2015 African Cup Of Nations Match Report: Cote d’Ivoire 1-1 Guinea, 20 January 2015
2015 African Cup of Nations
Group D
Full Time: Cote d’Ivoire 1-1 Guinea
Date: 20 January 2015
Venue: Estadio De Malabo
Guinea matched Cote d’Ivoire blow-for-blow as they played to a 1-1 draw in both sides’ opening 2015 CAF African Cup of Nations, Group D match at the Estadio De Malabo on Tuesday night.
It was a sloppy opening 15 minutes with both teams squandering possession in the final third with poor passing.
The first chance on goal only came in the 17th minute after a great individual run by Cote d’Ivoire’s Gervinho who broke from his own half and saw his attempt from 14-yards out strike the underside of the crossbar.
On the half hour mark Gervinho was in the thick of the action again when he got on the end of a ball over the top of the Guinea defence, but saw his volley from close range brilliantly saved by the keeper.
Six minutes later Guinea took the lead after the Elephants failed to clear a cross from the right which allowed Mohamed Yattara to pounce on the loose ball and fire into the roof of the net from eight-yards out, 1-0.
Cote d’Ivoire controlled the play for the remainder of the half, but could not cancel out Guinea’s opener before the break.
The Elephants started the second half positively and came close to reducing the deficit four minutes after the restart, but a fingertip save from the Guinea keeper denied Wilfried Bony from just outside the box.
Cote d’Ivoire suffered a massive set-back in the 58th minute when Gervinho was shown a straight red card by referee Mehdi Abid Charef after raising his hands to the face of a Guinea defender.
Three minutes later Guinea came close to doubling their lead when a 20-yard shot from shot Ibrahima Traore struck the crossbar.
Despite being a man down the Elephants continued to push forward and were rewarded for their efforts in the 72nd minute after Seydou Doumbia concluded a swift passing move with a clinical finish from 12-yards out, 1-1.
Neither side could go on to find a winner as they shared the spoils in Group D’s opening game.
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