CAN - It's not over 'til it's over

Five things we learned about the second round of games in Group C.

Reuters/Thomas Mukoya

• There’s no point in creating lots of chances, it’s goals that win games. Niger carved open Tunisia time after time but the side netting or just past the post ultimately mean nothing if the besieged opponents hit the target for the winner in stoppage time.

• Tunisia have the luck of champions. They clung on for a 2-1 win over Morocco in their opening game and they were on the ropes against Niger before landing a sucker punch on Niger for another 2-1 victory.

• Daniel Cousin is a 34 year old lumbering block of a striker. But he is a Gabonese legend. He came off the bench and brought belief to his team mates as they chased the game against Morocco. His aerial prowess unnerved the Moroccan defence for Gabon's equaliser and his girth must have mesmerised the Moroccan keeper as he did an oil tanker of a turn on a sixpence to poke in the goal for 2-1. He was still barrelling around the box as the co-hosts hunted victory in stoppage time.
  

• When it’s not your moment, it is just really not your moment. Senegal equalised in the 88th minute against Equatorial Guinea on Thursday night and rather than shutting-up shop for the draw that would have kept them in the tournament, they went for the win and David Alvarez Aguirre’s right foot pile driver won it for the co-hosts.

• When it is your moment, it just really is your moment. Gabon trailed Morocco for more than half their match, scored twice in less than three minutes to lead and then conceded as the clock hit 90 minutes. Rather than shutting-up shop for the draw that would have put them in a strong position to make the last eight, they went for the win and Bruno Mbanangoye’s Roy-of-the-Rovers free kick nicked it for the co-hosts.