AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 1998 - match discriptions (impressions) GROUP A

Group A  Burkina Faso  Cameroon  Algeria  Guinea

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match 1
sorry, news ticker - match descriptions only from match 3 on in this Group.
Burkina Faso - Cameroon 0-1, goal by Tchami ('20), both teams with opportunities.
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match 2
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Algeria - Guinea 0-1
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match 3
 

Febr 11th   Cameroon-Guinea kickoff 15:00 GMT (16:00 MEZ, 10:00 EST)    1st Half action:   -Guinea starts with a beautiful attack, answered by a Cameroon header ('2,'3)   -nice combination and an unexpected move give Tchami the opportunity and he scores from about 10 minutes half left - 1:0 Cameroon   -a few small opportunities for Guinea   -huge opportunity for Guinea when Songo'o (the goalkeeper) had left the goal and was passed by #9 (or #10 camara)but the shot from the right corner of the penalty box missed close the empty goal ('16)   -another exciting scence involving Songo'o who had left goal again to repair a hole in defence, again the ball misses wide ('25)   -a very nice attack by Guinea but the #10 Camera canonball misses wide   -Free kick for Cameroon and a beatiful goal lopped into the triangle by #3 Wome- 2:0   -spectacular showcase save by Songo'O after a 20 m Guinean shot   -Guinea solid and talented, Cameroon altering exciting moments with solid moments and some errors as well   HALD TIME: 2:0   2nd half action:   -Cameroonian (Can I say typical?) error: missunderstanding among Songo'O and a defender leaves Guinean #9 alone with the ball and the goal: 2:1 ('46)   -moments later, spectacular shot by Cameroon, showcase save   -inspired Guinean attack finalized with a 16m shot wide   -another small opportunitie for Guinea #9   -some tough encounters leave some players bruised on the field ('53)   -Guinean goalkeeper injured when trying to play the ball, probably caused by the ground. He has to be replaced by #22   -some mini opportunities for Cameroon   -now pressure moments by Guinean attacks around '65 minute   -free kick Cameroon again #3 Wome, this time no danger   -cross ball passed on by header #10 Camera and converted from half right by #9, Guinea scores - 2:2   -superb fast attack by Cameroon: goalkeeper, one-contact, and the a one against the goalkeeper situation. but the Guinean replacement came out in the right moment and saved ('81)   -great Songo'O save against #10 Titi Camera   -after the 2:2 both went for three while their coaches wanted the referee to blow the whistle what after some injury time he finally did   -It had been an inspired game, especially by Guinea, whose two upfront attackers #9 Souleymane Oulare (Genk,Belgium) and #10 Titi Camera (Marseille, France) caused a lot of danger. Fun to watch were battles between defender #20 Rigobert Song (Metz, France) and Camera. to the eye sprang also #3 of Cameroon, Pierre Nlend Wome (Lucchese, Italy), but many players performed remarkably in a match that saw two sides who seemed physically fit and so can be regarded as real contenders for the title   FINAL RESULT: 2:2

 
 
 

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match 4
 
 

Febr 11th   Burkina Faso-Algeria kickoff 20:00 GMT (21:00 MEZ, 15:00 EST)   (situation BEFORE the match: IF there is a loser he will be out of the tournament)   1st half action:  -Burkina Faso dominates completely the first 30 minutes, with some medium opportunities ('9)('12)('23)('27)  -('31) first Algerian attack along the right lane, but the header is no problem for the keeper  -('32)various fights between players in the penalty area when corners for Burkina Faso. The referee reacts late bot he does now and gives two yellow cards  -match now more even, but no more goal opportunities apart from a little one short before halftime for B.Faso  -Burkina Faso very concentrated dominating most of the match  HALFTIME: 1:0  2nd half action:  -two opportunities for Algeria after halftime, when there seems to be less concentration in BFaso defence, one is quite big and squandered by Tasfaout ('59)  -a Burkina Faso shot over the crossbar the only opportunity so far  -an 'unexpected' penalty for Burkina Faso when Algerian defender #4 may have teared an Burkina Faso player. #9 scores from the spot - 1:0 ('65)  -nice combination Algeria #11/#10/#11 shot wide ('73)  -Algerian power play, some BF counter attacks, one leads to:  -pass #12 to #2 Traoré who curves around the keeper and nets it in - 2:0 ('79)  -('82) penalty for Algeria. An unnessessary tackle in the box by a defender. He played the ball, too, so it looked a bit like a concession. #8 Saib converts the penalty - 2:1  -('84) impressive 30 m free kick by Burkina Faso #14  -Algeria hurries but referee whistles off  -Referee and assistans did not look to good, some controversy decisions, som bad offside decisions. Algeria much too passive, punished by the penalty, Burkina Faso as ateam very much improved. A real eye-catcher: #2 Traoré.  FINAL RESULT: 2:1- Algeria out of the competition, their last match is for pride only

  
 
 

