Morocco opened up the difficult Group C on the road to Gambia. Bakau was the venue, and the host Scorpions were keen to please the many fans in attendance. Morocco had a legitimate shout for a penalty waved away early in the match. After a quarter hour had passed, Gambian midfielder Demba Savage put in a nice cross to defender Abdou Jammeh, who coolly volleyed the ball into the net to give the upstart Scorpions an unexpected 1-0 on Morocco.
Morocco were gaining traction in the game during the second period, but their equalizer came out of an innocuous situation. A hopeful driven cross was flicked on by a Gambian defender, and after one Gambia and one Morocco player both whiffed at the ball, it landed at the far post for Houssine Kharja to tap home. Kharja was probably as surprised as everyone else that the ball got through to him, but the score was 1-1. One minute later, Morocco goalkeeper Nadir Lamyaghri made one of the most ridiculous double saves ever. The initial save off a header from a good Savage cross fell to Pa Modou Jagne, whose volley from three yards Lamyaghri saved with an impressive reflex save.
African favorites and 2012 Nations Cup runners-up Cote d'Ivoire began their search for a third consecutive FIFA World Cup qualification today at home to Tanzania in Abidjan. High pressure on the Tanzania backline led to a turnover in the penalty area, and Salomon Kalou finished to give Les Elephants a 1-0 lead at home. Cote d'Ivoire took that 1-0 lead into the second period.
The match was not the most exciting, but a second yellow card was shown to Tanzania's Aggrey Morris in minute 70. With the man advantage, second-half substitute Kader Keita injected some life into the affair. His cross with a quarter hour to go was headed home by Didier Drogba (pictured, orange), giving Les Elephants a 2-0 lead. That would be the final score as well, putting Cote d'Ivoire on top of Group C after Matchday One.
Goals
Gambia
Abdou Jammeh 16
Morocco
Houssine Kharja 76
Cote d'Ivoire
Salomon Kalou 18
Didier Drogba 76
Match Reports:
Highlights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDHokNRuvv0&feature=related (Gambia v. Morocco)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUZuzr56YNE (Cote d'Ivoire v. Tanzania)
Full Match Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raakE9Ok_jg&feature=related (1st half - Gambia v. Morocco)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInU_v_kQW4&feature=related (2nd half - Gambia v. Morocco)
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