AFRICAN SPORTS MONTHLY
'Sports is our Business'
  • Home
  • NEWS
  • Rankings
  • Radio
  • TV

Bony brace helps Ivory Coast into last four

2/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
A brace of headers from Wilfried Bony helped take the Ivory Coast into the last four of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday with a 3-1 win over Algeria.

 

The recent Manchester City signing was quiet during the group stage in Equatorial Guinea but came to life to help the Elephants to victory in this quarter-final showdown.

 

He got his first goal of the competition on 26 minutes to put the Ivorians in front and then headed in the crucial second goal midway through the second half after Hilal Soudani had equalised for Algeria.


Gervinho made sure of the win at the death as the Ivory Coast exacted revenge for their dramatic defeat to Algeria in extra-time at the same stage of the 2010 Cup of Nations in Angola.

 

Herve Renard's side will now take on DR Congo in the semi-finals in Bata on Wednesday as they chase their first continental title since 1992, with the winner of that facing either Equatorial Guinea or Ghana in the final itself.

 

Meanwhile, Algeria go home having ultimately failed to live up to their billing as pre-tournament favourites.

 

Renard made just one change from the side that beat Cameroon in midweek to qualify for the knockout stage, with Seydou 

 

Doumbia making way for Gervinho, who was available again after a two-game ban.

 

Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff went with the same team as that which beat Senegal 2-0 in their last group game, and it was the 

 

Desert Warriors who started the brighter at the Estadio de Malabo, with Soudani forcing an early save from Sylvain Gbohouo in the Ivorian goal.

 

However, the Ivory Coast front three started to come to life after Max-Alain Gradel moved across to the right flank, switching sides with Gervinho.

 

The little Saint-Etienne winger cut inside before firing a shot just wide to signal the Elephants' emergence as an attacking threat.

 

Midway through the first half they came closer still, Serge Aurier leaping at the back post to head a Gradel free-kick against the post with Rais M'Bolhi in the Algeria goal beaten.

 

And the breakthrough arrived 26 minutes in, Eric Bailly driving into the opposition half and finding Gradel, whose cross to the back post was headed in by Bony as the Algerians appealed in vain for offside.

 

Saphir Taider and Faouzi Ghoulam both tried their luck from range but Gourcuff's side were unable to find an equaliser before the interval.

 

Nevertheless, they needed only six minutes after the restart to restore parity, with the help of some questionable Ivorian defending.

 

Gbohouo came off his line to try to meet a long ball downfield only to hesitate, and Bailly then failed to clear a Riyad Mahrez cutback from the left, allowing Soudani an easy finish.

 

However, Gbohouo redeemed himself with a remarkable save to deny Soudani from point-blank range as the striker tried to help a Yacine Brahimi shot into the net.

 

The Ivorians took full advantage as they went back in front on 68 minutes, Bony leaping to head in a free-kick from his new Manchester City colleague Yaya Toure.

 

Gbohouo was called into action again four minutes from time to keep out a Ghoulam free-kick as Algeria pushed forward, but it was the Ivorians who scored again as Gervinho finished off a counter-attack in stoppage time.

By: Cafonline.com
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    July 2024
    June 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    Menu

    All
    2014 FIFA World Cup
    Athletics
    Basketball
    Boxing
    Commonwealth Games
    Cricket
    Golf
    Hockey
    Marathons
    News
    Olympics
    Rugby
    Soccer
    Spotlight
    Tennis
    Track And Field
    Volleyball
    Women Soccer
    Wrestling


    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Tweets by ASMONTHLY

Tweet to @ASMONTHLY

Contact Us

    Contact Us

Submit

Donate & Support Our Efforts at African Sports Media Network