Ivory Coast 1-1 (3-4 on pens) Algeria
Well, I didn’t see this one coming, even if many others did.
In what has been an Africa Cup of Nations of surprises for me and SBOBET followers, this was another unexpected result as far as I was concerned.
My colleague called it right, in fairness.
Just after seeing off Mali in the last round, I fully expected Wilfried Zaha and co. to negotiate this tie.
Surely, this was the turn of the Elephants – winners of the competition in 1992 and 2015 –to progress to the last four?
It would seem not.
Highlights of the game
With skill, pace, and power, Algeria had thoroughly deserved their interval lead and could have been in front by a greater margin in Suez.
In 30 plus temperatures in Egypt, they took the lead when former West Ham and Valencia man Sofiane Feghouli side-footed the ball home after he was found by Ramy Bensebaini.
Shortly afterwards, Zaha was booked after a confrontation with Bensebaini as Ivory Coast frustrations increased. Although they did look dangerous on the counter-attack led by the sharp-looking Max Gradel.
He had earlier hit the woodwork with a delightful right-footed effort, touched onto the post by Algeria’s veteran shot-stopper Rais M’Bolhi. But by and large, Algeria were dominating possession and had a gilt-edged chance to level the scores two minutes after the restart.
Baghdad Bounedjah was upended by the Ivory Coast keeper Sylvain Gbohouo and then dusted himself up only to fire the spot-kick against the crossbar.
It seemed a costly miss just past the hour mark when Ivory Coast levelled as Jonathan Kodjia fled in a left-foot drive after being found by Zaha.
It was another fine finish – another of the Africa Cup of Nations 2019 highlights–and the first goal Algeria had conceded in this competition.
Naturally, the paced slowed at times as temperatures remained high during an additional 30 minutes of muscle-draining extra time.
Ivory Coast looked the more likely to find a breakthrough with Ismael Traore’s scuffed effort cleared off the line amid a goal-mouth scramble, while Algeria substitute Andy Delort went close late on, but neither side could find a winner.
Former Manchester City player Wilfried Bony had already had a penalty saved when team-mate Serey Die hit the post. And with that, the tie was over as Algeria secured a 4-3 victory in the shoot-out.
It was always going to be cruel on whichever nation was defeated, but attention now turns to the Desert Foxes meeting the Super Eagles.
Success for Algeria is a little overdue. The Golden Generation of the Desert Foxes was between 1980 and 1990 when they famously beat European Champions West Germany in the opening game of the 1982 World Cup.
In 1990, Algeria hosted the Africa Cup of Nations and beat Ivory Coast 3-0 on the way to winning the final in front of 105,000 delirious fans at the Stade 5 Juillet.
How they would love a return to those heady days. The current crop are now unbeaten in 11 games and on a winning run of six. Two more back-to-back victories and a new chapter will have been written.
Key statistics
Algeria have reached the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2010.
They are also unbeaten in their last six Africa Cup of Nations games (four wins, two draws), their best streak in the competition since 1988-1990.
Ivory Coast have lost five of their last seven penalty shoot-outs in the Africa Cup of Nations.
This match saw the most fouls (58) committed and the most yellow cards given (seven) in a single game in the tournament so far. It was also the contest during which the most shots have been attempted (36).
Zaha and Kodjia were involved in Ivory Coast’s last two goals in the tournament. Zaha has also scored or delivered an assist in each of his last three games with the Elephants (two goals, one assist).
All the teams which qualified for the knockout stages from Group D (Morocco, Ivory Coast and South Africa) are no longer in the tournament.
What’s next?
Study our Africa Cup of Nations 2019 betting odds before making your next AFCON 2019 move.
Algeria, seeking a first AFCONtriumph since 1990, will now meet Nigeria in Cairo.
The Ivory Coast will play again next season when they travel to Niger for the first leg of their Africa Nations Championship second round. The second leg is scheduled to be played on October 18.
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