TODAY AT THE AYC.........GROUP A DAY OF RECKONINING
March 22 17:30 Algeria vs Ghana Stade Omar Oucief, Aïn Témouchent
March 22 17:30 Benin vs Egypt Stade Ahmed Zabana, Oran
GHANA CONFRONT ALGERIA IN WINNER TAKES ALL TIE
AS BENIN BANK ON SLIM CHANCE AGAINST EGYPT
Orange CAF U-20 Championship 2013 hosts, Algeria play their third and final group match looking for all three points to entertain any hopes of reaching the semi-finals. The opposition in that match on Friday in Ain Temouchent will come from Ghana. The Black Satellites themselves need something out of the game if they are to make the semi-finals themselves. That said the stage is set for an interesting contest and the finals positions will also depend on the result from the other Group A match to be played in Oran at the same time where already qualified Egypt will play Benin.
Ghana will have to do without team captain, Lawrence Lartey who misses the match due to suspension. Satellites coach, Sellas Tetteh told Cafonline.com that he expects a tough match against Algeria who will have the proverbial 12th men with the home crowd.” I would have preferred to play the hosts with semi-final place secured, but we now have to do it the hard way. We know what is required from this final group match. I expect an open game with both teams going for a win. “ said Tetteh
Meanwhile local media was full of encouragement and advice to the home side. Many believed the Algerian side has a difficult but do-able task ahead of them. The overwhelming feeling is that the Fennecs should be patient and not too hasty in trying to score. The nation is urging the team, coached by Frenchman, Jean-Marc Nobilo to lift up the country’s spirit after last game’s defeat by arch-rivals, Egypt.
One thing certain is that Omar Oucief stadium in Ain Temouchent will be packed to the rafters with Algerians keen to see their team reach the semi-finals and secure a FIFA World Cup berth, a target Nobilo said he wanted to achieve before the tournament kicked off.
“There is a full game that we have to give of our best and try and get a positive result” said Nobilo. “Do l believe it is possible to win and qualify yes, is there pressure on me and the team, yes but this is football and that is the situation we find ourselves in, so we have to deal with it. I said last time that the third game against Ghana will decide our fate and this is the case, it’s in our hands now”
Algeria who are yet to score from two matches played so far will need to open their scoring account on Friday and will be hoping that striker Haddouche Zakaria and Ouali who went close a couple of times in the last matches will finally hit the back of the net. Fennecs defence marshalled by Ferhat will have to deal with the live-wire Ghanaian striker, Ebenezer Assifuah. The forward has scored both Ghana’s total of two goals so far in the competition and he will be looking to adding on to that tally. “We just have to do our part and win and then find the result from Benin/Egypt match but tomorrow’s game is very important for us and we have to deliver and not disappoint the fans again” said Nobilo. Algeria will be looking to beat Ghana and hope that Benin does not win against Egypt by a score line better than theirs.
Meanwhile Nothing is decided yet in the group as the battle for the second qualification ticket is wide open because victory for Benin today against the comfortable Egyptian will and good fortune of result in thier favour elsewhere in the group will see Benin through to the net round and to the world youth championshhip
Benin who go into the match on a point will be looking to win and hope that Algeria win too but an inferior score line to theirs. Should this be the case, Benin will join Egypt in the semis. Before that happens Benin will have to be the first side to beat a well drilled Egyptian side at the tournament. Although already qualified, Egyptian captain and scorer of their goal against Algeria , Ramy Rabiaa said they would be going for their third win to boast their confidence even further as they enter the knock-out phase of the competition. “We want to continue with our winning ways and there will be no let –up against Benin. We play our normal football and play to win all the time, nothing will change from that on Friday” he said
Benin who are yet to score so far from their two games played will be hoping it’s third time luck for their side and another goalless outing for them will spell doom to their campaign. “ The beauty of it all is that we are still in with a chance to qualify and it depends on how we play against Egypt in the final group game” said Benin coach Sedogbo Alohotade.
According to Alohotade the side has not been fortunate in front of goal but he wouldn’t fault his boys for commitment and their performance especially against Ghana where he felt they deserved something from the game. “ Should we play as well as we did in our last game and have a bit of luck on our side l would like to think anything is possible and we could come away with a positive result. We will not give up but fight to the end against Egypt” he said. Meanwhile his opposite number Egyptian, Rabei Yassin expressed his satisfaction with his team’s qualification to the semis and World Cup before the final group match and said he wants the team to carry on with that momentum.
