AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 1998 - match discriptions (impressions) SEMI-FINALS

Semi-finals  DR Congo - South Africa  Burkina Faso - Egypt

 

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match 1
 

Wednesday, Febr 25th  the first semi-final: DR Congo - South Africa  kickoff 16:00 GMT (17:00 MEZ, 11:00 EST)

before the match...DR Congo - South Africa:    DR Congo in the tornament so far: 3 wins, 1 loss. No match against Southern African team, but they beat three West Africans and lost to Tunisia. Congo are the darlings of international press now, the cinderella team of the tornament despite the performance of Burkina Faso. They convinced on the pitch when beating giants Ghana and Cameroon by their determination and their cooperation. They outplayed teams with better individuals. It remains to be seen whether they can keep up that level when it seemed they played at their limits. Having had two rest days more can be advantage but also can be too long time giving to much food for thought.   South Africa won 2 matches and had 2 draws. They did not play a Central African team (there is only Congo), they drew against West Africans Côte d'Ivoire and Southern Africans Angola, and beat Southern Africans Namibia and North Africans Morocco. They did not really have to come from behind yet apart from the situation that they had to beat Namibia in their third group match. It is still unclear whether rumours doubting their stamina carry any truth in them, but IF they do we'll should see against fighting Congo who had two days more rest. South Africans are the only team in semi-finals who did not lose a match yet.

1st half action:  -('5) short distance South Africa #13 Ndlanya header after corner but keeper saves, having remained on the line  -('8) first counter play on SAF #17 McCarthy but does not fully hit the ball  -('16) after a long free kick McCarthy suddenly steals the ball in penalty area but the keeper smartly makes it impossible for him to score  -('18) keeper error after corner going for the ball but the Radebe header hits the crossbar of the deserted goal  -yet Congo plays it quite well but single individual actions gave South Africa the edge in opportunities and the South Africans now completely take over when Congolese obviously start to worry:  -('20) beatiful attack by South Africa over the right wing (#20, #13) but the keeper saves the 16m shot  -('21) again danger when keeper goes for a ball after corner without success  -('22) one of the few tournaments minus: wrong offsides this time against South Africa  -('28) another great right side combination by South Africa again involved among others #13 Ndlanya and #20 Silent but #13 shot wide  -This is by far the best yet seen (maybe also the first 30 minutes against Côte d'Ivoire) by the Bafana Bafana but no goal yet  -unlike the matches before South Africa pressured the opponents goal for longer periods but McCarthy misses the last opportunity for South Africa from 8m wide  -DR Congo seems to have had a few defence problems. They have to replace two suspended players that got send off in quarter finals  -('41) yellow card for South African #3 Nyathi stopping a nice Congolese attack with his hand  -('41) at the following free kick a more serious wrestling fight between South African #4 and DR Congo #9 breaks out and is rewarded with yellow by the referee  -DR Congo takes over the match. Is this the South African fitness problems?  -DR Congo tries too many bad distance shots  -in injury time Congolese right wing play causes some danger  -South Africa reaches halftime without concedinga real big opportunity and can refresh now  HALFTIME 0:0

2nd half action:  -both teams bring on a new player: Congo #20, SAF #14  -('48) great goal by Congo, through ball on the left from #8 to #17 who gives it to #20 moving the keeper out of game and #20, 10m in front of the goal shoots it between two defenders into the net- it is 1:0 and now we shall see...  -('50) DRC right wing attack, centred ball, volleyed wide  -('51) John Moshoeu wide from 8m half right  -DR Congo playes with boosted confidence  -South Africa pressures  -many injuries give the players time to rest but will make the match long  -South Africa tried it with long balls in to the penalty area. One now is headed back by Moshoeu to McCarthy, who unmarked 22m in front of the goal fires it into the corner of the net- 1:1  -yellow against Radebe after an unhealthy looking foul coming too late for the ball  -('64) McCarthy steals a ball on left wing but is alone against the entire defence. IF somebody is fit here it is him  -('65) dangerous 22m shot by Moshoeu  -('66) Congolese counterplay is stopped by the concentrated keeper  -error marked passage  -after a long throw in again a ball coming out of the box to an unmarked player. It is Radebe whose sharp shot misses wide  -('79) #2 Congo tackles the South African keeper, after a pass back and conquers the ball but it rolls out  -Congo gradually seems to take over again  -('83) thoughtless action by DRC defender almost opens opportunity and requires the 5000th injury time out of the second half  -South Africa rules the match again  -again confusion in Congolese defence after long throw in but the lose ball is directed to high by South African #15, a substitute  -great through ball by Moshoeu makes a counterplay dangerous but a defender rescues  -('89) South African corner played back to again unmarked 16m line but the shot far too high  -('90) almost dangerous counter attack after DRC conquered ball in midfield, SAF #13 plagued by a cramp  -in injury time, South Africa tries with long balls again, Congo plays a little to excited  -it is 9 minutes (!) into injury time when the very good referee Masembe whistles off. The injury time was ok in a match ridden by injuries but played quite fair  FINAL SCORE- 1:1 EXTRA TIME HAS TO DECIDE

