28th January, 2015
Ivory Coast will hope to finally register their first victory in the 2015 CAF African Cup of Nations in Equatorial Guinea when they clash against Cameroon today at Estadio de Malabo.
All the teams (Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, and Guinea) in Group D are without a win and are tied on two points following 1-1 draws and the final matches are must-wins for these African giants.
Although the Elephants will go into this clash without striker Gervinho, who was red-carded against the National Elephants of Guinea in their opening match, Max Gradel is expected to solve the Elephants’ scoring problems upfront.
Coach Herve Renard will have to dig deep to solve his team’s lacklustre showing in the 30th edition of the African showpiece as they had to come back to equalise in their two previous matches.
On the other hand, the Indomitable Lions will have to also find a way to penetrate the Ivorian defence manned by the likes of Kolo Toure and Siaka Tiene to enable them secure the three points and seal their qualification for the knockout stage.
Meanwhile, There were wild celebrations nationwide and sadly, four deaths last Sunday, as hosts, Equatorial Guinea, marked their qualification to the quarter-finals.
Moments after the final whistle, it was not just the bench that began their wild, uncontrollable celebrations, but it was a feeling that resonated all over the country, with both young and old, most of them wearing their national replica jerseys, pouring out onto the streets to jubilate.
In the process, four children between the ages of eight and 12 years, lost their lives as they were run down by careless taxi drivers who were also caught in the frenzy.
The incidents, two in Malabo where young cousins, aged 10 and 12, came out to join in the celebration in their neighbourhood, were both knocked down and killed instantly by a teenager taxi driver who apparently was drunk.
There was another incident in Bata, where the driver also lost control and run into the 11-year old who was in front of his mother’s bar watching the action. It was even sadder in Mongomo, where the eight-year-old boy, dashed out of the house and without watching, tried to cross to join the fun on the other side of the road, but was knocked down and killed instantly by a taxi driver who was speeding and blurring his horn as his way of celebrating.