ALL THE RESULTS IN THE GROUP SO FAR
Algeria 0 vs Benin 0 Stade Omar Oucief, Aïn Témouchent
Ghana 1 vs Egypt 2 Stade Omar Oucief, Aïn Témouchent
Ghana 1 vs Benin 0 Stade Omar Oucief, Aïn Témouchent
Algeria 0 vs Egypt 1 Stade Omar Oucief, Aïn Témouchent
Egypt and Mali advance to semifinals after two straight wins and qualify for the world youth championship
Egypt became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the 12th Orange CAF U-20 Championship taking place in Algeria after beating the host 1-0 in Ain Temouchent on Tuesday night. Midfielder Ramy Rabiaa headed powerful past the goalkeeper on the stroke of half time.
The Pharaohs beat Ghana 2-1 in their first group game on Saturday and with six points, they are assured of finishing in the top two and that also means qualification to the FIFA U-20 World Cup to come later in the year in June and July.
The derby had its fair share of passionate and feisty football but clear cut chances were few and far between. The Egyptians made more meaningful use of the ball and possession and looked sharper on attack, with efficient use of wing play. Urged on by a full capacity crowd the hosts tried hard to match their opponents and perhaps were trying too hard as passes often went astray and shots were hurried but you couldn’t fault them for commitment and passion.
The flowing football and supportive play in the midfield by the Egyptians helped them wrestle that area in their favour in the first half forcing Algerians to drop deep and leaving their strikers with little assistance upfront. The two keepers were kept busy with the Algeria keeper impressive as he constantly thwarted the danger on his goal. In one such move he was quick off his line to dive down and stop Rabiaa’s shot after the Egyptian had dribbled his way into the box.
At the other end the crosses from Algeria were well watched most of the time by the goalkeeper and his safe hands clasped the majority of the shots from a distance by the Algerians.
In the second half Algeria threw their all at it and wrestled back the midfield control as they started bombarding Egyptian goal with crosses and shots. Algeria’s constructive play wasn’t always rounded up with the right final touch or decision and with each broken down move the gasps in the stadium became louder. Towards the end Algeria almost got the equalizer but Egypt down to ten men in stoppage time after substitute Mohmoud Hammad got his second yellow during a scuffle hung on for victory over their arch rivals, who now need to beat Ghana on Friday to entertain any hopes of making the semis.
Mali became the second team (after Egypt) to qualify for the 2013 Orange CAF U-20 Championship following a 2-1 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo at Ahmed Zabana stadium in Oran on Wednesday.
Goals from Samba Diallo and live wire striker Niane Adama early in the second half, 51st and 59th respectively were enough to carry the day for Mali. DR Congo scored through a thunderous drive from a free-kick by Emmo Ngoy on 54th minute.
DR Congo created the first meaningful chances of the game as early as the 5th minute when midfielder Emomo Ngoy tested Ali Yirango in goal for Mali with a plié drive that the keeper punched back into play. Not long after that Malian defence was called upon to clear their lines when Ngoy set up striker Budje Manzia for a shot inside the box. Mali’s response was swift and Tiekoro Keita plying the left channel sent in a couple of crosses as the game opened up.
The Congolese were playing some flowing football bossing the midfield with Ekiri Litekia, Bamato Botayi and Nekadio Luyindama getting the better of their Malian counterparts. But as the game edged close to half time the sides seem to cancel each other and the game needed a change of gears to lift it up.
Upon resumption the tempo went a notch up with some penetrative passes and more attacking play. Six minutes into the second half Issaka Samake set up Diallo whose ferocious shot nestled into the net with Congolese goalkeeper Landu Bakala well beaten. Three minutes later DR Congo showed that, they took could fashion similar goals when Ngoy left fly from a free- kick from outside the box that landed in the top right hand corner of Yirango’s goal. The goals turned the match on its head and end to end attacking play ensued. On 59th minute Bakala spilt a shot and ever alert Niane pounced to score his second goal of the tournament
Going to their last group match against Nigeria, DR Congo need all three points and hope other results go their way if they are to reach semis in their debut AYC finals.
Mali, on the other hand have now qualified for the FIFA U-20 World Cup to be played in June and July in Turkey and will also be looking to reach the AYC final and win the trophy as coach Moussa Keita has been saying all along.
