Ivory Coast Reach Semi-final

Co-favourites Ivory Coast put on a solid performance and ended the hopes of co-hosts Equatorial Guinea with a resounding 3-0 win in the quarter final of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations 2012 in Malabo. 

The Elephants were marauding and showed intent from first whistle with pretty much all play happening in the hosts’ half and penalty box. Equatorial Guinea‘s defence was stretched and it looked a matter of time before the Ivorians scored. Max Gradel should have scored for the Elephants but after a couple of shots on target had been blocked he found himself with a chance but he sent his shot over the cross bar. Ivorian chance for the opener eventually came in the first half when Didier Zokora went down under a challenge by defender Ben Konate and captain Didier Drogba stepped up to take the penalty. Goalkeeper Danilo saved the sport kick much to the delight of the crowd.

Ivorians continued to dominate play and create chances. Drogba, Yaya Toure, Zokora and Gervinho were threatening each time they had possession. 

Drogba made amends when he picked up a ball in the box and with a sharp turn beat one defender before cutting back towards goal and shaking off another defender. The striker created space for himself and shot past Danilo beating him at his near post with a rasping shot. It was justly deserved for the dominance by the Elephants.

After the break the hosts stepped up play and had Ivorian goalkeeper Boubacar Barry busy. In one such move the goalkeeper had to beat back into play after Randy connected with a powerful shot. The hosts enjoyed a short spell of domination and took the game to the Ivorians whose defence coped well with what was thrown at it.

Didier Drogba returned to snuff out the bright hopes that Equatorial Guinea was beginning to build with a tremendous goal his and the team’s second. It was vintage Drogba indeed as the striker jumped highest and turning in the air he headed powerfully past Danilo from a Yaya Toure free kick. The ball was in the back of the net before the keeper could move a muscle and the Ivorians were coasting. The goal was followed by more dominance and pressure from co-favourites as they turned on the performance. Gervinho could have added a third and so did 

Equatorial Guinea did not give up and Kily went close to getting a consolation but Barry was equal to the shot and gave away a corner kick. The Ivorians managed to stop the danger from the resultant corner. Yaya Toure made it 3-0 with yet another classy goal on a night the Ivorian star players showed their quality. The midfielder curled in a beauty from a free-kick round the wall and it nested inside Danilo’s left had post.

The Ivorians could have had a fourth but substitute Wifried Bony’s shot was just wide as Ivorians opened up Equatorial Guinea defence at will. In the end Equatorial Guinea’s fine run was ended by a classy Ivory Coast and the Elephants marched into the semi-finals where they await the winner of Gabon and Mali clash and the co-hosts can be proud of their achievement at the finals, their first ever.

Sudan Delight in Goal

The ending of Sudan's 36-year Africa Cup of Nations goal drought against Angola has left the Jediane Falcons still in with a shout of squeaking through to the quarterfinals. 

Sudan confront already knocked out Burkina Faso lying in third place in Group B on one point, with Angola on three and qualified Ivory Coast on six points. 

To grab the precious runner up spot the Sudanese must not only beat Burkina Faso but also pray that their rivals for second place Angola take nothing from their encounter in Malabo with Ivory Coast. 

That will put both sides on four points with goal difference coming into the equation to determine who goes forward to a last eight clash with either Equatorial Guinea or Zambia. 

On Thursday, Sudan ended their three and a half decade scoring drought in the 2-2 draw with the Angolans, with Mohamed Bashir twice levelling after Manucho had scored for the Black Antelopes at the start of each half. 

That stalemate will have given them a dose of confidence after their spirited opening 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast, Didier Drogba getting the decisive goal. 

That narrow defeat was some feat for the only completely locally-sourced squad in the competition up against the footballing highrollers. 

Sudan coach Mohamed Abdalla, who was 16 when Sudan lifted the title in Khartoum in 1970, commented after that game: "We started by attacking because to continue in this competition we had to win. 

"We let in the first goal on a major defensive blunder, the second on a penalty but my players aren't sufficiently experienced. 

"I'm happy that twice we were able to equalise. This game gives us huge motivation for our next one." 

He added: "I'm trying to minimize the small mistakes of our inexperienced defenders playing against high-quality strikers. I think we are improving. To survive in this competition you have to win." 

History is against Sudan, whose last win in the competition was way back in 1970 in the final against Ghana. 

The second lowest ranked team in the 2012 competition was knocked out in the first round in 1972 and 1976 and again in their next appearance in 2008. 

For Burkina Faso, honour is the only thing at stake after an error-strewn opening 2-1 loss to Angola and a 2-0 defeat to Ivory Coast. 

This is their fifth first round exit since they finished fourth 14 years ago. 

They go into Monday's match with uncertainty surrounding the future of their coach Paulo Duarte, who has threatened to quit if the national football federation does not change its ways. 

He is upset over the way the federation has handled a number of nationality claims, with Cameroon-born Herve Zengue missing the finals and Abdou Razak Traore who is here in Equatorial Guinea unable to play. 

Duarte told the BBC: "I don't know if I will stay. I have other teams and Burkina Faso who want me to stay - but I don't know. I'll go home and think about my future - I'm tired of the same problems every day."