AFCON 2015: Guinea go through on Lots Rule to face Ghana in Quarter final

Congratulations!!, Guinea have come victorious in the Lots rule. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) uses the Lots rule to pick the winner and runner-up of group D after Guinea and Mail became tie up on points.

Guinea coach Dussuyer and Mail boss Henri Kasperczak had also both said before Thursday's draw that it was an unfair way of separating the teams.

 "Mail do not deserve to be eliminated in this way, just as we do not" Says Dussuyer.

Kasperczak added: "We have to solve the problems of qualifications without a drawing of lots." 

The Syli Nationale of Guinea will now face Ghana on Sunday in quarter final stage. While other matches are Congo locks horn with DR Congo, Tunisia battles the host Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast challenge the Algerians in an epic battle for a place in the Semi Final.  

AFCON 2015: Yaya Toure and the Gangs Land in Quarter finals, Set to face Algeria

Indeed it was a cracker, as two African giants Cameroon and Ivory Coast battle it out in a crucial last group stage qualifying matches to proceed into the knock-out stages in the on-going African Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

Ivory Coast Celebrate their Goal

The Elephant and the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon had it tough but the Elephants of Cote d'Ivoire secure their victory at the end through Max Gradel first half goal. The forward smashed in a drive from 20 yards to set up a last eight match with Group C runners-up Algeria on Sunday.   

Cameroonian will now be packing their bags from Malabo since they cant progress into the last eight. But it wont be them alone as their other group counterpart Mail and Guinea are yet to know who will be following suite due to their draw of the night to make both teams level on points and hang their fate of qualifying in luck and God hands.    

The African governed body CAF has now announced that the winner will be decided today when the Lots rule will be applied to pick the winner.

AFCON 2015: Ghana escape elimination after bouncing back to defeat South Africa

The black stars of Ghana escape the scare of elimination from the ongoing African Cup of Nations after they bounce back from their slumber in the Second half to Qualify for the next round.

Image Source: Google, A. Ayew Celebrate

South Africa Mandla Masango had given his team the lead 17 minute into the game with a spectacular volley from 25yards, his goal may possibly be the goal of the tournament.

But in the Second half of the game Ghana keep pressuring the South Africa defense before substitute John Boye drove home an equalizer for the black stars. Before Marseille forward Andre Ayew struck the winning goal for them in the 83 minute to put his team 2-1 up and cement their qualification into quarter finals.  

Ghana had never scored against South Africa in an African Cup of Nations match before, but they were determined to end the record.

Algeria also qualified after beating Senegal by 2-0 to pick up the 2nd spot after Ghana cruise to the top of the group on goal difference.

Equatorial Guinea Send Off Gabon to reach Quarter-finals

The 2015 African Cup of Nations is full of surprise, as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament, Equatorial Guinea beat one of the tournament favorites Gabon to reach quarter-final after they went through as Group A runners-up behind Congo.

Source of Image: Google

Striker Javier Balboa put the hosts ahead 1-0 with a 55th-minute penalty after he had  been fouled by Lloyd Palun.

And they added another goal when substitute Salvador Iban slotted home a rebound from striker Emilio Nsue's shot.

In the Second Group A match between Congo and Burkina-Faso went in favor of the Red Devils (Congo) as they beat the 2013 runners-up 2-1 to top the group and send a warning to their next opponent in the quarter finals stage.
This is how the points are after playing 3 matches each,: Congo 7pts, Equatorial Guinea 5pts, Gabon 3pts, Burkina Faso 1pts.

Gabon and Burkinabes send packing their bags, till 2017...

AFCON 2015: Congo Shocks Gabon to Win their first AFCON game since 1974

Congo won their first ever African Cup of Nations game since 1974 to leap frog Gabon to top Group A.

Google Image: Congo v Gabon

The Gabonese enjoyed the better of the first half but couldn't take their chances before falling behind in the 48 minutes by Prince Oniangue scored for Red Devils of Congo with a superb header from a corner.

Congo were barely in the game but the half-time team talk delivered by French legend Claude LeRoy, coaching at his eighth Nations Cup. 

Gabon Dominated the early exchanges, playing with confidence after their 2-0 win over Burkina Faso on Saturday. 

All  fans attention may have been on Gabon's Broussia Dortmund star Pierre- Emerick Aubameyang but as he struggled from a wide position, Madinda grabbed the limelight and the bustling midfielder almost gave the Panthers the lead.

More over, Congo coach Claude Leroy says that their game plan worked well and his team were lucky that Gabon did not convert their chances.

AFCON First Round Standings Inview.

The African Cup of Nations is now getting to a more interesting stage, after all teams have played their first round matches in each group.

Google

We can recall that the defending champion Super Eagles of Nigeria, where not part of this year 2015 AFCON edition after they failed to qualify. With the likes of South Africa and Congo emerge the winner and runner up of the qualifying stages, Nigeria with Sudan had to settle for 3rd and 4th position receptively.

The AFCON 2015 first group round matches started on Saturday 17th of January and we have begin to see so much glamor even though most fans are beginning to complain and giving there opinion that it not so much interesting like it use to be, because the current holders Super Eagles of Nigeria are not involve.

This is how the Standings and Results of the first round of group matches looks, See Below:

Result of matches:
Burkina Faso 0-2 Gabon
Equatorial Guinea 1-1 Congo
Group A
1. Gabon 1 2 3
2. Equatorial Guinea 1 0 1
3. Congo 101       
4. Burkina Faso 1-2 0
 Gabon leads in the group in the first round of matches played.

Result of Matches:
Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde Islands
Zambia 1-1 Congo DR

Group B
1. Zambia 1 0 1
2. Tunisia 1 0 1
3. Cape Verde Islands 1 0 1
4. Congo DR 1 0 1
Zambia top the chat after the first round

Result of Matches:
Ghana 1-2 Senegal
Algeria 3-1 South Africa

Group C
1. Algeria 1 2 3
2. Senegal 1 1 3
3. Ghana 1 -1 0
4. South Africa 1 -2 0
Algeria leads the table with 3points

Result of Matches:
Ivory Coast 1-1 Guinea
Mail 1-1 Cameroon

Group D
1.Ivory Coast 1 0 1
2. Mail  1 0 1
3. Cameroon  1 0 1
4. Guinea 1 0 1
Ivory Coast top the chat.

The second round matches will begin today with  Equatorial Guinea v Burkina Faso 16:00,  Gabon v Congo 19:00

Senegal Surprised Ghana to their first ever AFCON Opening Match Defeat

The Taranger Lion of Senegal shocks Black star of Ghana with a dramatic come back to win by 2 goal to 1.                                      

Dailymail Image Ghana Celebration

The Ghanaian team add an impressive performance in the first 15 minutes of the game and was able to get an early goal in the match through a penalty converted by A.Ayew, but couldn't put such great first half performance into the second half has they played more defensive tactics.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese came all out looking for victory and they were rewarded.

Dailymail Image Senegal Celebration

Senegal got the equalizer through Diouf 58, and continued to press hard on the Black stars defense which really end up giving them the whole 3points, through a Moussa Sow last gasp "93rd minute goal to make the score line 2:1.