Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde: Africa Cup of Nations – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2015/jan/18/tunisia-v-cape-verde-africa-cup-of-nations-live

Version 0 of 1.

8.56pm GMT20:56

In summary

Tunisia will, in the end, be kicking themselves. For a spell of 20 minutes or so in the second half their style and technique looked too much for a rapidly tiring Cape Verde, but a penalty won and scored by Heldon, probably his side’s most dangerous player, slowed Tunisia’s momentum. That said, Cape Verde deserved to be ahead at half-time and showed sufficient signs that they can challenge for a place in the quarter-finals (or even beyond) once again. A third draw in four matches in this tournament so far leaves Group B completely open with all four sides on one point.

That’s me done for the night anyway. Thanks for reading. Bye.

8.52pm GMT20:52

Full-time: Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde

And that’s it.

8.51pm GMT20:51

90+3 mins: Varela concedes one last free-kick, a soft one, it’s a clever short free-kick and played down the right for Ben Youssef in space but he miscues his ball in and it goes wide.

8.49pm GMT20:49

90+1 mins: A late chance for Tunisia as Mathlouthi sends in a long dangerous throw but though Chikhaoui rises above the melee first he can’t do anything but send an attempt on goal off the top of his bonce and wide for a goal-kick. Quinton Fortune in the commentary box sneers at the very concept of the long throw as an attacking footballing asset.

Updated at 8.50pm GMT

8.47pm GMT20:47

90 mins: We’ve got three added minutes.

8.47pm GMT20:47

89 mins: Maaloul forages forward on the left hand side of the area but it’s eventually cleared by Fortes, as Cape Verde dig in for the closing moments. Nater then messes up a chance in space when he slices a 25-yard shot wide. It might have hit a divot. It might not.

8.44pm GMT20:44

87 mins: One final Tunisia change: Ragued for Saihi.

8.43pm GMT20:43

86 mins: Tavares embarks on a run down the right but his cross is mis-hit and soars behind the goal. Tunisia’s momentum has been totally lost.

8.41pm GMT20:41

84 mins: Replays are suggesting the Cape Verde penalty might have been a bit iffy, the foul possibly being made outside the area. And another Cape Verde sub: Fortes comes on for Kuca.

8.40pm GMT20:40

83 mins: Tunisia substitutions: Msakni replaces Khazri and Rjaibi is on for Akaichi

8.39pm GMT20:39

81 mins: Up the other end we go and Chikhaoi wins a free-kick for Tunisia 35 yards out. And Abdennour is so close – or would have been had the flag not gone up for offside. It’s a teasing ball in by Maaloul that finds the defender unmarked for a thumping header against the keeper.

8.37pm GMT20:37

80 mins: This could go either way now. Cape Verde had looked utterly knackered five minutes ago, but now they’re ready to attack again.

8.34pm GMT20:34

Goal! Tunisia 1-1 Cape Verde (Heldon, 77 pen)

Heldon levels it up. Well after all that, Cape Verde get back in it. A good burst into the area from Heldon on the left takes him into the area, but Ben Youssef, who’s looked so assured until now, needlessly brings him down. Heldon gets up and hammers the spot-kick high and wide to the keeper’s right.

Updated at 8.36pm GMT

8.33pm GMT20:33

Penalty to Cape Verde!

Heldon brought down

8.33pm GMT20:33

75 mins: That was Moncer’s first goal for Tunisia on his second appearance, and he certainly took it confidently. Now the North Africans have to maintain their momentum.

8.31pm GMT20:31

73 mins: Mathlouthi’s up and about again, and Tunisia push forward again. And finally Mendes comes on for Tavares

Updated at 8.32pm GMT

8.29pm GMT20:29

71 mins: Cape Verde come back with a vengeance and a ball into the box needs to be punched clear by the Tunisia keeper Mathlouthi, who’s pole-axed in the process and needs treatment

8.26pm GMT20:26

Goal! Tunisia 1-0 Cape Verde (Moncer, 70)

It’s been coming. An exquisite move, Saihi’s low accurate ball gets Maaloul in behind the Cape Verde back line and his first-time low ball across the six-yard box is rammed into the roof of the net by Moncer. Harsh on Cape Verde after their first half perhaps, but they’ve been fading lately.

