Full-time: DR Congo 1-3 Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast sweep into the final with an impressive victory over a valiant DR Congo side. Their attacking power proved too much for the underdogs. Now only Ghana, Equatorial Guinea or themselves can stop them.
90+1 min: Ivory Coast substitution: Bony off after a fine performance even if he wasn’t used involved as much as he could have been if Ivory Coast served him better; replaced by Traoré.
90 min: So unless Equatorial Guinean can pull off a major shock in the other semi-final, only Ghana and Avram Grant will stand between Ivory Coast and their second ever Africa Cup of Nations crown. The first was back in 1992 , when, funnily enough, their opponents were Ghana. It took a marathon penalty shootout to separate the teams, Ivory Coast eventually prevailing 11-10.
88 min: Oh Gervinho! He should have made it 4-1 but failed to lift his shot over the advancing Kidiaba as Ivory Coast threatened to score again.
86 min: Ivory Coast finishing on the up. Kanon bails forward to join in the attacks and it takes a last-gasp tackle to put him off as he tries to fire in a shot from 12 yards.
83 min: Aurier gives a reminder that for all their attacking power, Ivory Coast are still jittery at the back. The full-back lost concentration and attempted an ill-advised back-header and was fortunate that his goalkeeper rushed off the line to prevent Congo from getting back into this game.
81 min: DR Congo forece a series of corners but the closest they come to getting a goal from any of them is when the third is headed to the edge of the area and Kasusula lashed it over the bar.
79 min: DR Congo substitution: Makidai off; Mubele on. Mubele, who plays for TP Mazembe, was recently voted the best player playing for an African club.
Updated
77 min: Congolese attacks are becoming rare. But they worked the ball to Bokila just now and he tried to curl it into the top corner from 25 yards. It wasn’t a terrible effort but it wasn’t good enough to force the keeper into action.
76 min: Aurier has been brilliant going forward tonight. constantly tormenting DR Congo down the right. But he’s just come off second best in an exhilarating battle with Bolaise, who tracked and jostled with him for a good 20 yards before dispossessing him in the Congolese box.
74 min: Kebano delivers a nice cross from the right. Gbohouo punches rather than catches it but it works out fine.
71 min: Bolasie carries the ball forward again, sending tremors through the Ivorian defence. He then dinks a nice ball over the top for Kabananga, who hurls himself at it and tires to divert it into the net ... with his hand. Yellow card for the chancer.
70 min: Die booked for barging into Bolasie.
GOAL! DR Congo 1-3 Ivory Coast (Kanon 68)
Surely now the Elephants are marching to the final! Yaya deliverd an outswining corner, Aurier met it with a powerful header. Kidiaba made an excellent reflex save but Kanon showed equally good reflexes - and admirable dexterity - to swipe the rebound into the with his upper leg from five yards!
Updated
67 min: Yaya curls a delicious pass behind the fullback for Gervinho to chase. Zakuani makes a brilliant tackle to put the ball out for a corner.
66 min: Aurier embarks on another raid down the right - and then howls for a penalty when his cross hits the arm of a defender. The ref sensibly waves play on. Moments later the official issues a yellow card to Kasusula for a shuddering tackle on Bony.
63 min: According to the commentators on ITV4, Bolasie has CR7 sewn into his boots. Somehow I find that more endearing that having his own name on them, as it shows he has humility and aspiration. I wonder if Cristiano Ronaldo has Yannick Bolasie’s name on any of his kit?
61 min: Ivory coast substitution: Gradel, who has also had a decent game, is replaced by Salomon Kalou.
60 min: DR Congo substitution: Mbokani, who was having a decent game, lopes off to be replaced by Kabananga.
59 min: Yaya stomps past Makiadi and into the box. Bony is baying for a cross in the middle but his Manchester City elects to shoot from an acute angle. Kidiaba bats it away.
58 min: Ivory Coast are generally managing the game well now. They’re keeping DR Congo at arm’s length and threatening to tear them apart on the counter. Gervinho has been a trifle erratic in the last few minutes, spurning chances to set up a killer third goal.
