Africa Cup of Nations 2015: Day 7 AFCON Scores, Results, Standings and Schedule
Day 7 of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations saw the four teams in Group C take to the pitch for the second time, with Ghana desperate for a win against tournament favourites Algeria and South Africa fighting elimination against Senegal.
The Black Stars needed to beat Algeria on Friday to have any chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, and thanks to a last-minute goal, they did just that, winning 1-0. South Africa and Senegal played out a drab 1-1 draw, setting up an intriguing final matchday, with no teams qualified after two fixtures.
The schedule for AFCON 2015, updated with full results for every match played so far:
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| Jan. 17 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group A | Equatorial Guinea 1-1 Congo |
| Jan. 17 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group A | Burkina Faso 0-2 Gabon |
| Jan. 18 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group B | Zambia 1-1 Congo DR |
| Jan. 18 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group B | Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde Islands |
| Jan. 19 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group C | Ghana 1-2 Senegal |
| Jan. 19 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group C | Algeria 3-1 South Africa |
| Jan. 20 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group D | Ivory Coast 1-1 Guinea |
| Jan. 20 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group D | Mali 1-1 Cameroon |
| Jan. 21 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group A | Equatorial Guinea 0-0 Burkina Faso |
| Jan. 21 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group A | Gabon 0-1 Congo |
| Jan. 22 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group B | Zambia 1-2 Tunisia |
| Jan. 22 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group B | Cape Verde Islands 0-0 Congo DR |
| Jan. 23 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group C | Ghana 1-0 Algeria |
| Jan. 23 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group C | South Africa 1-1 Senegal |
| Jan. 24 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Group D | Ivory Coast v Mali |
| Jan. 24 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Group D | Cameroon v Guinea |
| Jan. 25 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group A | Congo v Burkina Faso |
| Jan. 25 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group A | Gabon v Equatorial Guinea |
| Jan. 26 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group B | Cape Verde Islands v Zambia |
| Jan. 26 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group B | Congo DR v Tunisia |
| Jan. 27 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group C | Senegal v Algeria |
| Jan. 27 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group C | South Africa v Ghana |
| Jan. 28 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group D | Cameroon v Ivory Coast |
| Jan. 28 | 6 p.m./1 p.m. | Group D | Guinea v Mali |
| Jan. 31 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Quarter-Final 1 | Group A Winner v Group B Second Place |
| Jan. 31 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Quarter-Final 2 | Group B Winner v Group A Second Place |
| Feb. 1 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Quarter-Final 3 | Group C Winner v Group D Second Place |
| Feb. 1 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Quarter-Final 4 | Group D Winner v Group C Second Place |
| Feb. 4 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Semi-Final 1 | Quarter-Final 1 Winner v Quarter-Final 4 Winner |
| Feb. 5 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Semi-Final 2 | Quarter-Final 2 Winner v Quarter-Final 3 Winner |
| Feb. 7 | 4 p.m./11 a.m. | Third-place | Semi-Final 1 Loser v Semi-Final 2 Loser |
| Feb. 8 | 7 p.m./2 p.m. | Final | Semi-Final 1 Winner v Semi-Final 2 Winner |
The current group standings:
| 1 | Congo | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Gabon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | Equatorial Guinea | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Burkina Faso | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 1 | Tunisia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 4 |
| 2 | Cape Verde | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 3 | DR Congo | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Zambia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 1 |
| 1 | Senegal | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | Ghana | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Algeria | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 4 | South Africa | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 |
| 1 | Guinea | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1 | Ivory Coast | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Cameroon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Mali | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
South Africa 1-1 Senegal
South Africa and Senegal gave us one more goal but little more in terms of action compared to the early fixture, playing out a 1-1 draw to set up a thrilling final matchday in Group C.
No team has ensured itself of progression after two matches, as Senegal will take on Algeria while Ghana face South Africa.
The first half of this match was just as dull as the earlier clash in Group C, with both teams hesitant to show much attacking intent. Eric Mathoho needed treatment just minutes in, as a nasty cut opened up on his head after an accidental knee from one of the Senegalese players.
Benedict Vilakazi has the first real chance for Bafana Bafana blasting a powerful shot on goal that stopper Bouna Coundoul pushed over. Ludovic Sane was excellent in the centre of Senegal's defence, making a series of key blocks, like this one, via SandalsForGoalposts:
Bafana Bafana suffered another injury setback after 30 minutes, with centre-back Thulani Hlatshwayo telling the team bench he suffered from blurred vision after a clash of heads. His departure made life slightly easier on Senegal, who had only threatened from set pieces until that point.
Jackson Mabokgwane nearly gifted them a goal just before half-time, making a meal out of a routine catch and nearly stumbling into his own goal. Minutes later, Vilakazi had another chance, blasting well over the cross-bar after a quick counter-attack.