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match 5 & match 6
 

Febr 15th   match1: Burkina Faso-Guinea  kickoff 16:00 GMT (17:00 MEZ, 11:00 EST)   match2: Cameroon-Algeria  kickoff 16:00 GMT (17:00 MEZ, 11:00 EST)   Both matches are Group A and played simultaniously to avoid giving an advantage to any team.  The situation BEFORE the matches:
Burkina Faso-Guinea: IF Guinea wins, Guinea qualifies for quarter-finals. IF there is a draw, Guinea qualifies and Burkina Faso has to hope for Cameroon loses to Algeria AND either Burkina Faso has to have had scored two more goals today than Cameroon or Cameroon has to lose by a margin of 2 (This is only valid if goal-fifference is the first tie-breaker. There hasn't been any confirmation on this available yet. The other possibility was the heah-to-head-match. This tie-breaker would work in favour of Cameroon then). IF Burkina Faso wins, Burkina Faso qualifies for quarter finals, Guinea has to hope for a loss for Cameroon and that goal-difference is in their favour. This depends on the concrete results. Before the match Guinea and Cameroon have the same goal-difference. What will happen, IF both lose 0-1 for example, could not be found out yet.	Cameroon-Algeria: IF Cameroon does not lose they are through. IF they lose, it depends on the result of the first games. For the scenarios see there.  Often we have seen teams that went out after 2 rounds playing free of pressure. Remember Russia thrashing the Indomitable Lions twice, 4-0 and 6-1 in the World Cups 90 and 94 after having lost the first two games.
1st half action:  -some dangerous actions by Burkina Faso wake up the crowds  -free kick by Guinea #10 Camara ('11) from 17m far over the crossbar  -Burkina Faso continous to look well and achieve some dangerous combinations but Guinea is dangerous after corners: one header misses close ('22) and one from 5m touches the crossbar ('34)  -now the perfect example how to kill a good game by unsensible refereeing. An attack from behind by #4 Guinea is rewarded with a red card. But it did not look too bad and it did not cope with the refereeing style in the tournament so far. So it put up the question inside the Guineans whether there was a higher interest in keeping the hosts in the tournament  -the consequences: furious Guineans, players lying on the ground and an evil attack by #10 Camara on a defender that had deserved red but saw only yellow ('43)  HALFTIME - 0:0	1st half action:  -it is a very slow game (heat?) with some Cameroon attacks in the beginning but with an Algerian squad which looked as if they did not want to give it away for free  -('25)nice combination by Algeria but too complicated  -('30)#21 Job, Cameroon hits the goalpost from 16m  -('40)free kick by #3, Wome, Cameroon from 18m is saved  -('42)long ball from midfield to #6 Dziri and he surprises the keeper #16 from a difficult angle: 0:1  -('44)Cameroon pressure but Algerian defense withstands  HALFTIME - 0:1
2nd half action:  -('50) from half right #8 of Burkina Faso hits the goalpost  -('55) danger after a Burkina Faso corner but #16 kicks it across the bar  -the red card has lopsided the match completely. It becomes a defensive battle for Guinea who try to keep it 0:0 what would ensure them a place among the last 8  -('68) huge counter opportunity for Guinea involving the dangerous substitute #12 Diane  -('75) the physical style of #10 Camara results in something that looks like an ellbow foul against a defenders chest, but the referee lets him play on  -('79) dangerous corneer by Guinea untouched  -the counter attack by Burkina Faso is stopped in the last moment by Guinean #6, now the best player and team captain for the substituted #10 Camara  -this play excites the crowd and wakes up the Burkinabe players again who had seemed to resign against the strong Guinean resistance while it seems to confuse the so far concentrated Guinean defence  -after another opportunity 2 minutes later Burkina Faso scores in the 84th minute when #2 puts in a cross ball from right wing and #13 heads it into the corner - 1:0  -the final five minutes see Guinea attack desperately and again the corners cause confusion: 2 giant opportunities, the second one almost in goal, is headed out of the goal by a defender. Some Guineans think he stood behind the line but it seems to have been by the power of the shot he had to step back after he headed the ball.  -another example of a team neglecting their offensive play because needing only a draw and such lost the game because they knew they did not have to win. But the red card also played a giant role. With Guinea the tournament loses a team that had the talent and the determination to win it all.  FINAL RESULT: 1:0, Burkina Faso advances	2nd half action:  -('50) long ball to #21 job and again poor defence he makes a solo run inside the penalty area close to goal line and hammers it under the crossbar from short distance- 1:1  --Cameroon is now dominating the match  -('63) big opportunity for #20 Song (Cameroon)  -('67) cross ball from left wing by #2 falls bewteen two Algerian defenders on the head of #9 Tchami and his header finds the goal- 2:1  FINAL RESULT: 2:1, Cameroon advances

 

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table
 

Burkina Faso - Cameroon  0-1  Algeria - Guinea  0-1  Cameroon - Guinea  2-2  Burkina Faso - Algeria  2:1  Burkina Faso - Guinea  1:0  Cameroon - Algeria  2:1
1. Cameroon*	3	5-3	7
2. Burkina Faso*	3	3-2	6
3. Guinea	3	3-3	4
4. Algeria	3	2-5	0