55 min: Yaya fires just wide after another powerful break by Aurier. Meanwhile, Renard stuns the fashion world by putting on a dark jacket over his trademark white shirt.
53 min: Bolasie ... boom! The Crystal Palace winger is growing in influence and has just come close to a superb goal. He received the ball wide on the left and then danced past four players before unleashing a fierce low shot from near the penalty spot. Gbohouo saved with his legs but was then fortunate to be given a freekick by the ref after Mbokani outjumped him as he tried to head the rebound into the net.
51 min: Gervinho catches Mabwati dawdling on the flank and dispossesses him before scampering into the box. He takes too long to deliver his cross and allows a defender to backtrack and put the ball behind for a corner, which the Leopards clear well.
49 min: Aurier hurtles down the right and tries to clip a cross towards the back post but slightly overhits it.
47 min: Bolasie spanks the ball goalwards from the corner of the box. He caught it beautifully and Gbohouo made a difficult save.
46 min: DR Congo get the second half going and immediately show their attacking intentions as Bolasie romps down the left and feeds a nice ball into Mbokani. THe striker attempts to return it to him but it’s intercepted.
Half-time: DR Congo 1-2 Ivory Coast
That, as expected, was a rollicking half. Ivory Coast have the lead thanks to two sumptuous goals and they could have had a couple more even though they have at times lacked fluency. But DR Congo are vibrant going forward and are still well in the game. The next goal could be crucial. More goals ahoy!
45 min: Lovely move by Ivory Coast in which Bony is again to the fore: when he has got the ball he has demonstrated what a supreme linkman he is. Having already teed up two goals for his team, he tries to set up Gervinho for another, but the Roma man dithered as he bore down on the goalkeeper, allowing a defender to make a decisive sliding tackle.
43 min: Issama is punished for pulling back Gradel, giving Ivory Coast a freekick wide on the left and a chance to send in a cross that could lead to a third goal before the break, which would leave DR Congo with Kilamanjaro to climb. But they defend the freekick well.
GOAL! DR Congo 1-2 Ivory Coast (Gervinho 42)
It’s a marvellous finish from Gervinho, who had a header cleared off the line, via the crossbar, moments previously. This time, as the Congolese defence disintegrated, he ran on to a perfectly measured pass from Bony and curled the ball into the far corner from 16 yards!
Updated
39 min: Woeful play from Gradel brings a promising Ivorian attack to an end,. DR Congo race forward and serve Bokila, who tries to skip past Bailly and give himself a free shot at goal from 16 yards. But Bailly atones for his goofing earlier in the half but performing a saving tackle.
37 min: Bolaise skedaddles into the box and pulls a fine low cross back to Mbokani, who runs on to it and looks well set to thunder the ball into the net from 16 yards .... but he scuffs his shot badly and ends up lucky to even get a corner, as it deflects of Bailly. What a wonderful chance that was for the Leopards to seize the lead.
34 min: Breathe easy, Elephant fans: it seems Gbohouo is fit enough to continue. And Bony is too despite being shunted to the ground by Mbemba. No booking, but Yaya feels like administering some punishment himself: but he drills the freekicks wide from 30 yards.
32 min: There is a break in play as Gbohouo receives treatment for injury. The sight of Boubacar Barry warming up is sure to set fans of the Elephants trembling ...
29 min: Yaya is getting frustrated, as well he might after seeing his team concede a silly goal so soon after his beauty. But waving your arms in the ref’s face and demanding freekicks isn’t going to help anyone. In fact, as he has just found out, it’s just going to earn you a yellow card/
27 min: Ivory Coast are still looking ponderous. They are not working the ball to Bony often enough. He set up their goal from basically the only time he has got the ball in a dangerous position.
25 min: DR Congo continue to put that dodgy Ivorian defence under pressure, and Kanon picks up a yellow card for throwing his arm into Mbokani’s face as the pair challenged for a high ball. There are going to be more goals in this game, you can be sure of that.
GOAL! DR Congo 1-1 Ivory Coast (Mbokani 22')
Mbokani slides a perfect low penalty into the bottom corner, past the fingertips of Gbohuou.
