LIMBE: Mali beat identify hopefuls Tunisia 1-0 in a fit that used to be a story of 2 consequences the day past because the Africa Cup of Countries moved to Limbe in Cameroon’s southwest, a area on edge because of the struggle led via anglophone separatists. Ibrahima Kone’s spot-kick in a while after half-time proved the other for Mali within the Crew F sport, however Tunisia may have earned a draw just for Wahbi Khazri to have his overdue penalty stored on the different finish.
Mali hung on in spite of having exchange El Bilal Toure despatched off overdue on, and the result’s a setback for Tunisia, the 2004 continental champions, as any other of the match’s main contenders struggled within the warmth and humidity of a mid-afternoon kick-off in Cameroon.
On Tuesday it used to be Algeria, the title-holders, who have been held via Sierra Leone in Douala, whilst 24 hours ahead of that Senegal wanted a last-gasp penalty to edge Zimbabwe. After a median of a target a sport within the first 9 suits on the match, right here used to be any other stumble upon missing in goal-mouth pleasure, despite the fact that the Malian supporters who with ease outnumbered their Tunisian opposite numbers loved their afternoon.
From the stands within the coastal the city of Limbe the attention used to be frequently attracted to the beautiful view down the hill to the Gulf of Guinea reasonably than the motion at the pitch, despite the fact that simply staging suits right here in any respect is an success. Separate unrest within the anglophone area approach the street from financial capital Douala to Limbe is coated with patrolling individuals of the militia, and there are checkpoints on the front to the city itself.
Mauritania and Gambia, additionally based totally right here, have been because of meet within the different Crew F sport later. A robust and athletic Mali facet, whose line-up incorporated six gamers based totally in Europe’s large 5 leagues, have been the simpler workforce on steadiness, coming closest within the first 1/2 from a Massadio Haidara shot that fizzed simply previous. They have been awarded a spot-kick for handball simply after the restart and Kone, of Norwegian membership Sarspborg, completed emphatically.
Khazri, the Tunisia captain, had a free-kick tipped over in a while after as they driven for an equalizer, and their large probability in the end got here as the sport entered the final quarter of an hour. The Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe first of all waved away appeals for handball within the Malian field ahead of converting his thoughts after a VAR overview, however Khazri’s penalty used to be fantastically stored via goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro. Toure used to be despatched off for a reckless overdue problem now not lengthy after approaching, however the 10 males held out. — AFP