almost certainly take them through as group winners and runners-up and the best four of the six third-place teams progress.

Nigeria have six points, Madagascar four, Guinea one and Burundi none after two series of mini-league matches in the Mediterranean city.

Belgium-based Ilaimaharitra rifled a free-kick into the net on 76 minutes at a time when Burundi were looking likelier winners after Madagascar dominated the opening half.

Saudi Arabia-based attacker Charles Andriamahitsinoro, who stood out on the pitch because of his height and dyed blond hair, starred for Madagascar in the first half.

His early free-kick from the touchline dipped dangerously as it floated into the box and goalkeeper Jonathan Nahimana did well to push it away at the expense of a corner.

The Malagasy then produced a shot soon after that forced a fine save from the Burundi goalkeeper in 28 degrees Celsius heat at the Alexandria Stadium.

Midway through the opening half, Andriamahitsinoro burst down the middle between two defenders, but a poor first touch robbed him of a scoring chance.

Then, it was the turn of Burundi winger Cedric Amissi to threaten as he was pipped by goalkeeper Melvin Adrien in a race for possession.

A fluffed attempt to clear the ball by Romain Metanire offered Amissi another chance, but he did not react quickly enough and the ball was cleared.

Adrien foiled Sadio Berahino, who plays for English second tier club Stoke City, as Burundi continued to create chances.

Andriamahitsinoro was unlucky just before halftime when his goal-bound header off a cross was cleared off the line by Gaël Duhayindavyi.

Set pieces have often not been well executed at this Cup of Nations and a Gael Bigirimana attempt to score from a medium-range went embarrassingly high over the bar.

Bigirimana did much better midway through the second half, forcing a great save from Adrien off another free-kick.

It was from yet another set-piece that Ilaimaharitra gave Madagascar the lead, steering the ball into the net from the edge of the box.

Later on Thursday, Algeria face Senegal and Kenya meet Tanzania in a Group C double-header at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.

⚽ 🇰🇪KEN vs TAN🇹🇿

*KEN🇰🇪*
5 Musa Mohammed (Defender)
3 Aboud Omar (Defender)
13 Eric Ouma (Defender)
12 Victor Wanyama (Midfielder)
7 Ayub Timbe Masika (Midfielder)
8 Johanna Ochieng Omolo (Midfielder)
14 Michael Olunga (Forward)
11 Francis Kahata (-)
18 Patrick Matasi (-)
2 Joseph Okumu (-)
15 David Owino (-)

*TAN🇹🇿*
18 Aishi Manula (-)
22 Hassan Kessy (-)
5 Kelvin Yondani (-)
6 David Mwantika (-)
2 Gadiel Michael Kamagi (-)
4 Erasto Nyoni (-)
12 Simon Msuva (-)
23 Mudathir Yahya (-)
11 Thomas Ulimwengu (Forward)
10 Mbwana Samatta (Forward)
17 Farid Mussa (-)

⏰ Game begins in *24 mins*!

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