2015 AFRICA CUP - ZAMBIA - KALABA TO LEAD NATIONAL TEAM

Zambia coach Honour Janza has given the captain's armband to Rainford Kalaba after naming his 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

8 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - GHANA - NO BOATENG OR MUNTARI IN SQUAD

Ghana's new coach Avram Grant has named his first Black Stars' squad with an initial list of 31 players for January's Africa Cup of Nations finals.

8 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - CAMEROON - SONG MISSES OUT ON SQUAD AND QUITS DUTY

Cameroon and West Ham midfielder Alex Song has retired from international football after his exclusion from his country's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

7 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - ALGERIA - ABEID AND BELKALEM OUT OF SQUAD

Algeria have confirmed that their Newcastle midfielder Mehdi Abeid and Trabzonspor defender Essaid Belkalem have been ruled out of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations because of injury.

6 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - GABON - SOKAMBI REPLACES LEMINA

France Under-20 World Cup winner Mario Lemina, who declined a place in Gabon's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations squad, has been replaced by Bonaventure Sokambi.

5 Jan 2015
RISING STARS - CAMEROON - ONANA TO JOIN AJAX FROM BARCELONA

Barcelona youth goalkeeper Andre Onana has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Ajax in July, the Dutch champions announced on Saturday.

4 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - GABON - DIDIER NDONG SIGNS FOR FRENCH SIDE FC LORIENT

The 20-year-old midfielder played with Tunisian outfit CS Sfaxien during the 2012-2013 season, and will represent Gabon in the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

3 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - EQUATORIAL GUINEA - COACHES - BECKER EXPECTED TO BE THE NEW COACH

Africa Cup of Nations hosts Equatorial Guinea are set to appoint Esteban Becker to replace Andoni Goikoetxea.

2 Jan 2015
HAPPY NEW YEAR

ALL THE BEST FOR 2015

1 Jan 2015
2015 AFRICA CUP - MALI - MAIGA RECALLED TO SQUAD

Modibo Maiga has been named in Mali's 23-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Equatorial Guinea despite missing all their qualifiers.

31 Dec 2014

2015 AFRICA CUP - GROUP D - COACHES - Mali vs Guinea - a draw will decide

Africa Cup 2015 GROUP D

Mali vs Guinea 1:1

 

Lots were originally due to be drawn after the match but it was announced during the first half that the draw had been moved to Thursday. 

The Mali and Guinea managers insist the drawing of lots should not be how their Africa Cup of Nations fate is decided.

A draw on Thursday afternoon will decide which side reaches the quarter-finals after they finished joint second with identical records in Group D.

Lots have been drawn before

In a 1954 World Cup qualifying match in Rome, Turkey and Spain were tied after 90 minutes. At that point, a 14-year-old boy, the son of a stadium employee, was summoned to draw lots from a trophy, sending Turkey to compete at the tournament in Switzerland while Spain were sent home. 

Some reports suggest balls were drawn, others say it was a slip of paper.

In the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, Algeria profited at the expense of Ivory Coast after the drawing of lots.

At the 1990 World Cup in Italy, the Netherlands and Ireland were tied for second place in their group. Straight after the match, Sepp Blatter, then second-in-command at Fifa, conducted a drawing of lots ceremony live on TV in Rome. 

Both teams were guaranteed qualification for round two but an attendant drew a ball from two bowls to determine their ranking.

 

Mali coach Henri Kasperczak. said:

"We have to solve the problems of qualification without a drawing of lots," 

"We must find a more sporting way, fairer.

This does not correspond to a sporting spirit."


Guinea coach Michel Dussuyer added: 

"Mali do not deserve to be eliminated in this way, just as we do not."

Coach Michel Dussuyer is in his second spell in charge of Guinea

Guinea winger Ibrahima Traore echoed his manager's thoughts after the two sides drew 1:1 in their final group match and said it would be "really difficult to sleep" on Wednesday night.

"It's not fair for both teams," he said, suggesting the outcome could have been settled by penalty kicks or extra time.

"The team who deserve to win would do it on the pitch," he added.

Lots were originally due to be drawn after the match but it was announced during the first half that the draw had been moved to Thursday.

It will now take place at a hotel in Malabo at 15:00 GMT, with the successful team playing their quarter-final against Ghana on Sunday.

 

 

29 Jan 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

Related countries

Related articles