AFCON 2017: Tuesday Scores, Results, Standings and Updated Schedule
Egypt and Mali battled to a 0-0 draw in Group D at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday. Despite the presence of players from some of Europe's top leagues, Egypt failed to make their experience and quality count against a resourceful Mali side.
Earlier, Andre Ayew scored from the penalty spot after Asamoah Gyan was fouled in the box, helping Ghana beat Uganda 1-0. His goal means Ghana are setting the early pace in the group.
Here are the results from today's matches:
| Team A | Score | Team B |
| Ghana | 1-0 | Uganda |
| Mali | 0-0 | Egypt |
Here's what those results mean for the group table:
| Position | Nation | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
| 1 | Ghana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 2 | Egypt | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Mali | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Uganda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
Here are the upcoming fixtures:
| Group | Time (GMT) | Match |
| A | 4 p.m. | Gabon vs. Burkina Faso |
| A | 7 p.m. | Cameroon vs. Guinea-Bissau |
Recap
Egypt lost goalkeeper Ahmed Elshenawi to injury shortly after the 20-minute mark. He was replaced by 44-year-old Essam Elhadary.
In the process, Elhadary made AFCON history, per FIFA.com:
The change did little to disturb Egypt's momentum going forward, though. In particular, AS Roma winger Mohamed Salah was the creative spark. He teed up Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, but his long-range drive whistled just over the bar.
Yet for all of Salah and Elneny's endeavour, it was Mali who carved out the best chance. It came when Crystal Palace wide man Bakary Sako whipped in a cross for Lassana Coulibaly, who should have made his header count.
After the break, it was the turn of Marwan Mohsen to waste a headed chance after a fine cross from Mahmoud Hassan. In fairness, the header did prompt Mali stopper Oumar Sissoko into a superb save.
Eurosport UK relayed highlights:
A Ghana side loaded with quality set about Uganda early, and it was no surprise to see Ayew pulling the strings. The 27-year-old remains an artful passer and perceptive mover off the ball, qualities he showed to help fashion several quick chances.
Most of Ghana's best opportunities fell to former Sunderland striker Gyan. His power and pace were too much for the Ugandan defence to handle.
So it proved when Gyan was felled in the box, giving Ayew the chance to strike from the spot. He duly seized the moment to produce the decisive contribution of the match just after the half-hour mark.
Ghana continued to press for more goals, with Chelsea loanee Christian Atsu heavily involved from the flanks. His speed and trickery tied Uganda in knots, but too often Ghana lacked the finishing touch.
Poor decision-making was one reason for the profligacy in front of goal. Ed Dove of Reuters identified Aston Villa man Jordan Ayew as a chief culprit:
However, Dove did reserve some praise for one Ghana midfield man, Atletico Madrid's Thomas Partey:
Injury struck for Ghana when Schalke left-back Baba Rahman, on loan from Chelsea, suffered a hamstring problem on 39 minutes, per BBC Sport. The pace of the game then slowed after the break, with manager Avram Grant's Ghana beginning to appear a little laboured but ultimately never looking in danger of losing their clean sheet.
It was a relatively comfortable win for Ghana, but Grant's players will need to be more ruthless in front of goal against Mali next time out. Meanwhile, Egypt must play a more progressive game against Uganda to take advantage of the talents of Elneny and Salah.
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