Day 2 was the first full day of matches. In each and every one of them, football was the winner. And we mean that most sincerely, folks.
It ain't half hot, mum
The 2pm kick-off between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea at least had a break 25 or so minutes in for the poor lambs to have a bit of water in the draining humidity. And to think that if the Europe-based players were back with their clubs they'd be turning out in icier conditions. The heat clearly hampered Nigerian marksmanship. They seemed incapable of hitting the target. "No player missed one goal because he wants to miss the goal," said Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro after the 1-1 draw. You want to score but in the pitch it's is worse or is difficult." He was being serious. But why are we in this realm where the coach has to verify that his players aren't wilfully trying to place the ball anywhere but the goal? Especially when the rewards for sticking it in the back of the net are prodigious. Heat's definitely fried some brain cells.
Long think
Though with the dwindling mass of competent cells remaining in the review's head, we've been thinking about a team dedicated to not scoring. Stay with me here ... how frustrating would they be to play against? How galling would it beif they kept hold of possession and stopped your team from scoring? How would you respond to players for whom 0 was a result? Never considered that possibility. See what a long walk in the beating sunshine to the Alassane Outtara Stadium to watch abject finishing can do?
Long walk
Impressive though the Alassane Outtara Stadium is, its situation isn't that brilliant. It's in the middle of nowhere and not a tram stop to be seen. Shame. Though on the eco friendly front, the bus shuttles stop a good 15-minute trek from the arena. And in the early afternoon heat. That's a tough ask for the non VIPs who can't be chauffered into the venue. Do the designers ever talk to the fans?
5pm
Mozambique's coach Chiquinho Conde said he and his players were sad they could not hold on for a famous victory against the 2019 beaten finalists Egypt. Mo Salah scored a stoppage time penalty to make it two apiece at the Felix houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. With the skipper saving his side's blushes, the Egypt boss Rui Vitoria was quite dry after the game - the heat perhaps? "We are still in the race to qualify, the Portuguese told the broadcaster beIN Sports. "Nothing is lost,"
8pm
It's rather refreshing having the Rui and Jose show in town. Wry and deadpan are just the tickets amid the hysteria that can descend so swiftly at a Cup of Nations. On that note we should spare a thought for the Ghana manager Chris Hughton. His boys lost 2-1 to Cape Verde in the 8pm match. Their demise came dramatically in second-half stoppage-time. It followed a nightmarish collision of two defenders with the goalkeeper Richard Ofori and the ball rolled gruesomely kindly to the unmarked Garry Rodrigues who controlled it and tapped it into a net whose usual guards where a twisted, quivering clump of limbs on the edge of the six-yard box. Rodrigues, chased by his teammates, ripped off his shirt and ran to celebrate with supporters in the stands. Heat of the moment stuff.