1st half extra-time action:  -both teams try to attack and first half sees a bunch of almost dangerous scenes on both sides when players are spread over the field leaving a lot of space but defenders still have the last word

2nd half extra-time action:  -there is no physical advantage for Congo  -('110) #14 Fortune, SAF, tries solorun but is blocked by the last defender  -('111) giant opportunity for Congo (#16,#17,#18), who had already outplayed the entire defence but the final passplay #17 (could have scored himself?) to #18 a little inaccurate distroys it  -('111) in the counter-attack McCarthy falls in the box but referee waves on  -('112) SAF #18 tries to lob but the keeper has it  -('114) on the left wing Mark Fish wins a battle for the ball, gives it to #14 who puts a cross ball 6m in front of the goal where McCarthy wins against #8 and scores with his foot- 1:2  -('115) counterplay on McCarthy but keeper denies his third  -('116) after the corner, another shot by #17 but wide  -('117) one more counterplay on McCarthy who tries to lob from 17m alone in front of the keeper but targets too high  -long balls on McCarthy  -SAF #14 Fortune solos around some defenders again and a clear foul stops him. Unclear whether in or outside the box. The referee says free kick and it causes danger but finally is seized by the keeper  -('119) Congo free kick from 25. SAF only with two man wall and #10 Simba who had fired some bad attempts out of the game before misses only close with a dangerous attempt  -Congo tries but South Africa defies with a concentrated defence  -South Africa again has looked stronger than predicted but a great share goes to #17 Benedict McCarthy who now definetively has emerged as the superstar of the tournament  FINAL SCORE- 1:2 South Africa reaches the final

 
 

 

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match 2
 

Wednesday, Febr 25th  the second semi-final: Burkina Faso - Egypt  kickoff 20:00 GMT (21:00 MEZ, 15:00 EST)

before the match...Burkina Faso - Egypt:    Burkina Faso, the second cinderella team, is coached by the 'sorcier blanc' Phillipe Troussier who was now called 'notre messie' by player Seydou Traoré. So you see, it is a team of belief and by believing in their coach and his advice, they will remain as dangerous as they have been. They are surprisingly the last West African hope in the tournament missing giants Nigeria. They lost to West Africans Cameroon, beat West Africans Guinea and against North Africans they already had to matches to gain experience. They beat Algeria and drew with Tunisia whom they then beat in penalty shoot-out. But the match against Egypt is more difficult. The Egyptians only conceded one goal in four matches. We might see a carefully played match again, hopefully nor a horror like Egypt-Côte d'Ivoire where two teams acted as if confronted with dangerous snakes.   Egypt as said only conceded one single goal against North African rivals Morocco, they had easy-looking wins profiting from defensive error against Southern Africans Zambia and Mozambique and drew against west Africans Côte d'Ivoire, having had practised penalties for weeks. They are dangerous if the opponent acts thoughtless, otherwise they rely on their defensive concrete

