Day: February 4, 2024

AFCON hosts Ivory Coast triumph with a last-gasp winner
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

AFCON hosts Ivory Coast triumph with a last-gasp winner

The Elephants of Ivory Coast, in front of home fans, pulled off another remarkable escape act in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament.

Cote d’Ivoire and DR Congo will face each other in the semi-finals on Wednesday, February 7th at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan.

They won the quarterfinal match against Mali with a 122nd-minute goal from Oumar Diakite, which broke the hearts of the losing team.

The Ivorians played most of the game at a disadvantage since Odilon Kossounou was sent off for two first-half fouls on Lassine Sinayoko. They went behind to Nene Dorgeles’ beautiful curling shot.

In the 90th minute of the game, the Elephants managed to equalize thanks to an opportunistic finish from Simon Adingra. Then, in the extra time, they won the game with virtually the last kick as Diakite deflected Seko Fofana’s shot into the net.

Despite the victory, Diakite’s emotions were mixed as he received a second yellow card for removing his shirt in celebration. This means he will be banned for the upcoming semi-final match against DR Congo.

Unfortunately, the final whistle caused some unpleasant scenes. Several Mali players surrounded the referee, Mohamed Adel, and protested against his decisions. As a result, Hamari Traore was shown a red card for taking his protests too far.

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.

South Africa Keeper stars in high stakes shootout
by Alie Bittar @bittar32

South Africa keeper Ronwen Williams stars in AFCON shootout 

South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams was the hero of the day as he saved four penalties to help his team reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals.

Bafana Bafana will take on the Super Eagles in the semi-finals on Wednesday, 07 February, at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake.

After a goalless draw against Cape Verde, Williams denied the Blue Sharks four times in the penalty shootout to lead his team to the next round, where they will face Nigeria.

Williams gave credit to his entire team and technical staff for his heroic displays on Saturday. “It was tough. They played their part, and it was my time to play my part,” said Williams, crediting his teammates and back-end staff. “I am just glad that we are in the next round. This is not mine, but it is for the collective.” 

The Mamelodi Sundowns man added, “The staff, technical team, and each player. This journey has been tough, but we soldiered on as a team, so I will accept this on behalf of every player in Bafana Bafana.”

South Africa’s captain, Ronwen Williams, not only kept Cape Verde at bay during the 120 minutes of play but also helped his team reach the semi-finals of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023. 

Connect with us @football_sierra on Facebook/ Instagram, Football Sierra Leone, and the Writer Alie Bittar on Twitter @bittar32 African News.