Afcon 2023 Review - Heavyweights Knocked Down, North Africans Feel Heat As Nsue Leads Scorers' Chart
Heavyweights were demystified, and a surety is that at least three teams ranked outside the top 10 will be in the quarterfinals.
The 36 games in the group phase came to a close on Wednesday, 25 January, and it was a season of heavyweight knockdowns, a host in qualification jeopardy, another black day in Ghana's football history, and the malaise of the North African teams.
The group phase resulted in five coaches losing or resigning their jobs. The most high-profile were the coaches of Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire; Chris Hughton and Jean-Louis Gasset were dismissed, while Tam Sainfiet, Djamel Belmadi, and Jalel Kadri of The Gambia, Algeria, and Tunisia, respectively, resigned from their posts.
The fixtures for the round of 16 are also mouth-watering, and the excitement levels will continue to rise as the teams are whittled down.
Heavyweights are knocked out
Five-time winners Ghana collapsed at the last minute against Mozambique and crashed out. The highest margin of defeat honour went to the hosts, Cote d'Ivoire and Namibia, while former champions, Algeria and Tunisia, had the ignominy of finishing bottom of their groups.
Related video: AFCON 2024: Morocco win means that hosts Ivory Coast qualify by the skin of their teeth (France 24)
Of all the famed No. 9s at the tournament, it is 34-year-old Emiliano Nsue from Equatorial Guinea who leads the scorers' chart with five goals. Nsue, who is registered as a midfielder and sometimes plays as a right-back for Spanish third-division side CF Intercity, also scored the first hat-trick in the tournament since Soufiane Alloudi against Namibia in 2008.
North Africans feel heat
Four North African teams came to the 2023 AFCON, and all are in the top five African teams, but two fell abysmally at the group stage, while the Pharaohs of Egypt (5) went through to the round of 16 with three points, garnered from three draws.
Effectively, what has taken the Egyptians through is Mohamed Salah's 97th-minute penalty against Mozambique on Matchday 1.
Algeria (4), the 2019 champions, came last in Group D with two points, and they were beaten by the 22nd-ranked Mauritania, the first-ever AFCON tournament win for the islanders. Tunisia (3) also came last in their group, losing to Namibia (27) on Matchday 1.
Morocco (1) are still the firm favourites and have confirmed their status with two wins and a draw in Group E. Hakim Ziyech is the unlikely toast of Cote d'Ivoire because he scored the only goal of the game against Zambia, which instigated the Elephants' qualification to the round of 16.
Minnows are having their day in sun
Who would have bet on both Equatorial Guinea and Cape Verde as group winners? Who would have thought that the likes of Mauritania and Namibia, best known for holidays, would upset the apple cart and send the horses scampering? AFCON 2023 has been littered with exciting and surprising moments, and the prayer is for it to continue into the more cautious knockout rounds.
Round of 16 fixtures
Nigeria (6) vs. Cameroon (7)
Namibia (27) vs. Angola (28)
Mali (6) vs. Burkina Faso (10)
Senegal (2) vs. Cote d'Ivoire (8)
Morocco (1) vs. South Africa (12)
Cape Verde (14) vs. Mauritania (22)
Egypt (5) vs. DR Congo (13)
Equatorial Guinea (18) vs. Guinea (15)
These matchups look even on paper and are uncanny in their arrangements. The two fixtures that feature a large disparity in the ranking of the teams are the clashes between Morocco and South Africa and maybe Egypt versus DR Congo. All the others are between close contenders, using the last FIFA ranking table, released last December.
A surety is that three teams ranked outside the top 10 will be in the quarterfinals.
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info
ILT20: Hasaranga, Afridi, Azam help Desert Vipers conquer Gulf Giants
© Provided by Asian News International (ANI)
D
ubai [UAE], January 25 (ANI): Shaheen Afridi's deadly spell of three wickets for 22 runs and breezy knocks from Wanindu Hasaranga and Azam Khan guided Desert Vipers to a six-wicket win over defending champions Gulf Giants in the seventh match of the ILT20 Season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium. The clash of the finalists of the first edition saw Afridi's spell restrict Giants to 160 for 6 in 20 overs.
