Angola vs Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso opened their campaign with an eventful goalless draw against Angola in their Group D opener in Agadir on Tuesday.
The Stallions who were second best in most parts of the game but created the best opportunity seven minutes from time but Youssouf Kabore failed to hit the target.
Romeo Boni played in Youssouf who raced through on goal rounding the Angola keeper Landu but miscued his effort allowing defender Augusto de Jesus to clear the lose ball.
Angola’s Antonio Paty headed Daniel Joao Mira’s inviting cross over the goal when he was unmarked in the heart of the Burkina Faso six yard.
Antonio tested Burkina keeper Babayoure Sawadogo with a fierce strike from a distance but Sawadogo dived low towards his right to pull a save ten minutes into the second half before Mira and Wilson Pinto failed to convert the resulting corner.
Burkina Faso looked a threat on the break and striker Boni raced to goalkeeper Sawadogo’s long upfield clearance fending off an Angolan defender but dragged his shot straight at the keeper.
Sawadogo was called to action after Angola pressed through the left channel with captain Ricardo Job and Augusto de Jesus combining to play in Afonso whose effort was deflected to the path of Vladimir Felix but Sawadogo made himself big to pull a save.
The draw opens the group ahead of Cameroon’s clash with Congo later in Agadir.
Total Man of the Match: Vladimir Antonio Felix (Angola)
Congo-Brazzaville vs Cameroon
Junior Makiesse scored from the spot twenty minutes from time to secure Congo a priceless victory over favourites Cameroon in Group D in Agadir on Tuesday.
The Indomitable Lions coached by Cameroon legend Rigobert Song dominated possession but failed to make their dominance count despite going close on several occasions.
Cameroon’s Patrick Moukoko missed from six yards out following a swift counter on the left where Thomas Bawak and Junior Awono exchanged passes to feed Moukoko who could not find the goal three minutes before half time.
Jean Gwot was also called to action in the Cameroon goal after 12 minutes when his defence failed to clear their lines giving room for Makiesse to shoot which Gwot gathered.
William Ngoundo tried his luck from a distance but Congo goalie Barel Mouko was again in position to pull a save. Moukoko glanced in a header towards the near post before the break only for Mouko to save and keep the score level.
Mouko produced another fine save to deny Moukoko in what was an individual battle between the two.
Moukoko cut from the left channel before seeing his right foot curling strike tipped over by the impressive Congolese keeper Mouko.
Congo secured victory when they won a penalty after Gwot was adjudged to have fouled Makiesse.
The diminutive forward stepped up to send the keeper the wrong way and hand his side all three points and top spot in the group.
Total Man of the Man: Prestige Mboungou (Congo)
Nigeria vs Rwanda
The home-based Super Eagles failed to get a winning start at the CHAN Tournament taking place in Morocco as they were forced to a barren draw by the Rwanda team.
Though the Eagles dominated the game from start to finish, they failed to make their domination count as they blew away all the chances that came their way.
There was hard luck for the Nigerian team also as they hit the woodwork on three separate occasions.
Sunday Faleye and Rabiu Alli had some of the best chances for Nigeria in Monday’s clash but neither could put the ball in the back of the net.
To highlight Nigeria’s dominance, the team had 24 shots compared to the paltry four credited to Rwanda team. However, all that counted for less as the game ended all square at 0-0.
Having done well enough to hold Nigeria, Rwanda will face Equatorial Guinea in the next round of games while Nigeria faces a tough task against table toppers, Libya, who recorded a 3-0 win in their own opening game.
The CHAN tournament is the only major trophy in Africa yet to be won by Nigeria.
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