MALI 2002 - The African Cup Of Nations XXIII 
   The qualification - match reports

Sep 2, 1720 GMT Egypt - Côte d'Ivoire  1:0 (final)  

Before the match: 
Group 7 Egypt,Côte d’Ivoire,Libya,Sudan 
This is a real hot group. From paperform it is Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire but the story has some tricky turns in reserve. There are the ambitious Libyans who will put up enormous means to qualify. There are the elegant Sudan players which only lack some modern style football ingredients but have impressed in home matches recently. There might be some Ivorian inconsistency as the race for World Cup qualification might interfear and some people might become nervous.  
But much more of that: there is the old tough Libya Egypt rivalry. 
And to add even more derby flair: Egypt and Sudan are neighbours as well as Sudan and Libya are. Apart from all political implications those are big local matches with a lot in them and very uneasy for Egypt as their neighbours will put everything into them.

1st half: 
-('1) a good fast attack by Egypt but a player with free way to the goal loses control of the ball as he wants to shoot 
-Egypt with a good start 
-('5) An Egyptian striker kicks the Ivorian keeper who had long control of the ball against the ellbow, the referee does not seem to have seen it, the keeper is treated but can play on  
-('16) Good attack by Egypt using the left wing in schoolbook style, a cross and #6 (Reuters: Sayed Abdelhafiz) wins the header agianst a defender at the second goal post and the ball flies against the run of the keeper into the left corner - 1:0 
-Côte d'Ivoire is disappointing in attack, uncoordinated. In defence they work quite effectively with the offside trap. But this way of defending also creates space into which the fast and presicely combinating Egyptian attackers can get send with through balls. 
-the rest of the half defences have control 

halftime 1:0 
Egypt concentrated and as usual with very strong first minutes, Côte d'Ivoire with problems creating good attacks throughout the first half. 

2nd half: 
-('47) Côte d'Ivoire: a good free kick opportunity but a too complicated trick, a defender can intervene 
-('56) finally a half chance for Côte d'Ivoire who do a little better now though still not very dangerous to the goal 
-('58) a very dangerous counter attack by Egypt who have the defenders outnumbered. But when a low square ball comes into the penalty area from the right hand side, it is the sole defender, who is alone with three Egyptian attackers, who gets the ball and clears the situation for a corner 
-('60) another opportunity for Egypt after a counter attack, this time the attacker is marked better and has difficulties to unleash a shot which then goes wide 
-('63) the Ivorians look open for counter attacks now, attempting to do more for attack themselves 
-('68) Côte d'Ivoire: Guel sets up a scoring opportunity for #8 but his shot gests easily saved 
-('70) a huge counter opportunity 3 Egypt attackers against 2 Côte d'ivoire defenders but all comes out is a misplaced chip over the bar 
-('71) another opportunity for Egypt ends with a shot wide 
-('78)('80) Ivorians start to be able to create some smaller opportunities - yet harmless headers 
-for some moments it looks like Egypt become tired and Côte d'Ivoire wake up 
-('88) a promising Ivorian attack is stopped by a smart tactical foul on the expense of a yellow card 
-('89) Egypt waste a good situation 
-('90) Côte d'ivoire: an attempt by #18 from distance goes across the bar 
-('injury time) a last big opportunity for Egypt when all Ivorians go for attack but the keeper can rescue against the first attempt, the second goes across the bar narrowly 

final result 1:0 
Côte d'Ivoire too harmless. Egypt as often seen especially strong at the beginning (normally at the beginning of halfs) and with some problems to convert later occasions.