Reasons to watch the African Cup of Nations

[bungle]

Mali 2-0 up against Malawi inside 3 minutes in a game they have to win.

 

Sadly, I am watching Angola v Algeria! Never mind.

[bungle]

Angola and Algeria draw 0-0 (having done nothing at all for last 20 minutes) and both go through.

 

Malawi could have forced the issue, but from 5 yards out and an open goal they managed to head a ball into the ground and over the bar, which would have made it 2-2 and put them ahead of Algeria.

 

Algeria go through having scored 1 goal in 3 games!

[JackFrost]

Angola and Algeria draw 0-0 (having done nothing at all for last 20 minutes) and both go through.

 

Malawi could have forced the issue, but from 5 yards out and an open goal they managed to head a ball into the ground and over the bar, which would have made it 2-2 and put them ahead of Algeria.

 

Algeria go through having scored 1 goal in 3 games!

 

amazing,

 

the Mali goal 30 seconds in comes close, but my personal favourite comedic goal in this ACON was Cameroon's first against Zambia yesterday, when the Cameroon player ran to keep the ball in play 30 yards out on the touchline, hoofed it towards the Zambia 18 yard box, and it when all the way into the bottom corner of the net.

 

That had me in hysterics when i saw that this morning. There have been so many hilarious goals this year, even for an ACON. I bet someone is gonna put a compilation of goalkeeping howlers from this tournament together, stick the classic circus music with it and put it on youtube.

[bungle]

Burkina Faso trying to go one better than Algeria today. A 0-0 draw with Ghana will see them through to the QFs without scoring a goal.

[JackFrost]

Burkina Faso trying to go one better than Algeria today. A 0-0 draw with Ghana will see them through to the QFs without scoring a goal.

 

hm the advantage of only having the 3 teams in your group. They'll do well to hold both Ivory Coast and Ghana though

[bungle]

How's this for an even group!

 

1 Zambia 3 1 1 1 5 5 0 4

2 C'roon 3 1 1 1 5 5 0 4

3 Gabon 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 4

4 Tunisia 3 0 3 0 3 3 0 3

 

BBC have it in that order, but to be honest I don't know what the 3-way tie-break is. Assume it is goals scored.

 

Tunisia don't lose a game, but go out!

 

Edit: All of the 3-teams in the tie picked up 3 points in the games against the other teams in the tie, all tied on goal difference, so top 2 are the top 2 because of goals scored.

 

The reason Zambia are top is, I believe, because they beat Cameroon (i.e. it reverts to a two-team tie once the 3-team tie is broken).

Edited 21 January, 2010 by bungle

[Deppo]

If it was even they would all have equal points.

[Deppo]

Sorry, Bungle. I can be such a tit sometimes.

[bungle]

What a game this evening, Ivory Coast go 2-1 up after 89 minutes with a belting 25 yard strike, only to concede in injury time. Then Algeria score early in extra time.

 

Algeria actually looked like a decent team for the first time today!

[oxfordshire_saint]

What a game this evening, Ivory Coast go 2-1 up after 89 minutes with a belting 25 yard strike, only to concede in injury time. Then Algeria score early in extra time.

 

Algeria actually looked like a decent team for the first time today!

 

Well, they've knocked out Ivory Coast who most people would've feared us being drawn against in the World Cup groups.

 

Although I expect us to win all our group games, Algeria and USA won't go quietly.

[Red Alert]

Haha, Egypt vs Cameroon, comical two goals for Egypt. Scored twice in the first 5 minutes of extra time.

[bungle]

Egypt v Algeria semi-final.

 

This could be excellent, after the whole World Cup play-off game as well. A North African derby that will be very heated.

[JackFrost]

Egypt v Algeria semi-final.

 

This could be excellent, after the whole World Cup play-off game as well. A North African derby that will be very heated.

 

especially after their world cup qualifier last year.

 

Egyptian fans threw rocks at the Algerian team bus and injured 3 players

[Johnny Shearer]

Algeria Vs Egypt.

 

Shocking ref and I thought the L1 ones were bad. However I'm thinking the Algerian keeper will be getting a long suspension for squaring up to the ref.

Edited 28 January, 2010 by Johnny Shearer

[Hatch]

Algeria down to 8 men

[Johnny Shearer]

4-0 to Algeria..........................only joking. To Egypt really. I'm thinking we should batter Algeria really.

[Saint_clark]

Remember when a huge massive thing was made out of players not being allowed to stop in their run up to penalties? Whatever happened to that f*cking rule?

[Nellie]

Nadir Belhadj. What an odious, ****er of a man.

 

Algeria may struggle to get a team out for the third place play off.

[fish fingers]

Belhadj should be banned for life. It's not the first time he has made a tackle like that. Absolute ****.

 

Great game though and glad Egypt won.

[bungle]

Frustratingly, the final clashes with Arsenal v Man Yoo. Think I will be watching Ghana v Egypt, however.

[Hatch]

Will they be suspended for the World Cup now?

[bungle]

Will they be suspended for the World Cup now?

 

I am pretty sure that all suspensions only apply to the tournament itself, so they will just miss the 3rd place play-off.

 

However, CAF/FIFA might decide on further action on the keeper for his headbutt on the referee (which only got a yellow!), but he is the back-up keeper anyway. 1st choice currently injured.

[Deppo]

It was certainly a humdinger. That penalty shouldn't have been allowed to stand.

[Scummer]

Just watched the highlights. Who was the player who they said played one minute for Saints?

[bungle]

Just watched the highlights. Who was the player who they said played one minute for Saints?

 

I checked this out on the interwebz yesterday.

 

The player is question, Abdoun, actually played 1 minute AGAINST Saints for Man City when they beat us 3-1 in the cup at Eastlands.

[hutch]

I'm watcning the Algeria Egypt game now that I recorded last night. Just seen the Belhadj tackle - dirty bàstard. I wonder if all the Standard Bank advertising boards around the pitch upset him?

[bungle]

An interesting final. Ghana look solid, Egypt struggling to break them down. Could be 1 nil either way.

[bungle]

Egypt win an unprecedented 3rd straight African Cup of Nations, a cracking finish from super sub Gedo with 5 minutes to go.

 

All credit to Ghana, who are missing senior players and fielded 8 players who won the U20 World Cup earlier this year. The future is bright for Ghanaian football.