Ivory Coast hits back to hold DR Congo; Senegal enters quarterfinal

Defending champions the Ivory Coast had to come from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo Friday in a lively Africa Cup of Nations clash.
The result in the northern Gabonese town of Oyem kept the vibrant Congolese top of Group C with four points from two matches followed by the Ivorians with two.
Togo have one point and Morocco are pointless.
Another defeat for Morocco, guided by twice Cup of Nations-winning coach Herve Renard, and they will be eliminated having gone down by a lone goal to DR Congo four days ago.
Neeskens Kebano and Junior Kabananga scored for the Congolese while Wilfried Bony and captain Geoffrey Serey Die got the Ivorian goals.
The fixture had a history of goals with four previous Cup of Nations meetings delivering 13, including four when the Ivory Coast won a semifinal 3-1 two years ago.
It was no surprise, then, that a lively first half in which both sides were committed to attack ended 2-1 in favor of the Congolese.
After only one goal in the opening two matches in Oyem, this was a welcome change for spectators seeking goalmouth excitement.
Kebano put twice champions DR Congo ahead on nine minutes with a sizzling shot across goalkeeper Sylvain Gbohouo into the far corner of the net.
The goal stemmed from a throw-in to Kabananga, who pushed it back to Kebano, whose first name stems from the respect his father had for former Dutch star Johan Neeskens.
DR Congo were looking sharper than the title-holders until recalled Bony began to make an impact from midway through the half with his aerial strength.
He nodded narrowly wide on 22 minutes and soon after equalized with a powerful glancing header past goalkeeper Ley Matampi following a corner.
The teams remained level for only three minutes, though, before Kabananga put the Congolese ahead again with his second goal of the tournament.
Unmarked at the far post, he soared to powerfully nod a cross past Gbohouo, who plays his club football in DR Congo with six-time African champions TP Mazembe.
Ivory Coast equalized again midway through the second half with a deflected shot from Serey Die leaving Matampi stranded.
Substitute Salomon Kalou thought he had snatched a stoppage-time winner for the Ivorians, but was correctly ruled offside.
Liverpool star Sadio Mane scored as Senegal defeated Zimbabwe 2-0 in Franceville Thursday night to become the first qualifiers for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals.
The Senegalese Teranga Lions burst out of the blocks in the southeastern Gabonese city to score twice within 13 minutes through Mane and Henri Saivet.
Senegal are assured of topping Group B, even if they lose their final match against struggling Algeria, and will tackle the Group A runners-up for a last-four place.
Tunisia look likeliest to join them in the knockout phase having recovered from a loss to Senegal four days ago to defeat Algeria 2-1 in the first half of a double-header.
When Senegal face Algeria in Franceville next Monday, Tunisia will meet Zimbabwe in the Gabonese capital, Libreville.
Senegal have six points from two matches, Tunisia three and Algeria and Zimbabwe one each going into the final round.
Teranga Lions coach Aliou Cisse made one change to the line-up that started a 2-0 first-round win over Tunisia, preferring Saivet to Pape Ndiaye in midfield.
It proved a masterstroke by the 2002 World Cup star as Saivet played a prominent role in the opening goal before doubling the lead himself.
Red lights were flashing for Zimbabwe almost from the kick-off with Senegal going close to scoring twice within six minutes.
They did surge into the lead on nine minutes as a superb Saivet pass set up Keita Balde to cross and unchallenged Mane tapped in at the far post.
When Onismor Bhasera fouled Balde soon after just outside the box, Saivet curled the free kick over the defensive wall and past goalkeeper Tatenda Mkuruva.
A rout was in prospect as Senegal toyed at times with Zimbabwe, effortlessly passing the ball among themselves as if at a training session.
But the West Africans did not increase their goal tally before half time and Zimbabwe had a chance to halve the deficit.
Khama Billiat, runner-up to Uganda goalkeeper Denis Onyango in the 2016 Africa-based Footballer of the Year poll, got past Kara Mbodj only to have a weak shot easily saved.
Rattled Zimbabwe opted for a more physical approach in the second half, introducing South Africa-based attackers Evans Rusike and Tendai Ndoro.
Mane had two chances in quick succession to double his goal tally on the night, but the first attempt was blocked by Mkuruva and the second headed away by Costa Nhamoinesu.
Today’s matches
Ghana vs. Mali (7:00 p.m. KSA)
Egypt vs. Uganda (10: 00 p.m. KSA)

Source: Arab News