Vipers won the match with eight balls to spare through Hasaranga's 42 off just 19 balls with four boundaries and two sixes. He had put on 57 runs in 33 deliveries for the third wicket with Adam Hose. Afzal Khan then hit a breezy unbeaten 26 off 14 balls with three boundaries and a six. He too added 41 runs in 19 balls for the fourth wicket with Hose, who hit a sedate 39 runs off 35 balls with four boundaries. Vipers who were at the bottom of the table have now jumped to fourth place.
For the Giants, Chris Lynn top scored with 63 runs off 42 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes. He put on 89 runs off 59 balls for the third wicket with Jordan Cox before Afridi put the brakes on the run flow. Cox hit 32 off 29 balls with a boundary and a six.
Vipers won the toss and chose to bowl. In the opening over, Pakistan T20 skipper Afridi, making his tournament debut, conceded a boundary to Jamie Smith over mid-off off the fifth ball. Mohammad Amir took a wicket in the second over, dismissing skipper James Vince for 1 as he lifted the ball to Colin Munro at mid-on. Afridi also claimed a wicket in the third over, clean-bowling Smith for 5 after a missed big hit.
Lynn wiped away the impact of two early wickets by scoring two boundaries and a six off Tymal Mills. Cox played second fiddle as Lynn went for the big hits. Lynn reached his half-century in 35 balls with six boundaries and three sixes. When the Giants were four runs short of the 100-run mark, Mills made Lynn miscue his shot, and wicketkeeper Azam Khan caught the skier for 63.
Shimron Hetmyer, who joined Cox, got out caught behind for 10 off Hasaranga. After that, Afridi picked his second wicket, forcing Cox to hit to Alex Hales at long-on for 32. Chris Jordan became Afridi's third victim, falling identically for 14. Usman Khan hit an unbeaten 16 to ensure his team a challenging total.
Needing 161 to win, Vipers lost an early wicket when Richard Gleeson, who came in as Super Sub in place of Lynn, got Colin Munro out caught at third man for 6. Hales on 11 escaped being stumped off a Mujeeb Ur Rehman slider but fell in the seventh over to Dominic Drakes to a spectacular catch by Aayan Khan at the fine leg boundary for 21.
Hasaranga who joined Adam Hose hit Aayan Khan for two consecutive boundaries and also Jordan for a six and a boundary off successive balls. At the halfway mark, the Vipers needed 85 runs to win. Drakes picked the valuable wicket of Hasaranga in the 13th over by getting him caught by Usman Khan at long-off for 42.
Azam Khan unleased his hard-hitting skills and whacked Jordan for a six to mid-wicket followed by three boundaries off Blessing Muzarabani in the 15th over. This reduced the target to a gettable 32 runs from the last five overs. Hose got out to Gleeson, caught behind for 39 but Sherfane Rutherford and Khan steered their team to the target.
Vipers skipper Colin Munro hailed Hasaranga and Afridi; "It was a team effort, winning the toss was a big favour. Hasaranga was just brilliant, what a player. When you come up against Gulf Giants, we need to have our plans in place. We have all the analysts in T20 cricket, but what's most important is adapt to what is in front of you. Afridi was outstanding and has so much experience, he knows his skill and executes them really well."
Giants skipper Vince lauded Hasaranga's knock. "We started well with the ball, put the pressure on them, but the way Hasaranga came out and batted took the game away from us. We need to tidy up in all facets on the game. We can't afford to have lull periods because quality opposition will make you pay."
Player of the match Hasaranga said: "I bat at number 7 generally, but today I had a chance up the order so I tried to go on the attack. I like to have that all-rounder tag in front of my name, so happy to perform with the bat as well."
