Powerful magic

Senegal upsets Nigeria; Cameroon ousts Mali in semifinals

Pierre Nlend Wome (right) and Cameroon held off Seydou Keita and Mali. AP

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) -- Senegal, playing with only 10 men for 85 minutes, upset Nigeria 2-1 Thursday and advanced to its first ever African Cup of Nations final as Alissane Diao scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute.

In the day's other semifinal, Cameroon ousted host nation Mali 3-0 on two goals by Salomon Olembe and one by Marc-Vivien Foe.

Nigeria had a chance to level the score in the 109th, but substitute Wilson Oruma missed a penalty kick, hitting the post.

Diao revived the Dakar Lions after Nigeria's Julius Aghahowa had sent the match into extra time with an 87th-minute equalizer.

Senegal, which qualified for its first World Cup finals last year, got its first goal from Pape Diop in the 53rd minute at Keita stadium.

Senegal played with 10 men from the 34th minute, when Pape Sarr was red-carded for swinging an elbow at Garba Lawal. The Super Eagles went a man down after Oruma missed the penalty kick as Aghahowa was sent off in the 118th.

Nigeria's Ifeanyi Udeze was then red-carded in injury time.

Tijjani Babangida nearly set up an earlier goal for Nigeria in extra time, but Aghahowa, who has scored three goals in the tournament, was not able to get to Babangida's 96th-minute shot across goal.

Nigeria started Ike Shorunmu in goal. Shorunmu was hurt in a collision with a teammate Sunday and was taken to the hospital.

The Super Eagles had a few chances leading up to their equalizer as Sunday Oliseh's free kick was sent over the bar in the 78th minute and Aghahowa was stopped by a charging Tony Sylva, Senegal's goalkeeper, in the 79th and 84th.

In the 71st, Henri Camara had a chance for Senegal off a ball from El-Hadji Diouf, but Shorunmu made the save.

In the first half, Senegal hit the post twice and Nigeria once.

Senegal had the first chance -- and the first post -- in the second minute. Camara took the shot, and Diouf wasn't quick enough to finish off the rebound.

Nigeria's Jay-Jay Okocha hit the next post in the 24th, blasting a free kick over the wall, and Diouf got the last post of the half in the 26th.

Nwankwu Kanu had a pair of chances in the half, but he shot wide in the 20th minute and sent the ball into the side netting in the 38th.

Senegal is the 12th-ranked team in Africa and 68th in the world. The Super Eagles are No. 5 on the continent and No. 39 overall.

Defending champion Cameroon advances

BAMAKO, Mali -- Salomon Olembe scored a pair of first-half goals Thursday as defending champion Cameroon beat Mali 3-0 and ended the Eagles' hopes of winning the African Cup of Nations on home soil.

Pius Ndiefi set up both goals for Olembe, feeding him in the 39th and 45th minutes at the March 26 stadium.

Marc-Vivien Foe scored the final goal in the 84th.

Cameroon will play Senegal in the final on Sunday at 1600 GMT at the same venue. Mali will play Nigeria in the third-place match on Saturday at 1600 GMT in Mopti.

The Indomitable Lions, the continent's most successful World Cup side and three-time African Cup winners, have yet to concede a goal through five games in the tournament while scoring nine.

Mali, which failed to reach last year's final World Cup qualifying round in Africa, has reached the Cup of Nations final just once, losing to Republic of Congo in 1972.

The loss was the first in 12 games for Mali coach Henri Kasperczak.

Cameroon goalkeeping coach handcuffed over 'magic'

BAMAKO -- Cameroon's goalkeeping coach Thomas Nkono was handcuffed after a bizarre fight with at least 10 policemen on the pitch ahead of his country's African Nations Cup semifinal against Mali on Thursday.

Cameroon players also clashed with police some 90 minutes before kick off as they attempted to get on to the pitch for a walkabout before the match at the March 26 stadium.

