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Champion advances Cameroon beats Ivory Coast, Egypt beats TunisiaPosted: Friday January 25, 2002 4:58 PMUpdated: Saturday January 26, 2002 6:37 AM SIKASSO, Mali (AP) -- Cameroon's Indomitable Lions became the first side to reach the quarterfinals at the 2002 African Cup of Nations, beating Ivory Coast 1-0 on Friday. In other matches, Egypt upset World Cup qualifier Tunisia 1-0 and Algeria narrowly avoided elimination by drawing 2-2 against Liberia. Cameroon's Patrick Mboma secured the titleholder a spot in the second round with an 86th-minute header. The winning goal followed a series of missed chances for both sides, with Kolo Abib Toure and Kader Keita repeatedly threatening the Lions. Mboma and Samuel Eto'o fumbled earlier attempts for Cameroon. Mboma, who plays for Italian club Parma, also scored the winning goal in Cameroon's 1-0 win over Congo (Zaire) on Sunday. After the match in the eastern city of Sikasso, Cameroon led Group C with six points. It is certain of at least finishing second in the group with five-point advantages over Togo and Ivory Coast. The top two sides in each of the four groups go through to the knockout quarterfinal stage. In Group D, Egypt kept alive its hopes of qualifying for the next round with a 1-0 win over Tunisia in the capital, Bamako. Hazim Imam scored in the 24th minute and Tunisia failed to find a chink in the Egyptian defense for an equalizer. The Carthage Eagles dropped to last place in Group D with one point and need to beat Senegal to have a chance of advancing. Senegal and Egypt have three points each, although Senegal leads on goal difference. Zambia is third with one point after its goalless draw against Tunisia. At Bamako's March 26 stadium, Bastia striker Prince Daye opened for Liberia in the seventh minute off a pass from star player George Weah. French-based striker Nassim Akrour leveled moments before halftime, capitalizing on confusion between Liberian goalkeeper Louis Crayton and a defender over who would clear the ball from the area. Unsigned midfielder Kelvin Sebwe restored Liberia's advantage and Algeria looked certain to exit the tournament as it trailed 2-1. But Nasreddine Kraouch closed the gap with a stunning shot from 25 meters (yards) in injury time. Algeria remained bottom of Group A with one point. Nigeria leads with four points while Liberia and Mali have two points each. Egypt 1, Tunisia 0BAMAKO (Reuters) -- Four-time winner Egypt put its African Nations Cup campaign back on track as midfielder Hazem Imam scored the only goal in his side's 1-0 win over Tunisia on Friday. The result has left World Cup finalist Tunisia teetering on the brink of elimination with just one point from their opening two matches in group D. Egypt squandered several chances, particularly teenage striker Ahmed Hossam whose first touch let him down twice with only the goalkeeper to beat, before an unmarked Imam finished off a series of slick passing moves to score in the 23rd minute. The former Udinese player's goal was only the sixth goal in 11 games of the tournament. Tunisia's defense looked static during the match and its performance Friday offered little to suggest it would be any threat at the upcoming World Cup finals, where it shares a group with co-host Japan, Russia and Belgium. Tunisia had two goal-scoring opportunities in the game. But a wild shot by midfielder Kaies Ghodhbane went sailing wide, before striker Jamel Zabi had the ball in the back of the Egyptian net six minutes into the second half but the goal was disallowed because he was offside. Six cautions from Spanish referee Arturo Ibanez characterised a scrappy second period although there was little of the expected rough play that has dominated derbies between north African teams in past tournaments. Egypt could have added a second goal a minute from time when fullback Yaser Radwan's angled effort came crashing back off the woodwork before Mohamed Barakat then tripped over the ball as he attempted to seize on the rebound. Tunisia's defeat adds pressure on new coach Henri Michel, who had been hired in November to take the side to the World Cup finals. Before Friday's game he had said his team had limitations upfront and in defense and would find it difficult to get a result against traditional rival Egypt. Senegal, another World Cup finalist, remains group leader after the result and plays its second match Saturday against Zambia. Score Summary
Algeria 2, Liberia 2BAMAKO (Reuters) -- Nasseredine Kraouche kept Algeria in the African Nations Cup with an injury time equalizer Friday to leave George Weah's Liberia shattered once again.The former World Footballer of the Year created a goal in each half to put the Lone Stars on course to head the group and eliminate Algeria, but in the second minute of injury time midfielder Kraouche scored with a long-range strike. The result leaves Nigeria top of group A with four points and also gives Mali more hope of qualifying for the next round. A Liberia victory would have forced the host to beat Algeria in its final game to have a chance of going through. The last-ditch equalizer was reward for Algeria's relentless pressure -- the north Africans also rattled the woodwork in each half -- against a Liberia team that showed flashes of brilliance but failed to take control of the match by keeping possession. Liberia found the net as early as the seventh minute in what was to be the highest scoring of the 13 games played so far. Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Weah played a perfectly weighted ball to Bastia winger Prince Daye who brought it under control with a delightful first touch and slotted home under the advancing Algeria goalkeeper Lounes Gaouaoui. Daye nearly made it two four minutes later when midfielder Oliver Makor put him through but his shot shaved the left post. Zizi Roberts, the stocky defender who plays for Greek side Olympiakos, then had a free header on 25 minutes but powered it straight at Gaouaoui from a few yards out. But a tired-looking Liberia quickly went off the boil and allowed Algeria back into the game and Troyes striker Raifi Saifi should have equalized after 34 minutes. Lone Stars goalkeeper Louis Crayton parried a rasping drive from Kraouche, but then spilled a low cross and Raifi blasted over the bar from a meter out. Raifi, showing his flair again with deft flicks and surging runs, found himself free in the box twice more but his first touch let him down. Forced substitution A forced substitution made the difference for Algeria. French-born striker Nassim Akrour, drafted into the team for the first time in Mali, came on after 25 minutes for the injured Farid Ghazi and injected more pace into the attack. He first rattled the woodwork with a powerful shot and then on the stroke of halftime latched onto a long ball from the centre circle, taking advantage of a woeful mix-up between Crayton and defender Jimmy Dixon to tap into an empty net. Weah then showed his strength and skill again, winning the ball on the left in the 72nd minute and playing a low cross into the box. Daye laid the ball back to midfielder Kelvin Sebwe who curled a superb 25-year shot into the far corner. Liberia, which also came within three minutes of beating host Mali in the opening game, hung on desperately but its lack of fitness and Algeria's persistence paid off in the end as Kraouche pounced to secure a point. "It's a really sad way to lose a game especially just 30 seconds before the end," Weah said. Kraouche, who plays in Belgium for Ghent, misses the next match against Mali after picking up his second yellow card. Score Summary
Cameroon 1, Ivory Coast 0SIKASSO, Mali (Reuters) -- Cameroon forward Patrick Mboma struck again Friday, claiming a late goal to give the defending African Nations Cup champion a lucky 1-0 win over Ivory Coast and send it into the quarterfinals. The Italian-based striker, who scored the best goal of the championship so far in Sunday's 1-0 win against the Democratic Republic of Congo, rose above the Ivorian defense to head in following a corner with only five minutes left. Cameroon players and officials celebrated as if they had won the World Cup. The Ivorians did enough to deserve a shock win, outplaying the Indomitable Lions and creating a flurry of chances either side of halftime. The Elephants, champions in 1992, were denied by their own wastefulness in front of goal and an outstanding save by Cameroon's Boukar Alioum. The Turkish-based goalkeeper brilliantly turned away a header by Ivorian midfielder Aliou Siby Badara from point-blank range in the 75th minute before watching the same player head the rebound over the crossbar. "It was very, very important, for me, for Cameroon, for the team, for the minister and for the President," said Cameroon's German coach Winfried Schafer, who became the fourth man in a year to manage the Indomitable Lions when he took charge in September. "It was a difficult game, the Ivory Coast wanted to prove themselves and we were waiting for a time to strike," Schafer added. "Boukbar Alioum is the best goalkeeper in the tournament and Patrick Mboma is the best goal-scorer." Cameroon, which was champion two years ago and is warming up for its fourth successive World Cup, top group C with a maximum six points from two games and has not conceded a goal. Ivory Coast has one point and have yet to score. Togo, which has a point, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is still to break its duck, meet Saturday. Lively start Cameroon created some good early chances in a lively start. Midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe twice went close with headers from corners, then Samuel Eto'o shot into the side-netting from the edge of the penalty area after the Ivorian defense carelessly gave the ball away. But the Elephants grew in confidence towards halftime and several good moves down the right caused problems for the Cameroon defence. Abdelkader Keita wasted the best chance when he dribbled his way into the penalty area but then dived for a spot-kick instead of shooting and was booked. Shortly afterwards, Keitas got to the byline but Alioum saved his low cross, while Habid Toure ended another good move down the right by pulling his cross back behind two forwards. The Elephants continued to dominate after the break. Keita again reached the byline and crossed the ball but Tchiressoa Guel shot tamely wide. Then Marseille's Ibrahima Bakayoko, who had a quiet game, shot on the turn from close range but the effort lacked power and Alioum saved again. Score Summary
Reuters contributed to this report. |
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