Africa Cup on Nations: It’s Win or Bust for Bafana and Ghana’s Black Stars

South Africa's Thulani Serero. The Bafana Bafana will need to be up on their feet full time to avoid crashing out of AFCON

Pre-tournament favorites, Ghana and South Africa could be saying goodbye to the Africa Cup of Nations should they fail to get results against Algeria and Senegal respectively.

Both teams are on the verge of exiting the competition at its infant stage having both surrendered leads in their opening matches. South Africa conceded three goals in 15 minutes in their 3-1 defeat to Algeria having taken the lead six minutes after the interval.

Ghana surged ahead of Senegal with an Andre Ayew first half penalty but the Teranga Lions drew level through Mame Diouf before Fenerbahce attacker Moussa Sow completed the comeback with a last minute goal in a 2-1 win.

The defeats mean both teams must avoid a repeat of the same if they are to keep their hopes alive although getting a draw would spice up things further heading into the final group stage matches.

South Africa’s job looks tougher given Senegal’s recent form which has seen them lose only once in their last 14 matches in all competitions. Allain Giresse’s side have won all their last five matches keeping three clean sheets in the process and with a dangerous frontline headed by Diouf, Sow and Papiss Cisse, the Bafana defence will need to concentrate for 90 minutes.

Ephraim Mashaba’s South Africa created enough chances against Algeria and they could have claimed an easy victory but decadence in front of goal put paid to their hopes. It will be a contrasting game as far as player composition is concerned with all of Senegal’s 23-man squad plying their trade abroad while South Africa has 18 out of their 23 playing in the domestic league.

Top-ranked African team Algeria, will enter the quarterfinals if they beat Ghana.

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Africa Cup on Nations: Congo Ends 41-Year Winless Rot

Stade de Reims midfielder, Prince Oniangue, scored the only goal for Congo as they ended a winless run in the Africa Cup of Nations that dates back to 41-years ago.

The 26-year-old fired home what would prove to be the winner against Gabon just three minutes into the second interval, a result that saw the Red Devils leapfrog Jorge Costa's men to the top of Group A. In a game of few clear cut chances, it was Claude Le Roy’s side who were patting each other on the back for a job well done as they denied Gabon a chance to qualify for the next round had Les Pantheres gotten the win.

However,  some defensive mix-up by the Gabonese backline presented Oniangue the opportunity to put his name on the goalscorers sheet which he duly obliged with a poacher's goal in Bata. The narrow 1-0 defeat of Gabon was Congo’s first win in the Africa Cup of Nations finals since 1974.

It also blew the Group A open with all the four teams capable of advancing to the Last 8 heading into the final matchday. The other two group members, Burkina Faso and hosts Equatorial Guinea, shared a barren draw.

Congo who last featured in the competition in the year 2000 lead the group on 4 points, one ahead of Gabon with Equatorial Guinea in third place, a point further adrift. Congo just need a draw in their last match against bottom side Burkina Faso to advance to the quarterfinals .

On Thursday evening, Zambia who won the title last time it was held in Equatorial Guinea, will take on Tunisia as Congo DR clash with Cape Verde in Group B. All the teams in the group are tied on 1 point.

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Africa Cup of Nations: South Africa’s Bafana their Own Worst Enemy

The second matchday of the ongoing Africa Cup on Nations saw attention shift to the so-called Group of Death as four time winners Ghana took on Senegal in the earlier kickoff before Africa’s number one ranked team Algeria clashed with 1996 champions South Africa.

The Teranga Lions of Senegal had to fight from behind, Andre Ayew having put the Black Stars ahead from the penalty spot after Christian Atsu had been fouled in the box by goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul quarter way into the match. However, an equalizer from Southampton forward Mame Diouf and a last minute goal from Moussa Sow saw the Senegalese claim the three points in a 2-1 win.

That result meant there was all to play for in the second clash in the group pitting North Africans Algeria and their southern Africa counterparts South Africa. While the match was bereft of the explosive start and an early goal that underlined the previous encounter, it was highly competitive contest.

The Bafana Bafana threatened the most in the opening half but wasteful finishing and over elaboration of their play saw them waste three neat chances to score the opening goal. Dean Furman had his head buried in his hands halfway into the match after rattling the crossbar before Sibussio Vilakazi and Andile Jali were all culpable of wasting clear cut chances as the half ended barren.

Shakes Mashaba’s side would take a deserved lead 6 minutes inside the second interval, Thuso Phala finishing a delightful move that involved the troublesome Tokelo Rantie feeding Vilakazi whose backheel found Phala who finished from just outside the six-yard box.

Just two minutes later, Bafana Bafana were gifted an opportunity to extend their lead after they won a penalty. However, AFC Bournemouth’s Rantie aimed too high and hit the post in spite of sending the goalkeeper the wrong side. Mashaba’s side would create more chances but they tended to overplay when a little bit of decisiveness and willingness to shoot on goal would have bore dividends.

Thulani Hlatshwayo must have felt as the unluckiest man to grace the 30^th edition of the tournament as he turned a header into the back of his own net to give the Desert Foxes a lifeline. Five minutes later, Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam doubled the South Africans’ pain when his left-footed strike somehow escaped the gloves of keeper Darren Keet. Two soon became three, Keet having another ‘oh boy’ moment after he allowed Islam Slimani’s tame shot to go past him with the clock reading 83 minutes.

South Africa’s loss, as unfortunate as it was, was all down to them. Time and again, they created chances but tended to go over the top when all they needed was to test the keeper. Rantie’s wild miss from the spot-kick summed up their evening. A low shot towards the far post would have made it 2-0 and perhaps allowed Mashaba to put a few more bodies at the back and see off the rest of the game as Algeria never created so many chances.

It was a bitter lesson for the 1996 Champions who now have to beat Senegal to have any chances of advancing past the group stages. Hopefully, by the time they face the increasingly impressive Teranga Lions, they would have learnt the simplest lesson in football; always take your chances.

And That's thesteifmastertake!!