champions ivory coast disappoint in togo draw
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Champions Ivory Coast disappoint in Togo draw

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Champions Ivory Coast disappoint in Togo draw

Ivory Coast’s defender Wilfried Kanon
Oyem , Gabon - Arab Today

Ivory Coast made a disappointing start to their Africa Cup of Nations title defense Monday when held 0-0 by lowest Group C seeds Togo in Gabonese town Oyem.
Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier came close to breaking the deadlock with two minutes remaining, heading a cross narrowly wide.
The result maintained a trend of stalemates in the 2017 tournament, which kicked off two days ago, with four of the first five matches failing to produce a winner.
The Ivorian starting line-up included two English Premier League footballers, Manchester United defender Eric Bailly and Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha.
Abidjan-born Zaha was making his first competitive debut for the Elephants having switched international allegiance after two friendly appearances for adopted country England.
Togo were captained by striker Emmanuel Adebayor, now clubless after spells with Premier League outfits Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace.
Scoring chances were scarce in a first half watched by a small crowd at a 20,000-seat stadium built on the outskirts of Oyem, a town in northern Gabon.
The best for the title-holders came after 10 minutes to Jonathan Kodjia, a gangling striker with English second-tier outfit Aston Villa.
Salomon Kalou, a survivor of the 2015 Cup of Nations-winning team, did the spadework by dribbing past several red-shirted Togolese before pushing the ball into the box.
Kodjia darted forward with the goal in his sights, but fell as he was poised to shoot and goalkeeper Kossi Agassa blocked the loose ball and averted the danger.
Togo had an opportunity to break the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when a cross from the left wing found the Ivorian defense wanting.
But goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo spotted the potential danger and darted off his goalline to parry a low shot from veteran midfielder Matthieu Dossevi.
As an equally cagey, largely chance-less second half meandered into the final quarter, Ivory Coast coach Michel Dussuyer substituted one Premier League attacker with another.
Off came Zaha and on his place arrived Wilfried Bony, an underachieving striker with Stoke City, on loan from Manchester City.
Togo, who had drawn twice and lost twice to Ivory Coast in four previous Cup of Nations clashes, were well organized and not overawed at facing a country ranked 21 places higher in Africa.
They had a half chance on 78 minutes as Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba evaded his marker in the goalmouth, but his header flew over.
Mane propels Senegal to winning start
Sadio Mane scored from the penalty spot to send Senegal on their way to a 2-0 victory over Tunisia in their first outing late Sunday night.
Mane netted from 12 yards with 10 minutes on the clock in Franceville and Kara Mbodj headed home on the half-hour mark as Senegal became the first team to win a game at this Cup of Nations after three previous matches ended in draws.
One of the favorites to win the trophy for the first time thanks to their status as Africa’s top-ranked nation, Senegal are now in control of Group B after Algeria were held to a 2-2 draw by Zimbabwe earlier in the day.
Senegal face Zimbabwe next on Thursday while Tunisia meet Algeria in a north African derby.
Liverpool winger Mane came third in the African player of the year awards behind winner Riyad Mahrez of Algeria and Gabon’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Those two had scored in their countries’ opening games and Mane followed their example by getting the breakthrough, sending Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Mathlouthi the wrong way from the spot after Aymen Abdennour had brought down Cheikhou Kouyate.
Anderlecht defender Mbodj then soared above the Tunisian defense to head home from a corner and leave the Eagles of Carthage facing an uphill struggle to get back in the game.
There was a rally in the second period sparked by Sunderland’s Wahbi Khazri, who almost netted direct from a corner, while Mbodj smashed the ball against his own bar when trying to clear.
Youssef Msakni was guilty of missing the target and was also denied by goalkeeper Abdoulaye Diallo as Senegal held firm.
Indeed, the Lions of Teranga could have netted again, substitute Ismaila Sarr seeing his misdirected cross come back off the bar with Mathlouthi beaten.

Source: Arab News

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

champions ivory coast disappoint in togo draw champions ivory coast disappoint in togo draw

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

champions ivory coast disappoint in togo draw champions ivory coast disappoint in togo draw

 



GMT 05:04 2024 Tuesday ,06 February

Skincare PR Performance Full Year 2017

GMT 06:15 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Volkswagen clinches record sales

GMT 10:08 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

Microsoft to open 4 data centres

GMT 19:57 2018 Tuesday ,23 January

Farm-fresh from Kerala to the UAE, in just one day

GMT 10:18 2018 Thursday ,30 August

Iran incapable of closing Hormuz, Bab Al Mandeb

GMT 14:20 2012 Wednesday ,07 March

Baratunde Thurston explains \'how to be black\'

GMT 05:12 2015 Wednesday ,30 September

Moderate Islam is the solution

GMT 06:57 2014 Friday ,12 September

Iraq’s new government and its old faces

GMT 01:36 2015 Tuesday ,02 June

'Fifty Shades' sequel to be published June 18

GMT 17:36 2011 Saturday ,16 April

Nine dead as Taliban attack Afghan army base

GMT 13:48 2012 Thursday ,29 November

Is Jordan a mystery?

GMT 12:33 2016 Friday ,07 October

All Black great Dan Carter no drugs cheat

GMT 14:04 2011 Thursday ,04 August

Inter coach coy on Sneijder

GMT 22:17 2011 Monday ,16 May

Saudi woman defies driving ban
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice