AFCON 2015: Key Lessons from Matchday One in Group D

 CAN 2015 – Group D: Favorites Under Pressure After Matchday 1

Group D is already proving to be the most unpredictable and balanced of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations. After the opening round of matches, all four teams—Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, and Cameroon—are level with 1 point each, following two identical 1-1 draws.

🟥 Ivory Coast 1–1 Guinea: Gervinho Sees Red

• Goal scorers:

  • Guinea: Mohamed Yattara (36’)

  • Ivory Coast: Seydou Doumbia (72’)

• Red card: Gervinho (Ivory Coast, 58’) – slapped an opponent and received a straight red.

Key takeaways:

• The Elephants were surprised by Guinea’s intensity, especially through Ibrahima Traoré, nicknamed “Messi” for his small stature and technical flair.

• Gervinho’s dismissal left Renard’s side with 10 men for over 30 minutes, yet they managed to salvage a point.

• Ivory Coast, tipped among the title favorites, struggled to dominate and looked vulnerable.

🦅 Mali 1–1 Cameroon: Indomitable Lions Rescue a Point

• Goal scorers:

  • Mali: Sambou Yatabaré (71’)

  • Cameroon: Ambroise Oyongo (82’)

Highlights:

• Mali, well-organized and motivated, took the lead and almost added a second, which was ruled offside.

• Cameroon showed character to come back but looked shaky at times, especially in defense.

• Coach Volker Finke admitted that a “concentration error” cost his team the opening goal.

🎖️ Record Breaker:

• Seydou Keita (Mali) reached a historic milestone, becoming the first player to reach 100 AFCON appearances during his 7th participation in the tournament.

🔄 Group D – Matchday 1 Standings:

🔍 Summary:

Group D is wide open. The so-called giants—Ivory Coast and Cameroon—have not imposed themselves, while Guinea and Mali have shown they are not to be underestimated. With everything still to play for, the second round of fixtures promises drama, intensity, and perhaps, more surprises.