before the match: 
Sundowns have set a standard last week by winning at Cameroon against Sable de Batié and Africa Sports is a little under pressure to do the same. Sable de Batié, probably without a realistic chance of winning the group will look to land a surprise. Africa Sports surprisingly lost a domestic league match against outsiders at home and are in some troubles although they beat Espérance two weeks ago. It might be they get into similar problems as local rivals ASEC last week caused by their participation ain several major competitions.  

1st half: 
-Africa Sports with the already famous brothers Amadou Fadel and Abdul Kaled Kéita in attack, playuing in green, Sable de Batié in blue.  
-('6) first big opportunity for Sable de Batié after a cross but the keeper can save the weak low shot from close range 
-('7) some more confusion in the Ivorian defence and a striker can almost profit from the hesitation 
The ground seems difficult to play on. Africa Sport seems to take the match a bit too easy, Sable de Batié looks determined. 
-('14) sensational goal: rare Africa Sports attack, kick off by the keeper, a header, then a high pass which sets up a volley from #14 Alhassane Issofou from almost 25 meters exactly into the triangle - 0:1 
-('20) great goal by Sable de Batié:  an attack along the left hand side and against the sluggish defending a low ball into the middle right in front of the goal and from about the height of the first goal post a completely unmarked player (reuters: Vincent Kom) backheels the ball into the second corner - 1:1 
-('23) another warning signal: inside their own half Africa Sports waste a ball in build up casually and almost run into a dangerous situation when the determined attackers of Sable de Batié try to profit from the situation - in the end all they get is a corner 
-('42) after 20 minutes without major goal scenes a chance for Sable de Batié when a corner gets defended and a player fires from about 20 minutes. But the ball goes wide right. 
Africa Sports looks more concentrated than in the first 20 minutes but cannot play through to a real chance either 
-('45) Africa Sports keeper deals successfully with a complicated ball, the ensuing corner brings some more danger  

halftime 1:1 
Africa Sports will have difficulties to win this match, Sable de Batié looks strong enough to take at least one point. The Ivorians started too casually and were confirmed with the early lead - a deception.   

2nd half: 
-('46) Africa Sports start attacking and looks more determined - already to attempts on the goal within the first minute 
-('47) Sable de Batié answer with a free kick, low, wide 
-('48) Africa Sports: A Sable de Batié defender slips inside his penalty area as he wants to clear the ball but is lucky that the goalkeeper can grab it in front of a striker 
-('53) the different Africa Sports attitude pays off in growing confusion for the Cameroon defenders confronted with the skillful attacking of the Ivorians 
-on the other side Africa Sports now run down more balls against the limited passing game of their opponents 
-('58) a weak header by Fadel Keita is no problem for the Cameroonian keeper 
-('60) a counter attack by Sable de Batié with the Africa Sports defence too open, the goalkeeper is beaten but the ball from 20 meters misses the empty goal 
-('61) a second huge opportunity for Sable de Batié (#9), the diagonal shot of the unmarked player from half left, 10 meters misses by a narrow margin. 2 defenders had played offside without paying attention to a third one caught too deep inside the penalty area to join them 
-suddenly the match shows another face again 
-('67) Sable de Batié: 25 meter free kick deflected by the keeper for a corner 
-('69) Sable de Batié who appear to be real and fair fighters, force another big opportunity and a bouncing header from close range is denied to become a goal by a spectacular save by the keeper 
-('80) attempts on both sides blocked by defenders 
-Africa Sports keep on trying but yet Sable de Batié and the difficult pitch can prevent them from a clearcut chance. The attempts become more hectic and this even causes some counter opportunities without huge impact either  

final result 1:1 
Africa Sports, a team more or less in a must win situation against Sable de Batié, a team with nut much left to lose, always a difficult situation. The casual attitude in the beginning by Africa Sports made their opponents strong. The second half was alright from that point of view but it was too late and the technical Ivorian game was marred by the bad pitch. 
The one point will hardly be enough - if the other results of the group will be as expected (what not necessarily must be the case, of course) they will end up 2 points short... 

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