Brief scores: Gulf Giants: 160/ 6 in 20 overs (Chris Lynn 63, Jordan Cox 32, Shaheen Afridi 3/22) vs Desert Vipers 162/4 in 18.4 overs (Alex Hales 21, Adam Hose 39, Wanindu Hasaranga 42, Azam Khan 26*, Sherfane Rutherford 20*). (ANI)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
English FA Cup Fourth Round predictions, fixtures and results: 25 – 29 January 2024
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I
t’s time for the best domestic knockout competition in the world to take centre stage, with the Fourth Round of the English FA Cup stretching across a long weekend.
The remaining 32 clubs in the showpiece compete in 16 ties between Thursday and Sunday.
And it’s a pair of Premier League glamour ties that hog the Friday night limelight.
Tottenham host Manchester City in a shimmering North London contest, in a game that pits Ange Postecoglou’s exciting side against Pep Guardiola’s reigning Cup winners.
That’s not the only show in London town either, as Chelsea welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge.
It’s a repeat of the 1999/2000 final – the last at the old Wembley Stadium and won by the Blues – but it’s Unai Emery’s Villans that will start as narrow favourites thanks to their flying EPL season so far.
Sunday sees four FA Cup contests, headlined by the old fashioned romance of giants Manchester United making the trip to south Wales to play League Two Newport.
The home side have even rustled up a temporary stand to boost capacity at their Rodney Parade ground for the visit of the Red Devils, who were beaten by their neighbours in last season’s final under the Wembley arch.
Liverpool lifted the famous trophy in 2022 and are heavy favourites to reach the Fifth Round this time, thanks to a home draw against second tier Norwich.Related video: Klopp on EFL Cup Final, transfer and injury latest and FA Cup visit of Norwich (English Football Channel)
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is missing Mohamed Salah but will have full confidence in his side doing the business against the Canaries at Anfield.
There’s also a Black Country derby that sees Premier League Wolves make the short hop to take on rivals West Brom.
It’s a staggeringly early kick off for the pair, as Gary O’Neill’s men do everything they can to be fully alert and avoid an upset at The Hawthorns.
Watford and Southampton complete the Sunday quartet, as they play out an all-Championship tie at Vicarage Road.
Fans of a Cup upset will be tuned in to Monday night’s game between Blackburn and Wrexham.
The Welsh visitors bring the Hollywood stardust to Ewood Park, with second tier Rovers desperate to avoid the same fate as Wrexham’s League One local rivals Shrewsbury in Round Three.
Saturday boasts six FA Cup fixtures across the country, kicking off with the clash between Premier League Ipswich and National League South club Maidstone, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition.
Newcastle continue their interminable quest for silverware when they go to fellow EPL club Fulham for the late match at Craven Cottage.
In between there are a pair each of all-Premier League and all-Championship contests.
Everton face Luton at Goodison Park and will attempt to avoid a repeat of their top flight loss to the Hatters back in September, while Sheffield United welcome the distraction from their dismal league season so far with a winnable home tie against Brighton.
Leeds last lifted the pot in 1972 but have an eye on the Fifth Round here thanks to a decent home draw against Plymouth.
Championship leaders Leicester, meanwhile, host Midlands rivals Birmingham with the visitors having sacked boss Wayne Rooney on the eve of their win in Round Three.
Tier two Bristol City shocked West Ham in their Third Round replay at Ashton Gate.
The Robins’ reward on Friday evening is another home tie against Premier League opposition in the shape of Nottingham Forest, who must focus their attention after coming under the financial microscope in recent weeks.
Sheffield Wednesday and Coventry also play on Friday at Hillsborough, guaranteeing another Championship club in the Round of 16.
And the Fourth Round kicks off on Thursday night, thanks to the vagaries of various TV companies, as improving EPL side Bournemouth welcome Swansea to the Vitality Stadium.