Updated at 8.28pm GMT

8.25pm GMT20:25

68 mins: Cape Verde substitution - Julio Tavares comes on for Djanini

Updated at 8.25pm GMT

8.24pm GMT20:24

67 mins: Another Tunisia chance. Khazri’s sweeping diagonal free-kick finds the defender Abdennour in space on the right side of the area, unmarked, but he can only volley it back at the keeper.

8.23pm GMT20:23

65 mins: A lovely run inside the box by Chikhaoi, dribbling past three inside the area but he’s thwarted at the last and wins a corner. This is, by a distance, Tunisia’s best spell of the game now.

8.21pm GMT20:21

63 mins: Tunisia hit the bar! Then it goes in! But it’s disallowed. A Tunisia set-piece causes some bother for a change and a long ball in is headed against the bar by Chikhaoui in a challenge with the keeper, and he bundles in the rebound. There’s not an obvious foul but there is a bit of a scramble, and the referee rules it out.

8.19pm GMT20:19

61 mins: Moncer tries to put Maaloul through on the inside-left channel with a smart lofted ball, but it just skids off the turf and goes out for the keeper, but Tunisia are beginning to show a little more confidence in their own flair and technique. What took them so long?

8.17pm GMT20:17

59 mins: Cape Verde keeper Vozinha gives Tunisia a throw in an attacking area after being forced into a hashed clearance by a sloppy backpass. But Tunisia can’t do anything with it, and Khazri eases the pressure on Cape Verde with yet another needless foul.

8.14pm GMT20:14

57 mins: Tunisia win a free-kick 30 yards out, but Khazri wastes it, curling it some distance over. Thoughtless. Still, this is warming up nicely.

8.13pm GMT20:13

56 mins: Off the line! Cape Verde’s Kuca is played in by Heldon after Tunisia concede possession on halfway. It’s a lovely ball from right to left of the area. Kuca steadies himself, cuts inside, beats the keeper with his shot but Ben Youssef clears on the line. Excellent football, and good defending too.

8.11pm GMT20:11

54 mins: Tunisia knock it around inside their own area – my inner agricultural-English-fan yelling “just welly it” – but they work their way upfield, without creating anything so bold as a chance.

8.09pm GMT20:09

53 mins: Tunisia are growing into this now, and Saihi wins a corner after a cross from the right is deflected behind. Khazi delivers it deep but Abdennour’s header is weak. This game really could do with some fierce, low accurate crossing.

8.08pm GMT20:08

50 mins: Khazri, who’s shown neat touch and control amid his niggly fouls, feeds Chikhaoui whose shot from 20 yards is low and accurate but easy for the keeper to gather.

8.06pm GMT20:06

49 mins: A Tunisian spell of keep-baoll again. Nater finds Mathlouthi, who forages down the right, but Stopira stops him, and another needless foul on Kuca ends the North Africans’ move.

8.04pm GMT20:04

47 mins: Cape Verde win an early corner. And then another, as the deep delivery is headed behind by Abdennour. Babanco’s ball in is easily headed clear this time, but Tunisia concede a free-kick as soon as it comes out, Khazri the offender. Again. But Babanco overhits his free-kick, and the keeper gobbles it up.

8.01pm GMT20:01

Peep!

And off we go for the second half. The absence of Ryan Mendes for Cape Verde is being queried in the commentary box, with neither side appearing to have made any changes at half-time.

7.59pm GMT19:59

Right, now the Deportivo v Barcelona game has finished (4-0 to Barça), you can start sending in some more emails. The players are coming back out, the crowd are conga-ing, so let’s go.

7.48pm GMT19:48

Half-time: Tunisia 0-0 Cape Verde

Cape Verde have shaded this so far, looking livelier and more dangerous in attack against a Tunisian side whose vaunted defence has shown some occasional vulnerabilities, particularly early on. The North Africans can pass it around OK, but have failed to really impose themselves. Back in 15 minutes or so.

7.46pm GMT19:46

45 mins: A long spell of Tunisia possession again comes to nothing when Maaloul’s ball into the box for Khazri is headed clear as the Tunisian slips. A familiar pattern, that.

7.44pm GMT19:44

43 mins: Cape Verde win another free-kick in a promising position, on the left. Heldon’s effort is deflected off the wall and Babanco belts it straight towards the keeper, and the danger is cleared. A waste.