The 0-0 half-time score made sense, as fans were witnessing a drab affair not unlike the match between Algeria and Ghana.
The second half started with a bang, however, as South Africa took the lead through Oupa Manyisa after just two minutes, who slotted home after Senegal failed to clear a cross. Soccer-Laduma's Joe Crann shared the finish:
Sadio Mane took advantage of another mistake from Mabokgwane, who spilled a routine catch right into the striker's path, to put the ball in the back of the net for Senegal, but the linesman signaled offside. Replays suggested Mane was onside, however, with the linesman perhaps deciding one of his teammates influenced play.
Kara Mbodji restored order just minutes later, tying things up with a thumping header. Crann once again had the highlight:
Tempers started to flare, with a handful of incidents in quick succession. Senegal pushed for a winner, as South Africa were reeling after giving up the lead, but Mabokgwane made up for his multiple errors with a series of fine saves.
The Lions were now clearly in control and Bafana Bafana couldn't complete a pass to save their lives, but Senegal's dominance in terms of possession didn't result in a lot of chances. Tokelo Rantie nearly stole a winner for South Africa, with Lamine Gassame forced to make a game-saving block.
Mbodji nearly made himself a national hero on the verge of injury time, missing the target when presented with another clean header. SuperSport's Colin Udoh thought it was the best chance either team was going to get to win the match:
The 1-1 draw means South Africa will have to win their final match against Ghana and hope for the best in the match between Algeria and Senegal. Thanks to their superior goal differential, a draw will likely see Senegal through over Bafana Bafana if they manage to beat Ghana. Coupled with Algeria's win in their first meeting, things aren't looking good for the South Africans.
Ghana 1-0 Algeria
Ghana and Algeria served up a drab 90 minutes before Asamoah Gyan saved the Black Stars with a last-minute winner, as Ghana emerged victorious 1-0 to keep their chances of qualifying for the knockout stages alive.
The Ghanaians were playing for their tournament lives after the disappointing draw against Senegal, and it showed during the first half. Afraid to make mistakes, the team kept things close on the back end and took no chances, leading to a dull and virtually meaningless first half.
Algeria held the advantage in possession, but only just. Nabil Bentaleb had a good look on goal after 20 minutes but fluffed his initial shot, and the rebound failed to hit the target.
The Tottenham Hotspur star is best when played in a central role, and his frequent appearances on the wing didn't seem to do the Fennec Foxes any good. Goal's Ben McAleer didn't understand the decision:
The Blacks Stars had a short revival just before the end of the first half, but did far too little to trouble Algerian goalkeeper Rais M'Bolhi. After 45 minutes, neither stopper had been tested.
No, literally. As shared by OptaJean, neither team registered a single shot on goal:
ESPN FC started to fear for the Ghanaians:
The pace and intensity hardly picked up at the start of the second half, with Algeria continuing to dominate possession.
Asamoah Gyan should have scored 10 minutes into the second half, connecting with a diving header and sending his effort just wide. KingFut.com couldn't believe the forward didn't convert that chance:
The Fennec Foxes started to show cracks defensively, as Ghana suddenly had a number of minor chances. The Black Stars didn't take advantage, however, and failed to establish any physical presence in midfield to push Algeria back.
SuperSport's Colin Udoh was disappointed in what the team was showing:
Bentaleb nearly opened the score for Algeria with 25 minutes left on the clock, bending a shot just wide of the post. The match finally started to open up a bit, Ghana now realising a draw would all but end their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
The Black Stars were certainly the better team in the final stages of the match, but with few chances, it didn't seem as if anyone could break the deadlock. Gyan stepped up for Ghana and finally bagged the winner in injury time, controling a long ball and using his raw pace to open up the Algerian defence before producing a cool finish.
As shared by OptaJean, the forward sits on alevel of his own in Ghanaian football history:
Leading up to the match, Ghana manager Avram Grant expressd his fury at event organisers for the conditions his team are forced to train in, claiming it gave Algeria an unfair advantage. As reported by allAfrica, he said:
"We had to drive one hour while Algeria could train near the hotel. They changed the venue of the training, both of us need to train one hour from the hotel a day before the game. We asked to come closer, they didn't let us do it.
I am sorry to say you need to see our bus. It is a bus which behaves like a ship.
We are the only team that receives this bus, the other team have a good bus. So when I say good words about the organisation I want you to know about the other things.
"
As shared by BBC's Gary Al-Smith, the manager had high praise for Gyan, who returned to the pitch after missing time with malaria earlier in the week:
Senegal and South Africa will meet later on Friday, but regardless of the result of that match, no team can book qualification on Friday. Goal differential will likely play a huge role on the final matchday, with Ghana taking on South Africa and Algeria playing Senegal.
