Ivory Coast qualify as Togo eliminates Algeria

Yaya Toure did not need my endorsement to pull off a coup, in a match in which Gevinho was man-of-the-match and Didier Drogba started from the bench. The three-gun salute handed to the Tunisians followed the four goal salvo we saw 24 hours ago when Burkina Faso blasted Ethiopia.

The African Footballer of the Year does not need me as a fan, but nonetheless, he is making good progress in impressing me. I don't doubt his quality but the problem is me. A few flashes of tactical awareness as well as unquestioned individual brilliance did not convince me that Africans can compete outside their sphere of influence.

There were pockets of good decision-making, obviously a result of the experience these players gained in the Barclays English Premier League and the French League. Where decisions were bad, the execution of technique cancelled matters out, given the opposition did not capitalise to punish the wrong decisions.

It was a solid and round performance by African standards, but still lacked the tactical maturity of the game at national levels. Tunisia had hoped to steal something out of the match with Drogba benched.

The former Chelsea cult hero came on and nearly registered his first 2013 Afcon goal. He proved a thorn as his presence led to that Yaya goal after Gervinho had short the Elephants ahead in the first half, and when Tiote scored with his first touch after coming on, it was a master stroke.

Algeria huffed and puffed firing blanks as they have done in their build-up to the tournament, as well as the 2010 Fifa World Cup. I cannot remember the last time they hit the net in a tournament. Their adversaries, Togo, started slowly, sizing up their way up.

The Togolese always played the inaccurate long ball, which was spot on just on one occasion and Emmanuel Adebayour punished them, beating the goalkeeper on a one versus one.

It was a basic route one football, a long ball from the back and then a ping-pong heading tennis from Adebayour to  Romao onhis left and then to Adebayour’s path. The tall Tottenham Hotspur striker outpaced the defender and slotted the ball under advancing goalie.

A physical battle in midfield ensued and that brutality led to several claims by the North Africans for penalties. The referees did not bow down to pressure. Algeria forced their way into the final third often but failed to direct the final pass or the shots.

As the attack swarmed the Togolese penalty area, it seemed the desperate attempts would yield something for the Algerians but it was vain attempts. It was until the drama of the broken goalpost that stole the show in the last five minutes.

The upright post broke at the base and the wobbling posts and nets had to be replaced, though it took far too long. To add unsolicited drama, the match officials played the five minutes and then added thirteen more minutes.

That gave Togo one more counter-attacking opportunity. A through pass from the centre circle was chased by substitute Wome, who had a few touches and slotted the ball once again, under the advancing goalkeeper to make it 2-0.

The Algerians became the first team to be eliminated while the Ivoirians were the first to qualify with their 100% records each.

AFCON 2013; How scoring a goal is criminal

At the conclusion of the first round matches, there is not much we have not seen or said. The game level remains a huge concern and the cutting edge is missing. I eagerly awaited the Arab-African football hoping for a surprise treat. It was more of the same.

This gives me the opportunity of writing less on more important issues. Cote D’voire and Togo produced more than 2 goals in a match that featured the best of African stars. Yaya Toure opened the scoring and Gevinho scored one of the best goals of the tournament to beat Emanuel Adebayor’s Togo 2-1.

It was from Yaya’s lofted curling free-kick that was volleyed by the outside of the right foot on the left side to the roof of the net by the Arsenal man. It was until the injury time of the Algeria versus Tunisia that Gevinho’s gem had a rival contender of the best goal.

Tunisia were subdued and arm twisted in the later match. A moment of brilliance saw the ball being rifled from 40 yards out into the right top corner in a stunner that will be hard to emulate. It was a goal of class worth winning any match.

This brings me to a point I once made about the game of football. Fifa always insisted on the human element of the game in refusing goal-line video technology. The same human element of the game is the emotions that go with the success of the ultimate aim; to score goals.

Even sexual orgasm is known to have less effect on a man than scoring a goal. Fifa expects the players to then sit down and decide whether to pull off the short or not. They want all concerned to think of their actions after that feat.

The important goals scored in the tense matches count for everything to the individuals and the teams. The spontaneity of the reflex is one element Fifa must understand and redress. While the argument has been about the messages on the under shirts with varying and offensive messages, it does not hold water.

Many thought it was an issue with visual sexual assault on women. Others argue that if allowed to go on unpunished, other players will remove their shorts and underwear. All are valid arguments, but there are many women attracted to the game by the prospect of ‘body viewing’, the same reason men get attracted to women tennis.

As for the messages on undershirts, remember Mario Balotelli’s ‘Why always me’. The shirt does not have to come out, but we read the messages. If the officials and indeed Fifa, think that it is unsporting behaviour or ungentle-manly conduct, it is absurd and crazy to be polite.

The game is about goals and most of them, the explosiveness of the emotion and release of adrenalin cannot be measured or controlled. If Fifa do not know that, they do not what they are running.      

The DRC goalkeeper, Kidiaba’s celebrations are the talk of the town. The bum-bump dance of the eccentric figure has been entertainment, thanks to the DRC’s two goals. We’ve seen that before but then, Fifa medical/sports medicine department could ban the move as being detrimental to the health of his seating cushions.

You cannot control the emotions at all times, though is Kid’s case, it’s a little bit of a show, as one can see from the beard and the hair. He is a masterpiece, as a creature.

The point is that the scorers of the best goals find themselves booked and miss the opportunity to dish out more stuff after the cautions. There are moments when the yellow card does not matter as the players are overcame by everything. The problem is that it counts against one as a discipline issue, rated along dangerous play.