7.43pm GMT19:43

42 mins: This has been a pretty anaemic display by Tunisia, their passing rarely finding incisive result, though they get some men in the area for a change when Maaloul is foiled on the edge of the six-yard box after a decent ball in.

7.41pm GMT19:41

40 mins: Chances and appeals: Babanco finds Heldon with a lovely slide-rule angled pass from the halfway line, he skips past his man and is brought down, winning a free-kick. It looks, initially, inside the area but replays show the tackle to be just outside. Good refereeing.

The free-kick is thumped into the wall by Babanco but Tunisia don’t clear properly, and somehow Kuca wriggles to the ball first but amid the scramble mis-kicks it wide from no more than five yards. He should have scored.

Updated at 7.52pm GMT

7.37pm GMT19:37

36 mins: Abdennour gets down the left after a decent move instigated by Chikhaoui but his cross is cleared as Tunisia again fail to get enough men forward. An even poorer cross follows up the other end as Cape’s Djanini scampers down the right and then overhits his ball in.

Updated at 7.51pm GMT

7.34pm GMT19:34

33 mins: Carlitos runs the ball out of play to give Tunisia a throw in a promising position on the left, but they give it away carelessly too. They’re struggling to assert themselves overall.

7.33pm GMT19:33

31 mins: Brave block by the Cape keeper foils a Tunisia break, as signs of another conga getting going – this afternoon’s match was full of ‘em - emerge in the crowd.

7.31pm GMT19:31

29 mins: Great chance for Cape Verde, Heldon getting clear on the right and finding Janini, who hits it low and on target but straight at the keeper. The niggly foul count continues to nudge steadily up, meanwhile, Tunisia currently having outfouled their opponents 7-5.

Updated at 7.31pm GMT

7.28pm GMT19:28

27 mins: A nice spell of sustained passing from Tunisia ends with a nice dinked ball over the top putting Maaloul clear on the left hand side of the penalty area, only for the flag to go up for offside.

7.25pm GMT19:25

24 mins: If there’s a discernible pattern here it’s that Tunisia are seeking to keep possession and knock it around patiently, only for their finishing – such as the latest wild hack wide by Saihi – to let them down, while Cape Verde are pressing them vigorously and looking probably more potent in attack themselves. They could be a force in their group again.

7.22pm GMT19:22

21 mins: Kuka gets clear on the left for Cape Verde, but his cross for Heldon is hooked clear by Maaloul. It’s a little erratic, this, but it’s ebbing and flowing.

7.20pm GMT19:20

19 mins: Cape Verde definitely enjoying the crowd’s support, and they’re still a threat, as Kuca proves when he cuts in from the left and sends in a testing curling low drive that’s tipped round the post by Mathlouthi for a corner, which comes to nothing.

Updated at 7.52pm GMT

7.18pm GMT19:18

16 mins: Tunisia are beginning to dominate now, but Khazri squanders another period of possession by curling too high and too wide from 25 yards. I’m not sure the uneven looking pitch is necessarily helping when it comes to teeing up these pot-shots.

7.16pm GMT19:16

15mins: Khazri puts his foot on the ball and finds Maaloul, but the resultant ball back is wasted and Khazri is then booked for a bad foul as Cape Verde pick it up. Then another good chance for Tunisia, an Akaichi header palmed clear by the keeper Dias.

Updated at 7.16pm GMT

7.13pm GMT19:13

12 mins: The first Tunisian shot on goal is wildly lashed over on the bounce by Moncer. And a better opening emerges a minute later as Saihi (I think) gets clear down the right but makes a complete hash of his cross, slashing it wide and high and out.

7.11pm GMT19:11

9 mins: Some confusion in the commentary box – and, frankly, here – as the commentators’ team sheet doesn’t appear to be tallying with the names on the Cape Verde players’ shirts (or on my own teamsheet). And here’s the first crunching foul of the night as Tunisia’s Moncer goes into the back of Babanko.

7.08pm GMT19:08

7 mins: Tunisia win the first corner after a long ball down the left finds Chikhaoui, but the corner is easily headed clear.

7.07pm GMT19:07

6 mins: Having settled, Tunisia are now seeking to play some patient short passing, though Cape Verde are keeping tight on them.

7.04pm GMT19:04

4 mins: Tunisia’s first chance to get their foot on the ball sees Saihi get clear on the left and send a dangerous ball across the front of the six yard box but there’s no one there.

