2 days ago
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22 mins: Daka tries to send a through ball for F Sakala to chase but the pitch holds it up, allowing Mali to clear.
20 mins: Fashion Sakala tries to put Woyo Coulibaly under pressure in the Mali box but the referee deems the Zambia forward has crossed a line and whistles.
18 mins: Mali have a corner on the right. Zambia clear it and launch a counter attack down the right. Mali regroup and get back, ensuring the break comes to nothing.
The pitch looks very green but the ball does not seem to be running smoothly over it, making it hard work for the players.
16 mins: Sinayoko, who has looked lively on the right wing, gets the ball on the edge of the box, spins and firing a low drive but the goalkeeper is equal to it.
14 mins: A missplaced backpass forces Mwanza to move quickly to avoid conceding a needless corner. Zambia are certainly the team making more errors here. Mali will smell blood.
12 mins: Chanda tries to play a simple pass to someone five yards away but plays it straight out of play. Zambia just seem a little more on edge than Mali here. They need to all settle into the fixture.
10 mins: Zambia win a first corner of their own after Fofana stays strong against Daka. It’s put into a dangerous area but the goalkeeper does well to produce a strong punch.
8 mins: Mali are looking the livelier of the two teams. A few quick passes releases Dante down the left and he fires in a wicked cross but he only earns a corner.
A wayward pass goes straight to Zambia goalkeeper Mwanza, who tries to take a touch but it’s an awful one, costing his side a corner. I think he might be nervous.
6 mins: Mali get into the opposition box for the first time, too, but a good situation ends with a meek shot from Nene trickles wide.
4 mins: F Sakala nutmegs a defender and bursts into the box but is held up before he can get his shot away. A promising moment for Zambia.
2 mins: The countdown to kick-off inside the stadium is slightly anti-climatic when there is no one in attendance to shout the numbers.
Zambia are trying to pass it around at the back but leads to the goalkeeper almost being hunted down before getting his clearance away.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
The crowd is, at best, sparse.
And we are now in Casablanca. A lovely Monday afternoon for a bit of football. Mali are in white and Zambia in a jazzier orange number.
The phone rings … Patricia is waiting for the answer. And it’s a no.
She’s offered £36k under asking price. Surely she has no chance.
We are the business end of A Place in the Sun on 4Seven before the football starts. Will they make an offer on a property? The tension is palpable!.
Test yourself!
If you are looking to watch this game in the UK, it will be shown on 4Seven, the coverage starts at 1.55pm.
And here’s a couple of cracking* interviews with some players out at Afcon.
First up, I went for a natter with a couple of Tanzania’s key men, who were born in England.
And the wonderful Luke Entwistle has gone for a natter with Monaco’s Lamine Camara.
*be your own judge.
This is what happened in yesterday’s opening fixture.
Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma is missing for Mali, the country he captains, having not recovered from ankle surgery. The midfielder is yet to play for his club this season and has almost certainly played his final game for Spurs. Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet is confident the 29-year-old will be available before the tournament ends.
“We have assurances that Yves will be ready during the tournament,” Saintfiet said. “When the matches get tougher, we’ll be glad to have him with us. We need a captain who’s present both mentally and physically.”
This raised a few eyebrows this week. Change is coming
Starting lineups
Mali: Diarra; W.Coulibaly, Diaby, M.Fofana, Dante; Dieng, Sangaré; K.Doumbia, El Bilal Touré, Nene; Sinayoko
Subs: O Camara, Mamadou Camara, Mohamed Camara. L Coulibaly, G. Diakhate, G. Diarra, I Diawara, F Doucoure, Mahamadou Doumbia, Mamadou Doumbia, Gassama, Haidara, Samassa, Sissoko, Traore
Zambia: Mwanza; M.Banda, Chanda, L.Banda, F.Sakala; Chaiwa, Tembo, L.Musonda, B.Sakala; Kangwa, Daka
Subs: O Chisala, F Musonda, Chongo, Hamansenya, Lahne, Kalusa, Liteta, Manganji, Mulenga, K Musonda, Mwansa, Sabobo, Simukonda, W Chisala
Preamble
Zambia lifted the Afcon trophy back in 2012 but have not won a single match in the tournament since. They have drawn seven of their past nine group games, failing to get to the knockout stages. Between 2017 and 2021, they did not even qualify for the tournament. They will be desperate to get some points on the board today.
Mali, however, will have different ideas on the matter. The midfielder Amadou Haidara, of RB Leipzig, will be hugely influential when it comes to their chances of success in Morocco, but he starts on the bench today.
Kick-off: 2pm GMT.
