Group B

Mali

Mali leaves Ghana with just a solitary goal to its name and a one-dimensional game plan that was well and truly exposed.

After struggling past Benin with the only goal a Frederic Kanoute penalty, Mali drew 0-0 with Nigeria and lost 2-0 to Ivory Coast.

Seydou Keita hitting the bar in the dying moments against Nigeria proved to be the difference between qualification and elimination for the Malians as they proved no match for Ivory Coast.

Kanoute was removed from the field injured at half-time of the final game, after the first half had been spent hitting ambitions long and through-balls in his direction.

While Keita tried valiantly the tournament was a complete write-off in an attacking sense for Mali.

The writing was on the wall in Cup of Nations qualifying last year, a 6-0 drubbing of Sierra Leone and 2-0 win over Togo in the final two games turning an uninspiring campaign into a successful one at the last minute.

Mali should progress to the final group stage of qualifying as it faces Mali, Sudan and Chad in its first group.

Given eight runners-up progress to the next round, big wins over the two minnow teams should ensure progression.

Finishing top of the group will hinge entirely on who prevails in the two matches against Sudan, starting in Khartoum on June 13 and then the home tie in Bamako on June 20.

But winning one of the final five groups looks a task well beyond Mali after it failed to score goals against two of the teams certain to be waiting in the final group stage.

Benin

Benin drew twice with Mali in Cup of Nations qualifying and blew its best chance of points in the opening game third time around.

With its front pairing of Razak Omotoyossi and Oumar Tchomogo looking decent but not overly threatening, the Beninians represented themselves well for a small team.

But defensive lapses against big boys Ivory Coast and Nigeria produced some unflattering scorelines, despite both games having long periods of holding out the opposition.

World Cup qualification prospects:

Benin will do well to be one of the eight best runners up (from 12 groups) that progresses to the final group stage as it faces Angola, Uganda and Niger up first.

Beating Uganda and Niger will be a difficult prospect, never mind running up the score, while Angola’s current form at the Cup of Nations suggests it is now on a tier well above the Squirrels.

It looks a difficult group for Benin and should they find a way through, they will be sitting ducks in the final group stage anyway.

Nigeria is through to the quarter-final of the African Cup of Nations after a 2-0 win over Benin in Sekondi tonight.

But the Super Eagles needed a favour from Ivory Coast to progress and the Elephants obliged beating Mali 3-0 in Accra.

Goals from John Obi Mikel and Aiyegbeni Yakubu in the second half opened Nigeria’s account at the tournament after going scoreless in the first two games.

While just a draw would have seen Mali through to the next stage, Didier Drogba’s early strike for the Ivory Coast gave his side an advantage it would not relinquish.

Drogba’s goal celebration after a cool finish in the ninth minute left the crowd in no doubt that the two had not agreed to play out a draw.

Mali’s avenue to goal was Frederic Kanoute, but its midfield peppered the Ivorian backline with harmless long-balls without ever threatening to score.

Kanoute was substituted at half time, coach Jean Jodar saying after the match his striker was injured.

In the second half centre-back Marc Zoro headed in a corner from Abdul Keita on 54 minutes to seal the win for the Ivory Coast.

Then in the 68th minute the game was made safe for the Elephants when Boubacar Sanogo finished from close range following up a parried shot from Yaya Toure.

With Kolo Toure injured centre-back pairing Marc Zoro and Didier Zokora dominated for Ivory Coast, while full-backs Emmanuel Eboue and Siaka Tiene barely raised a jog.

Ivory Coast will start hot favourite to defeat Guinea in its next match, while Nigeria meets host Ghana in the quarter-final.

Nigeria avoided elimination at the hands of Mali but its destiny is out of its control after a 0-0 draw in Sekondi tonight.

In a game that played out like a typical scoreless match, both sides were limited to half-chances save a brief spell in the late stages.

If Ivory Coast beats Mali in its final group game, Nigeria can still progress to the knockout stage of the tournament with a 2-0 win or better.

But having not scored in two games the writing is on the wall for the Super Eagles.

In the 79th minute the Nigerians thought they had finally broken the duck when Yakubu Aiyegbeni turned in a scrap from close range.

But the offisde flag was raised to deny Nigeria and Mali took the disallowed goal as a warning.

With a left-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area in the 82nd minute Seydou Keita had Austine Ejide beaten all ends up but hit the crossbar.

John Obi Mikel then flashed a shot of his own across the face of the Mali goal just a minute later.

In the last minute of stoppage time Fredi Kanoute scuffed a shot on the turn, typical of the night of half-chances the strikers were afforded.

Kanu remained on the bench for the full game for Nigeria with Ikechukwu Uche the preferred substition.

But no combinations are working for Nigeria at the minute, with fans and press alike believing the Super Eagles to be already eliminated from the tournament.

It was far from squirrel noise as Benin started night six of the African Cup of Nations with the loudest national anthem.

Almost like a trained choir, the strong Benin collection set themselves a standard that it couldn't quite match for the full 90 minutes of its 4-1 loss to the Ivory Coast.

Although its fans were split across three distinguishable groups, the Ivorians had a stronger and more consistent way of cheering on its team.

While one group of fans double-clicked like a heart beat, a thunder of drums came in from underneath.

With every attacking chance the heart-beat got faster, pounding excitedly every time the Elephants won a set piece.

While the Ivorian heartbeat continued deep into the second half, the squirrels went into hibernation.

They emerged upon the scoring of the game's only goal, but had been relatively quiet for the majority of the second half.

The Mali fans also had a similar approach to fan support as the Ivorians, but adopted a more driven beat.

Malian drums propelled its team forward, generating momentum rather than simply keeping a steady beat.

Nigeria on the other hand was far more instrumental.

Not just the air horns and one-tone trumpets coming from the Nigerian fans, but a full orchestra of harmonic noises urging on the Super Eagles.

Teo Pellizzeri, Takoradi-Sekodni Stadium