Africa Cup of Nations: Five things we learned on Day 25
The semi-finals started. That means the final will be here soon and our adventure will be over. Alas. Alack. Woe and thrice woe. No more inane questions for the coaches.
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There are no favoruites
Down to the last four and we know that this isn’t about favourites, it’s about winning. Senegal 20th in the world rankings took on 60th in the shape of Burkina Faso at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo. And it was a cracking game with four goals scored in the last 20 minutes. When Burkina Faso pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute to make it 2-1, the neutrals in the crowd were cheering them on for an equalizer - something to do with money's worth. But a midfield mix-up in the Burkinabe ranks allowed Senegal to break away and score the third. Wonderful drama. Senegal into a second successive final.
Smartness is seeping in
With a commendable change of pace, the Confederation of African Football – which organises the Cup of Nations – declared that the third place play-off match would be played on Saturday night at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaoundé and not on Sunday afternoon just before the final as originally planned. No official reason was given. Let's just specualte that this move will avoid unnecessary traffic congestion as well as the accompanying din and garbled minds – the kind of things that lead to fan stampedes.
My team is me time
Aliou Cissé – the first man to lead a Senegal team into back-to-back Cup of Nations finals – described himself as stubborn and tenacious. Character traits that would chime with his ethics of industry and accretion. His team displayed these features in the semi-final victory over Burkina Faso. They wore them down. Pressure football.
My team is learning
Burkina Faso coach Kamou Malo conceded the Senegal side that overcame his lads were more athletic and more experienced. Burkina Faso certainly weren’t atomised. Merely crushed. They played with the pizzazz that Malo had promised and kept Senegal on their toes throughout the match. Three semi-finals in the last five Cup of Nations over nine years. Kudos.
On a high and dry
It is a first Cup of Nations for the police officer turned coach Malo. So all in all a very good job. And there was a sense that Malo would have locked up one hack who asked him who would emerge victorious from the semi-final on Day 26 between Egypt and Cameroon. “It’s going to be an African side who wins,” deadpanned Malo.
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