- Title: Goals dry up at Nations Cup as favourites struggle again.
- Date: 17th January 2017
- Summary: OYEM, GABON (JANUARY 16, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF OYEM STADIUM AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2017 LOGO VARIOUS OF FANS GETTING INTO STADIUM / FAN WITH JERSEY READING: COTE D'IVOIRE TICKET MACHINE VARIOUS OF IVORY COAST FAN WITH BODY PAINTED IN TEAM COLORS ORANGE, RED AND WHITE SIGN READING (ENGLISH): "CELEBRATE AFRICA" POST MATCH NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) COACH IVORY COAST, MICHEL DUSSUYER SAYING: "We have respect for every team we are confronted by. Togo is a very good team and has shown many qualities. They have mobility, they are very well organised, they have some great individual players and they have a seasoned coach, but we did not play at our greatest intensity. We as a team are aware of that and we are expecting to improve our performance as the tournament goes on." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) COACH TOGO, CLAUDE LE ROY SAYING: "Was I satisfied with our team's performance? Let's say yes. We had a very good plan and we played quality football, I take my hat off to my players. We worked hard before this game and during it. You can say what you want about my experience and the team's talent, but we qualified at the last minute, with a team that has not participated in a championship in three years, so we worked a lot. We nearly scored more goals but Ivory Coast defended very well. They have some seasoned players and coach." VARIOUS OF TOGO FAN WITH BODY PAINTED IN TEAM COLORS FANS ENTERING STADIUM MOROCCO TEAM COACH, HERVE RENARD WALKING IN AND TAKING SEAT (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOROCCO TEAM COACH, HERVE RENARD SAYING: "It was not an easy game but we didn't convert a lot of our opportunities but only one was needed for DRC to score. We were not efficient in the box offensively we had some chances and we didn't take them. It is very important to be efficient in football and we were not this evening." VARIOUS OF OYEM STADIUM VARIOUS OF UNFINISHED PARTS OF STADIUM / PEOPLE GOING UP STAIRS OFFICIALS AT TICKET GATE VARIOUS OF FANS QUEUING TO ENTER STADIUM FAN BLOWING TRUMPET
- Embargoed: 31st January 2017 10:16
- Keywords: Africa Cup of Nations CAN AFCON Ivory Coast Togo Morocco DRC Oyem Gabon
- Location: OYEM, GABON
- City: OYEM, GABON
- Country: Gabon
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZGYCLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The African Nations Cup produced a meagre total of one goal in two matches on Monday (January 16) as the pre-tournament favourites continued to struggle with holders Ivory Coast held by outsiders Togo.
The Elephants had to settle for a 0-0 draw in the opening match of a double bill played in stifling conditions at the Stade d'Oyem.
Togo, captained by clubless 32-year-old Emmanuel Adebayor, looked sharper in attack against the Ivorians.
But the game delivered just a handful of half chances, the best falling to the Ivorians two minutes from time as substitute Max Gradel's cross was headed narrowly wide by Serge Aurier.
"We have respect for every team we are confronted by. Togo is a very good team and has shown many qualities. They have mobility, they are very well organised, they have some great individual players and they have a seasoned coach, but we did not play at our greatest intensity. We as a team are aware of that and we are expecting to improve our performance as the tournament goes on," said Ivory Coast coach, Michel Dussuyer.
"Was I satisfied with our team's performance? Let's say yes. We had a very good plan and we played quality football, I take my hat off to my players. We worked hard before this game and during it. You can say what you want about my experience and the team's talent, but we qualified at the last minute, with a team that has not participated in a championship in three years, so we worked a lot. We nearly scored more goals but Ivory Coast defended very well. They have some seasoned players and coach," said Togo coach, Claude Le Roy.
In the second game, Morocco suffered a 1-0 defeat against Democratic Republic of Congo, who joined Senegal as the only team to have won a game.
DR Congo's Kazakhstan-based Junior Kabananga took advantage of poor Moroccan defending to score the day's only goal in the 55th minute of the second game.
DR Congo clung on after substitute Joyce Lomalisa was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 81st minute and their goalkeeper Ley Matampi made a superb point-black stop from Youssef El Arabi's header in the dying minutes.
Morocco's coach Herve Renard, the Frenchman who led the Ivorians to the title in 2015 expressed some disappointment with Monday's play.
"It was not an easy game but we didn't convert a lot of our opportunities but only one was needed for DRC to score. We were not efficient in the box offensively we had some chances and we didn't take them. It is very important to be efficient in football and we were not this evening," he told reporters.
Four of the first six matches at the tournament have been draws with Cameroon having previously been held by Burkina Faso, hosts Gabon by debutants Guinea Bissau and Algeria by Zimbabwe.
Egypt go against Mali in Group D on Tuesday as Uganda, who made their last appearance at the finals in 1978, meet Ghana in the day's other game.
Four-time champions Cameroon -face Guinea-Bissau in Group A on Wednesday. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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