Updated
PENALTY! What a chance this is for DR Congo to equalise! Bailly, who has looked wobbly all game, handles the ball from an innocuous cross!
Updated
GOAL! DR Congo 0-1 Ivory Coast (Yaya Touré 20)
Bang! You could say he’s hit form at the just the right time: he certainly hit that ball in just the right way, smashing it on the bounce into the net from 20 yards after it had run away from Bony. There aren’t many players in the world who could have done that.
Updated
17 min: As the Elephants work up a head of steam, Gervinho tries to twinkle his way into the box but confuses himself and is fortunate to win a corner. Congo clear well again.
15 min: Yaya swings in the freekick from the right. IT’s headed clear at the edge of the six-yard box but Die retrieves it and has a wallop from 25 yards. It swerves way wide.
14 min: Ivory Coast threaten to mount an attack for almost the first time in the game, and Aurier wins a freekick in a useful crossing position on the right.
11 min: DR Congo are bossing it so far and continually stretching Ivory COast’s five-man backline. Like bread in a toaster lab, Makiadi is popping up all over the place. Mbokani has just won Congo’s second corner with a 20-yard shot that deflected wide.
Updated
9 min: Yaya, who has not featured much so far and not had an especially good tournament, slides the ball out wide to Gervinho, who attempts a couple of tricks that don’t fool Issama.
7 min: The Leopards have made by far the faster start, as you might expect if you were basing your analysis solely on these teams’ nicknames. They’re showing typical eagerness to attack and are starting to create small openings.
5 min: Congo send a looping cross into the box from the right. Bailly completely mis-times his jump and Bokila to take it down on his chest and fire at goal from 10 yards. The keeper parries and is then grateful that the rebound from Mbokani high into the night sky.
2 min: Makiadi idoes what he does best, collecting the ball around half-way and then shuffling forward at tremendous speed, leaving a couple of opponents in his wake. Kanon comes across to challenge him as he enters the box and Makiadi goes down, but the ref says foul play is not suspected.
1 min: We have kick-off. And within 20 seconds Congo have a freekick as Die clobbers Makiadi from behind.
Some vendors near the stadium in Bata appear to have done a roaring trade in souvenirs for the visiting throngs. So remember folks, never throw out large inflatable orange hands or you’ll miss a neat money-making opportunity if the Ivory Coast ever come to play in your town.
The teams are on the pitch, listening to their national anthems for inspiration. The Congolese are clad in cloudy white with sky blue trims, while the Ivorians are kitted out in their familiar orange.
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the first semi-final of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations – if it is anywhere near as action-packed as the last meeting between these countries, then we are in for a mighty lulu of a match.
That meeting, you may recall, was in the qualifying group stages for this very tournament and DR Congo inflicted Ivory Coast’s first home defeat in nine years as they stormed to a swashbuckling 4-3 victory. Excitingly, the Leopards have shown signs of hitting that sort of form again, as they recovered from two goals down to their Brazzaville neighbours to win their quarter-final 4-2. The Ivorians, meanwhile, have tightened up their defence markedly since their embarrassment in Abidjan and looked pretty menacing themselves when ejecting Algeria in the quarter-final. What is more, Hervé Renard seems to have fostered unprecedentedly good vibes in the Elephants’ camp. This, then, is a showdown between two countries with a feelgood factor and formidable firepower. In fact, if the match does not end 4-2 to Ivory Coast, I’ll give you your money back.
Teams:
DR Congo: Kidiaba; Mbema, Kimwaki, Zakuani, Issama, Kasusula, Makiadi, Mabwati, Bolasie, Bokila, Mbokani
Subs: Kudimbana, Oualembo, Munganga, Mulumbu, Kage, Kebano, Mabela, Kabananga. Mongongu, Mabidi Mubele, Mandanda
Ivory Coast: Gbohuou; Aurier, K TOure, Bailly, Kanon, Tiene, Die, Y Toure, Gradel, Gervinho, Bony
Subs: Barry, Viera, Roger, Doukoure, Doumbia, Kalou, Tallo, Akpa, Akpro, Diomande, Traore, Mande
Updated