7.02pm GMT19:02

2nd minute: Against the post! Cape Verde pick the ball up early on and win a carelessly conceded throw-in in an attacking position, and then a carelessly conceded free-kick following a clumsy foul by Mathlouthi. Babanco’s free-kick from the left is then headed against the post by Varela. Tunisia asleep in the opening stages here.

Updated at 7.53pm GMT

7.00pm GMT19:00

Peep!

And we’re underway, after a brief delay in which the officials appeared unable to locate the ball, with Tunisia kicking off.

6.55pm GMT18:55

Here come the teams, and a reasonable crowd appear to have assembled, though the 5,000-capacity Estadio Manuel Enguru in Ebebiyín is reportedly the smallest ground to have hosted an ACN finals match. In the battle of the anthems, Cape Verde’s – albeit sung gloriously out of tune by their players – probably pips Tunisia’s for gravitas and passion.

6.46pm GMT18:46

A setback in the Ghana camp, where their captain Asamoah Gyan has been diagnosed with a “mild bout” of Malaria and is doubtful for their Group C opener against Senegal tomorrow.

Gyan has been treated in hospital in the town of Mongomo in the remote east of Equatorial Guinea. “The illness was detected at an early stage and Gyan is responding well to treatment,” a Ghanaian Football Association statement said.

Updated at 6.48pm GMT

6.39pm GMT18:39

The teams:

Tunisia: A Mathlouthi; Abdennour, Ben Youssef, H Mathlouthi, Maaloul; Khazri, Saihi, Moncer, Nater; Chikhaoui, Kelifa.

Cape Verde: Dias; C Tavares, Varela, Barros, I Tavares; Lima, Macedo, Rocha, Miranda; Ramos, Semedo.

Referee: Eric Arnaud Otogo Castane (Gabon)

6.00pm GMT18:00

Preamble

Evening everyone. Welcome to game four of this year’s Cup of Nations, which pits a reasonably well fancied and experienced tournament nation against relative outsiders Cape Verde, who’ll be looking to build on their fine performance in their Cup of Nations debut two years ago, when they reached the quarter-finals.

Tunisia’s preparations have been beset by what we might call trademark complaints about accommodation problems (power cuts, under-prepared hotels etc) but as Jonathan Wilson points out, it’s a triumph that this relocated tournament is taking place at all, given how hastily it had to be switched from Morocco in November. In fact the speed at which Equatorial Guinea have been able to get the tournament on puts a bit of perspective on the needless glad-handing, hospitality-lavishing, VIP-fawning, tax arrangement-distorting, cash-squandering infrastructure splurge we’re now encouraged to think is essential for every single major sporting event. It will also have brought empathetic nods from anyone who’s ever had to cobble together a six-a-side tournament on a municipal park at short notice. Though when your government has a reputation for authoritarian kleptocracy, it’s amazing what can be accomplished in a short space of time.

Anyway, tonight’s Group B match: Tunisia’s game is built on a well-organised defence in which Aymen Abdennour of Monaco, Rangers’ Bilel Mohsni and Syam Ben Youssef have impressed. (Anecdote: Ben Youssef had a brief but solid loan spell in a disintegrating Leyton Orient team in the later stages of the 2011-12 season, and was the sole blameless player in what scientists confirmed was the worst half of football played in the club’s history in a 4-2 loss at Wycombe, but anyway…) Further forward though, Tunisia are blunted by the absence of Saber Khalifa and Fakhreddine Ben Youssef.

All of which should encourage Cape Verde, who hope to thrive on underdog status as they did in South Africa two years ago. “The other three teams are strong and more experienced,” admits their Portuguese coach Rui Aguas. Midfielder Nuno Roches and the Lille winger Ryan Mendes could be worth watching.

Earlier in Group B

Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo drew 1-1, Crystal Palace’s Yannick Bolasie (as he will undoubtedly be described throughout the tournament by all English pundits, including, erm, me, just there) scored a fine second-half equaliser for the Congolese after Given Singuluma had put Zambia ahead after only two minutes.

Font news

More irksome for DR Congo was the news that the font size on their shirts appear to have upset the powers that be: print media production staff and general design nerds might be intrigued/outraged/delighted to learn the following

Though, frankly,there’s been too much deviation from the font norm on team shirts in general in recent times. Someone needs to take a firm grip. You just have to feel for the person who accidentally typed in the wrong point size when kitting out the Congolese.