1st half action:  -a surprisingly attacking approach by both sides  some minor dangerous scenes on both sides when Burkina Faso displays its African-European-Troussier blend and Egypt impresses with solid defence and fine combinations. But also Burkina Faso is able to combinate  -('18) after Egyptian mistake a Burkina Faso left wing attack #9 Ouedraogo centres to #2 S.Traoré but his ball from 6m is blocked  -('26) two bone-aiming tackles by BF player #11 Nana are finally rewarded with yellow  -('27) a second yellow card against tackle lovers from Burkina Faso, this time for #18  -('28) fine Burkina Faso attack finds #9 but keeper rescues against his 9m shot from half left  -('31) direct shot from half left after crossball by Burkina Faso #4 hits the net from outside  -('32) BF threatens again but there is always an Egyptian leg in between  -it sounds lopsided but Egypt is always trying to answer with combinations and counter-attacks  -('34) #9 Hossam Hassan seems to have got ellbowed by an opponent heading for a ball but after some time he can play on  -('39) #9 Hossam Hassan header from 11 m misses close  -('41) Egyptian #3 wins against Burkina Faso #8 on left side and centres the ball where it is touched on by Hazem Emam and shot on the goal by #9 Hossam Hassan. The keeper saves but he cannot keep control. Going for the loose ball, the keeper and a defender irretate each other and Hossam Hassan jumps in between and touches it across the line- 0:1  -Burkina Fasos #11 Nana a little in red danger after another foul  HALFTIME- 0:1

2nd half action:  -('46) Burkina Faso brings on #19 Oumar Barro who immediately storms unchallenged down the left lane but keeper saves his shot as Burkina Faso seems to surprise sleepy Egypts in the first two minutes  -('51) Burkina Faso #11 Nana centres from right but #9 Ouedraogo's header from11m into the left corner is saved  -Burkina attacks and Egyptians threaten with counter attacks- how exciting football can be when one teamhas to come from behind  -('58) Egypt is 3 vs. 3 but Hazem Emam decides to try it alone and fails  -('58) Burkinabé #19 who brough life on the Burkina Faso left lane sets up a huge opportunity when he storms through between two defenders on the left wing but inaccurate play in the following  -('60) two free kicks from right/left wing cause some danger on each side  -in the following Burkina Faso is still able to create danger (3x) and Egypt continues to threat (2x), but no huge opportunities in a match with a good tempo  -('71) a superb goal: four Egyptians against five defenders: #20 Tarek to #9 to #3 Omara to #14 to #20 (Burkinabé try to offside the Egyptians but they leave out the offside positioned #9 for a while and by this they outplay the defence) to #14 backheels to #9 who scores into the corner. Brilliantly against risky defence- 0:2     a long ball to #20 shifts the attack to left, a play via #9 to #3 reformats the situation    the defenders move back away from goal, #3 plays to #14 who touches on to #20 while #9 remains in passive offside    with #9 still in passive offside irritating defenders #20 plays back to #14 who runs with the ball into the penalty area, taking a defender with him.  This takes #9 out of offside and into an unmarked position    #14 back heels the pass while he and the defender are in full momentum to the right.  This leaves the goal all free for #9 who precisely leaves no chance for the goalkeeper  -('74) #2 sets up a dangerous Burkinabé attack when Egyptians seem thoughtless but #9 shot from 15m hits net from outside  -('76) the great fighter #11 Nana fouls the elegant #14 Hazem Emam another time  -the nice Burkina Faso offside-trap now worked remarkably well several times but seems to have irritated the players when Egypt scored the second  -('81) another brilliant Egyptian attack although against now lethargic defenders finished by #14 Hazem Emam who misses from short distance  -('88) Burkina Faso #11 conquers ball from thoughtless Ramzy in the penalty area and sets up a turmoil in which #9 heads the ball against the Egyptian goalpost  -A strong Egyptian team exposes two flamboyant players in #9 Hossam Hassan and #14 Hazem Emam, who tries again in the final minutes and obviously would have liked to score a goal, too. The final between the South African rocket and the Egyptian concrete will be also a battle for the goalgetters crown between McCarthy and Hossam Hassan.  FINAL RESULT- 0:2, Egypt wins and meets South Africa for the title on Saturday  Burkina Faso and DR Congo play for third place Friday

 
 
 

 

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results
 

DR Congo	South Africa	1-2 a.e.t.
Burkina Faso	Egypt	0-2