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Key occasions
43 minutes: The second penalty at Afcon not transformed in as many matches. It doesn’t bode properly for shootouts in a while within the event.
MISSED PENALTY
Toure sends it to the goalkeeper’s left however Mwanza produces a superb save.
40 minutes: PENALTY TO MALI! Unsurprisingly it’s a penalty. Unsure why this has taken so lengthy, although.
39 minutes: Nene beats Banda to the ball, ensuing within the defender finishing clearing out the Malian. The referee is off to the monitor …
38 minutes: Chaos within the Zambia field. M Banda and Nene are left on the deck after a deal with by the Zambian, which seems to be like a dreadful foul. Penalty?
36 minutes: Mali are having nearly all of possession right here however that won’t shock anybody. They simply must make it depend in some unspecified time in the future.
34 minutes: Sangare takes purpose from 20 yards however his shot goes properly extensive.
32 minutes: The pitch does appear to be catching out a number of of the gamers, leaving them unable to belief passes.
30 minutes: L Musonda is down after getting a knock within the face close to the byline. I’m not certain he’s badly harm.
Sinayoko tries to interrupt via the Zambia defence however an outstanding problem from B Sakala removes the hazard.
28 minutes: Daka outmuscles the defender contained in the field and appears like he’s about to select F Sakala for a straightforward end however Diaby will get in the best way to go clear.
26 minutes: L Banda will get into house down the precise and has choices within the field however Djigui Diarra reads the cross, permitting him to return and accumulate.
The sport is beginning to really feel very even after Mali’s early promise.
24 minutes: The assistant awards Mali a throw-in however Banda is fuming about it and will get in his face to remonstrate.
22 minutes: Daka tries to ship a via ball for F Sakala to chase however the pitch holds it up, permitting Mali to clear.
20 minutes: Trend Sakala tries to place Woyo Coulibaly underneath stress within the Mali field however the referee deems the Zambia ahead has crossed a line and whistles.
18 minutes: Mali have a nook on the precise. Zambia clear it and launch a counter assault down the precise. Mali regroup and get again, making certain the break involves nothing.
The pitch seems to be very inexperienced however the ball doesn’t appear to be working easily over it, making it onerous work for the gamers.
16 minutes: Sinayoko, who has appeared full of life on the precise wing, will get the ball on the sting of the field, spins and firing a low drive however the goalkeeper is the same as it.
14 minutes: A missplaced backpass forces Mwanza to maneuver rapidly to keep away from conceding a useless nook. Zambia are definitely the group making extra errors right here. Mali will odor blood.
12 minutes: Chanda tries to play a easy cross to somebody 5 yards away however performs it straight out of play. Zambia simply appear a little bit extra on edge than Mali right here. They should all settle into the fixture.
10 minutes: Zambia win a primary nook of their very own after Fofana stays sturdy towards Daka. It’s put right into a harmful space however the goalkeeper does properly to supply a robust punch.
8 minutes: Mali are wanting the livelier of the 2 groups. A couple of fast passes releases Dante down the left and he fires in a depraved cross however he solely earns a nook.
A wayward cross goes straight to Zambia goalkeeper Mwanza, who tries to take a contact nevertheless it’s an terrible one, costing his facet a nook. I believe he is perhaps nervous.
6 minutes: Mali get into the opposition field for the primary time, too, however scenario ends with a meek shot from Nene trickles extensive.
4 minutes: F Sakala nutmegs a defender and bursts into the field however is held up earlier than he can get his shot away. A promising second for Zambia.
2 minutes: The countdown to kick-off contained in the stadium is barely anti-climatic when there isn’t a one in attendance to shout the numbers.
Zambia are attempting to cross it round on the again however results in the goalkeeper nearly being hunted down earlier than getting his clearance away.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Right here we go!
The group is, at greatest, sparse.
And we are actually in Casablanca. A beautiful Monday afternoon for a little bit of soccer. Mali are in white and Zambia in a jazzier orange quantity.
The cellphone rings … Patricia is ready for the reply. And it’s a no.
She’s supplied £36k underneath asking value. Certainly she has no likelihood.
We’re the enterprise finish of A Place within the Solar on 4Seven earlier than the soccer begins. Will they make a proposal on a property? The strain is palpable!.
Take a look at your self!
If you’re seeking to watch this recreation within the UK, it is going to be proven on 4Seven, the protection begins at 1.55pm.
And right here’s a few cracking* interviews with some gamers out at Afcon.
First up, I went for a natter with a few Tanzania’s key males, who had been born in England.
And the great Luke Entwistle has gone for a natter with Monaco’s Lamine Camara.
*be your individual choose.
That is what occurred in yesterday’s opening fixture.
Tottenham’s Yves Bissouma is lacking for Mali, the nation he captains, having not recovered from ankle surgical procedure. The midfielder is but to play for his membership this season and has nearly definitely performed his closing recreation for Spurs. Mali head coach Tom Saintfiet is assured the 29-year-old shall be obtainable earlier than the event ends.
“Now we have assurances that Yves shall be prepared throughout the event,” Saintfiet stated. “When the matches get more durable, we’ll be glad to have him with us. We want a captain who’s current each mentally and bodily.”
This raised a number of eyebrows this week. Change is coming
Beginning lineups
Mali: Diarra; W.Coulibaly, Diaby, M.Fofana, Dante; Dieng, Sangaré; Okay.Doumbia, El Bilal Touré, Nene; Sinayoko
Subs: O Camara, Mamadou Camara, Mohamed Camara. L Coulibaly, G. Diakhate, G. Diarra, I Diawara, F Doucoure, Mahamadou Doumbia, Mamadou Doumbia, Gassama, Haidara, Samassa, Sissoko, Traore
Zambia: Mwanza; M.Banda, Chanda, L.Banda, F.Sakala; Chaiwa, Tembo, L.Musonda, B.Sakala; Kangwa, Daka
Subs: O Chisala, F Musonda, Chongo, Hamansenya, Lahne, Kalusa, Liteta, Manganji, Mulenga, Okay Musonda, Mwansa, Sabobo, Simukonda, W Chisala
Preamble
Zambia lifted the Afcon trophy again in 2012 however haven’t received a single match within the event since. They’ve drawn seven of their previous 9 group video games, failing to get to the knockout phases. Between 2017 and 2021, they didn’t even qualify for the event. They are going to be determined to get some factors on the board at present.
Mali, nevertheless, can have completely different concepts on the matter. The midfielder Amadou Haidara, of RB Leipzig, shall be vastly influential relating to their probabilities of success in Morocco, however he begins on the bench at present.
Kick-off: 2pm GMT.