2023 Africa Cup of Nations: 5 things we learned on Day 5 - the heat is on

With a couple of crunch games on the way, some of the coaches were coming over all metaphysical. Hardly surprising really, another poor result could signify the end.

Ghana's players go through their paces to prepare for their Group B game against Egypt in Abidjan; AFP - FRANCK FIFE

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There's been lots of talk about big teams such as Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana not achieving the expected results. Morocco showed the lacklustres how to go about things. Morocco came into the tournament with a price on their head due to their exploits at the World Cup in Qatar two years ago where they became the first team from Africa to reach a World Cup semi-final. In their first game in Group F, Morocco disposed of Tanzania 3-0. Romain Saiss hit the opener in the 30th minute and after Tanzania were reduced to 10 men with the expulsion of Novatus Miroshi, Azzedine Ounahi and Youssef En-Nesyri scored. Very slick and professional.

Cheeky chappy

Under a barrage of critical questions from journalists who seemed to have been sold shares in the Nigeria football disappointment complex, the nominal head of the ailing industry, Jose Peseiro, was striding magnificently into effete stubborness. "We believe in our way and our style," he informed the bristling horde of heretics. "We believe." Here was peerless hubris. Mid January vaudeville for the neutral. It was 30 degrees celsius outside and a thousand degrees hotter inside the auditorium at the Palais de la Culture with Poseiro stoking his stalkers. "We need to enjoy the game against Cote d'Ivoire," he deadpanned. "Because that's our style. We don't follow the others." Glorious recalcitrance. A loss to the hosts on Day 6 at the Alassane Outtara Stadium could well lead to Peseiro finding brotherhood with other Nigeria football federation sacrifices. The Portuguese hinted he had been thinking of other supreme beings. "God gives and God takes," he proffered as manna to the wailers and teeth-gnashers ahead of the crunch Group A game. "Maybe it's the time for God to give us something ..." Taking the Peseiro?

Happy clappy

Rui Vitoria, the coach of Egypt, finds himself in a similarly precarious position to his compatriot Jose Peseiro. In their opening game in Group B, his side needed a late penalty from Mo Salah to rescue a 2-2 draw with Mozambique, a side ranked 78 places below them in the world football food chain. Egypt will play Ghana on Day 6 - no not led by a Portuguese. Urged to reassess the unhappy outing on Day 2, Vitoria was, by contrast, to Peseiro rather MBA management zone. "The problem isn't the problem," he dry-cleaned. "It's the reaction to the problem." There's no possibility of revolt against this polo shirt and chinos behavioural logic. And it's coming in a language that is not his mother tongue. "You have to clear out what we did because we cannot recover the points," he added. "Now we have to go and get the points." Hurrah! Viva Vitoria.

Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me

Well, what a carry-on. A couple of hours after the furious Nigerian reporters had left, in came the grim-faced Ghanaian press pack to vent and rant at head coach Chris Hughton for the 2-1 opening day loss to Cape Verde. Bellicose question followed scathing critique but there was an eerie still after one comment from a reporter. "What did you say?" asked the press conference co-ordinator. "Did you say: 'Congratulations for the loss?'" "No, no," replied the journalist. "I said commiserations for the loss." The review was sitting a few rows behind the journalist and we thought he said: "Congratulations." And quite honestly it's an odd one to misconstrue. They are very different sounds. Maybe he meant to say "commiserations" but "congratulations" slipped out Freudian style. Anyway with the limits reestablished preventing such flagrant rudeness, the barbs and jibes could reprise. Ah, the joys of decorum.

Soft spot

Was talking of soft spots on Day 4, we still have one for Zambia's cup-winning side from 2012. Cote d'Ivoire isn't probably the place to parade this affection openly because the Zambians under Hervé Renard upset the form book that night in Libreville with an otherworldy victory over a star-packed Cote D'Ivoire team boasting Didier Drogba in his pomp. The latest crop from Zambia began their Group F campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of Congo.