How good was that? When you're feeling a bit weary after 36 visits to the loo in three days, three car breakdowns, a mate having his passport nicked, two major hotel rip-offs and sundry other grief, you need a bit of a lift.
Egypt 4-2 Cameroon provided it, and although we are only three days in, I'll be very surprised if there is a better game in the remainder of this tournament.
Just to add to the mood, the Kumasi police band have just struck up the national anthems for the next game, and Zambia's is my all-time favourite, their own version of the one better known as South Africa's 'Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika'. Apparently Zambia got there first and Zimbabwe and maybe Tanzania have it, too. Is there a better one in the world?
This is my seventh Cup of Nations and I have never seen a better 45 minutes than Egypt's first-half display. They were brilliantly fluid, tackled hard - which doesn't always happen against a team personified by Rigobert Song - defended expertly, passed well, and totally outplayed Cameroon. They were not flattered by their three-goal lead. (Interruption: Zambia have just scored. That was quick. It's raining goals in Kumasi).
The headline writers will understandably home in on Egypt's number nine because he scored twice and his name is Zidan. He was the official man of the match and it's easy to see why, given the way he recovered from a dreadful miss in the second minute to score two stunning goals. But I'd have given it to Egypt's other two-goal man, their skipper Hosni.
Samuel Eto'o made his contribution with yet another double but he knew his team were well beaten and it was good to see him make the effort to congratulate all his opponents afterwards, especially central defenders Hany Said, who looked very useful, and Wael Gomaa, who played the pass of the match, a 50-yard cross-fielder in the first half.
Eto'o's last few moments of action in the first half summed up Cameroon's day. They went like this:
30 mins: The Barcelona superstar controls the ball 35 yards out, weighs up his options, heads for goal and is easily dispossessed by Gomaa; 33 mins: he has a chance to break clear out on the right, but Hany Said has his measure and Eto'o has to foul his way past - free kick to Egypt; 41mins: frustrated at yet another Cameroon cross flying wildly beyond the target area, Eto'o runs behind the goal, picks the ball up and makes a point of planting it down for the goal kick, as if to say 'No time-wasting', thereby getting his excuses in early. Egypt respond with a third goal.
When Eto'o scored with his first touch of the second half it might have changed. The crowd - in great voice all evening, and featuring the busiest drummers at the tournament so far - willed Cameroon to get back into it but Egypt, who were supposed to be terminally weakened by the absence of poster boys Mido and Ahmed Hasan, were too good. Very, very good.
I'd like to say a bit more but the toilet beckons. Oh well, goals, music... you can't have everything.
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