Africa Cup of Nations -

Article published the Friday 27 January 2012 - Latest update : Friday 27 January 2012

CAN - Côte d'Ivoire don't disappoint, Sudan surprises

Bakary Kone (L) of Burkina Faso fights for the ball with Gervinho of Côte d'Ivoire

Reuters/Luc Gnago

By Paul Myers

The second round of games in Group B at CAN showed Côte d'Ivoire live up to their reputation but Gervinho could do better. Plus what have Sudan got in common with London's public transport? And what does Schadenfreude mean in Oshiwambo?

Côte D’Ivoire were the first of the “big teams” to play with an assurance befitting their billing in the 2-0 defeat of Burkina Faso. Saloman Kalou who scored his first goal of the competition before going off injured looks a half decent player when he turns out for his country. Must be something about west London that makes the Ivorian perform so abjectly for Chelsea.
Côte D’Ivoire’s Gervinho needs to stop missing sitters and become a better marksman to fulfil his potential as a great player for club and country.

Dossier: Africa Cup of Nations 2012
Goals for Sudan at the Africa Cup of Nations are like London buses. None come for 36 years and then two turn up within 90 minutes.
There’ll be Schadenfreude in Namibia after the elimination of Burkina Faso from Group B. The Namibians claimed Burkina Faso fielded an ineligible player during their Africa Cup of Nations qualification games but the Court of Arbitration for Sport rejected the Namibians’ appeal for Burkina Faso to be thrown out of the competition.