Nkono, who played in goal for Cameroon at two World Cups, was accused by the policeman of dropping "magic" on to the pitch, officials said.

He had been innocently standing on the sidelines talking to team members and watching the stadium's big screen, which was showing pictures from Thursday's earlier semifinal between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Nkono was suddenly set upon by police and, after a brief argument, a punch-up ensued during which Nkono was thrown to the ground and handcuffed in full view of spectators.

He was carried off the pitch by a least eight policemen. Nkono then walked over to the media area and furiously displayed his handcuffs to the international press.

He was later released and returning sobbing to the team's dressing room, where Cameroon coach Winfried Schafer was refusing to go ahead with the game.

There was also an earlier punch-up outside the stadium's press center between members of the Cameroonian staff and police when a policeman tried to grab the bag belonging to the Cameroon doctor.

The incident happened as the team arrived for the match against the host nation.

"It is scandalous, we will not play," Schafer told reporters before CAF officials went into the Cameroon dressing-room to persuade them to change their mind.

Cameron officials said they had been subjected to police intimidation on the eve of the game when they attempted to train at the venue.

They were barred from entering the ground and the floodlights were not switched on for several minutes. Police continually interrupted their training session when it finally got underway, Cameroon officials said.

Nigeria 1, Senegal 2 (after extra time)

BAMAKO -- Nigeria 1 Senegal 2 -- result (after extra time)

African Nations Cup semifinal

Scorers:

Nigeria -- Julius Aghahowa 89

Senegal -- Pape Bouba Diop 54, Alissane Diao 107

Red cards:

Nigeria -- Julius Aghahowa 110, Ifeanyi Udeze 120

Senegal -- Pape Sarr 35

Halftime: 0-0; 90 minutes: 1-1; Attendance: 20,000

Teams:

Senegal: 1-Tony Sylva; 17-Ferdinand Coly, 2-Omar Daf, 6-Aliou Cisse, 13-Lamine Diatta; 3-Pape Sarr, 15-Alissane Diao (12-Amdy Faye, 112), 19-Pape Bouba Diop, 10-Khalilou Fadiga; 7-Henri Camara (9-Souleymane Camara, 90), 11-El Hadj Ousseynou Diouf

Nigeria: 1-Ike Shorunmu; 2-Joseph Yobo, 5-Isaac Okoronkwo, 6-Taribo West, 14-Ifeanyi Udeze; 7-Finidi Geroge (13-Tijani Babangida, 68), 11-Garba Lawal (18-Pascal Karibe Ojigwe, 105), 10-Austin Okocha (16-Wilson Oruma, 74), 15-Sunday Oliseh; 17-Julius Aghahowa, 4-Kanu

Referee: Coffi Codjia (Benin)

Mali 0 Cameroon 3

BAMAKO -- Mali 0 Cameroon 3 - result

African Nations Cup semifinal

Scorers: Salomon Olembe 40, 45, Marc-Vivien Foe 85

Halftime: 0-2; Attendance: 50,000

Teams:

Mali: 1-Mahamadou Sidibe; 2-Daouda Diakite (14-Vincent Doukantie, 46), 4-Adama Coulibaly, 5-Fousseini Diawara, 15-Boubacar Diarra (3-Samba Diawara, 46), 11-Djbril Sidibe (18-Mahamadou Dissa, 73), 12-Seydou Keita, 8-Bassala Toure, 10-Soumaila Coulibaly, 6-Mahamadou Diarra, 9-Mamadou Bagayoko

Cameroon: 1-Boukar Alioum; 2-Bill Tchato, 3-Pierre Wome, 4-Rigobert Song, 5-Raymond Kalla, 8-Geremi, 12-Lauren, 17-Marc-Vivien Foe, 20-Salomon Olembe (21-Daniel Ngom Kome, 89), 9-Samuel Eto'o (18-Eric Djemba Djemba, 89), 11-Pius Ndiefi (19-Patrick Suffo, 83)

Referee: Lim Kee Chong (Mauritius)

 

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