Drogba header sinks Sudan

match against Sudan in Malabo yesterday.
The match kicked off in a calm fashion, as neither side rushed to make any significant attack with the ball kept mostly in the middle third.
The first significant attack arrived on 11 minutes as Igor Lolo burst down the right flank and Gervinho fired a powerful shot, but it whistled just over the goal face. Moments later Drogba saw his attempted attack end after he was flagged offside.
It was the Chelsea man again who rattled the Sudanese defence as he unleashed a long-range 30-yard drive from the middle of the field, but it skipped just wide of the left post.
Sudan was putting up an impressive display as they remained compact at the back, leaving the Elephants in a desperate search to create more ideas up-front.
Despite the dominant possession and the tricky passing, as the half hour mark approached the Ivorians became increasingly frustrated while Sudan grew in confidence.
Cheick Tiote crossed to Gervinho, who – with a free header – put his effort over the crossbar, while moments later Yaya Toure’s through ball to Drogba was overcooked.
Nevertheless, six minutes from the half-way mark, the deadlock was finally broken by Drogba. Salomon Kalou crossed from the left flank to find Drogba, who headed home from close range.
But the Sudanese responded with two swift attacks as Ahmed Al Basha’s shot went just wide from close range, while another attempt kissed the crossbar.
After the restart the Sudan attack tested the ‘keeping skills of Boubacar Barry, but the Ivorian did well to stop Alaaeldin Yousif. The Desert Hawks were showing pace and more eagerness in their play.
Just before the hour mark each team had an attack as Eltaib Mudather saw his header tipped over by Barry, while Mouez Mohjob nearly spilt Gervinho’s shot into the back of the net as the Arsenal player made a great exchange with Yaya Toure.
Seventy-seven minutes in, Gervinho continued to prove to be the main threat in attack as he had a chance to double the lead, but his shot was off target once more.
Just before the full time whistle the Elephants saw yet another set-piece go to waste as they saw out a narrow win over a composed Sudan side who refused to buckle under the underdogs label.
Two years ago at this stage of the Africa Cup, one of the best matches in the tournament’s history had been served. This year, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea will seek to break the all-time goalscoring record of 99.
It was in 2008 in Ghana that a festival of goals was recorded, as teams scored with reckless abandon and provided lots of cheer. So far, we’ve had four goals in the opener, as compared to last year’s eight.
In 2010, Mali had pulled off a stunning fightback to draw 4-4 with Angola after trailing 4-0 with 11 minutes left in the opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations.
The hosts went 2-0 up in the first half thanks to two headers from striker Flavio, while Gilberto and Manucho scored a penalty each to make it four.
But Mali grabbed one back when Seydou Keita stabbed home from close range. Frederic Kanoute headed in a second before Keita and Mustapha Yatabare scored in injury time in Luanda.
As we head into day 3, pundits endowed teams like the Cote d’Ivoire to lead the scoring charge. Not only them. Indeed, any team, regardless of form, that provides the goals will be welcome.
Africa wants to show the world great tactical nous, however, the entertainment and prolific nature of our strikers should be seen.
Even as the all-time goals record of 99 in a total of 32 games at the finals four years ago is still unbeaten, we hope the goals rain down in the small co-hosting nations. At the last finals in Angola the total was 70, though the competition was three matches short because of Togo’s withdrawal.
The winner of the Africa Cup of Nations gets a $2 million reward, an amount former Black Stars defender Sammy Osei Kuffour says is “sad”.
“How can you give a country $2 million? CAF should do something about it,” he said adding: “I was really sad when I heard Zambian Football legend Kalusha say that the prize money for winning the Africa Cup of Nations is $2 million on the SuperSport programme, Soccer Africa, the last time.”
Kuffour is also among the star-studded list of former African greats doing 24-hour analyses and punditry at SuperSport for the tournament.
The 2001 Uefa Champions league winner said the African soccer governing body must put its house in order and make sure the prize money is raised higher to a respectable standard. He was speaking on a local Ghanaian TV station, eTV.
The winner of the 2010 Uefa Champions League earned 31 500 000 euros in bonuses and prize money alone and Kuffour feels CAF must take a leaf from Uefa.
“Somebody wins the Uefa Champions League and gets more than $100 million and when you win the Africa Cup of Nations, you get $2 million!
“At least it should be more than $10 million, that is my personal view. Now we have a lot of sponsorships from Orange, DStv, the TV rights and everything.”
This would not be the first time that eyebrows have been raised about the prize money given out to winners of Caf organised competitions. Many clubs who participate in the Caf Champion’s League and the Confederations have long complained about the issue of the $1 million prize money since according to them, it is inadequate to even cater for the expenses the teams incur in the run-up to the finals.
Meanwhile, the Ghanaian government is spending $5,6 million on the national team’s preparations, bonuses and other expenses towards the tournament in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Fixtures
Today: (Group C): Gabon v Niger, (6pm); Morocco v Tunisia, (9pm).
Tomorrow: (Group D): Ghana v Botswana,(6pm); Mali v Guinea,(9pm).-Supersport.