NELSPRUIT, South Africa: Ethiopia, back at the Africa Cup of Nations after a three-decade absence, overcame a red card to hold champions Zambia to a 1-1 draw in an explosive Group C encounter yesterday.
Ethiopia, one of the founding fathers of African football who had fallen on hard times before enjoying a recent revival, had keeper Jemal Tassew sent off in the first half of a game that also featured a missed penalty and disgruntled vuvuzela-throwing fans.
China-based captain Christopher Katongo and Collins Mbesuma led the Zambian attack, with Salahdin Said the lone frontman for Ethiopia.
Zambia featured 10 of the XI that performed heroics in Gabon/Equatorial Guinea 12 months ago with Nyamba Mulenga the lone absentee.
The 40,000-seat Mbombela Stadium was only a quarter full, with barely a Zambian fan in the sparse albeit colorful crowd, but one that did turn up, a man, was in a bikini.
Against the run of play, Ethiopia almost pinched the lead when Said pounced on a poor clearance from defender Joseph Musonda and lobbed onrushing Kennedy Mweene only for the ball to bounce over the crossbar.
Said then won a 23rd-minute penalty when he was felled by Chisamba Lungu in the box but his spot-kick lacked steel and was kept out by Mweene with the disgusted striker burying his head in his hands.
At the other end, drama ensued after a high velocity clash between Lungu and Tassew, who rushed out from his goal, boots flying.
The Ethiopian keeper came off worse in the reckless assault, lying stricken on the ground for an age before being stretchered off — with Gabonese referee Castane Otogo waving him goodbye, a red card in his hand.
This incensed the Ethiopian fans, who pelted the pitch with vuvuzelas (plastic horns) and water bottles, ignoring the stadium announcer’s impassioned pleas to stop.
To add to the air of tension, a South African fighter jet chose that moment to scream low over the stadium, as Zerihun Tadele entered the fray to replace Tassew between the posts.
Zambia went in front in the third minute of stoppage time when Orlando Pirates striker Mbesuma ran on to Isaac Chansa’s headed pass to shoot left-footed past Tadele with the Ethiopian defense at fault.
This provoked another angry volley of vuvuzelas, cutting short the Zambian players’ celebrations and prompting the arrival on the touchline of riot police.
With their numerical advantage, Zambia emerged for the second half eager to put the game to bed.
But Ethiopia had other plans.
On 65 minutes, Addis Hintsa, seconds after coming on for Getaneh Kebede, picked out Said who, in turn, found Adane Girma with the captain slotting an angled close-range shot past Mweene to finally give Ethiopian fans something to smile about.
A frantic climax failed to change the deadlock, with Tadele producing a good save to deny a late shot from Mbesuma.
Mali wins
Seydou Keita’s perseverance brought Mali a 1-0 win over Niger on Sunday night when the skipper pounced on a late goalkeeper mistake to give his troubled West African nation the first victory of the tournament.
The Group B match was heading for the fourth straight draw of the African Cup before Keita poked home after Niger ‘keeper Kassaly Daouda spilled a cross in the midst of a bunch of players in the 84th minute.
After the game, Keita wore a white t-shirt with the words “Peace for Mali” spelled out in red letters in French when he received his man of the match award. The slogan was in reference to the ongoing conflict in his homeland.
Niger had been resilient at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, but Mali had earlier chances to win as Keita’s fierce drive in the 54th was just saved by Daouda and the skipper then hit the crossbar in the 77th with a left foot curler from near the edge of the area — this time with Niger’s goalkeeper beaten.
Between Keita’s chances, substitute Mahamadou Samassa broke open the Niger defense with his trickery and thudded a shot into the side netting. Mahamane Traore missed badly with a free header before Keita finally got his goal and the first triumph of the 2013 Cup of Nations for his country.
Mali’s hard fought and late win now puts it top of Group B after one of the pre-tournament favorites, Ghana, blew a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Congo in the first game in Port Elizabeth on Sunday. The countries meet next in a familiar rivalry having played each other twice at the 2012 African Cup — and with a place in the quarterfinals in 2013 in the balance.
“We all know that we have to make a fantastic game against Ghana,” Mali coach Patrice Carteron said. “If we can make it (win) we know we will be qualified. Mentally we have to be strong.” Keita’s left-foot shot from distance 10 minutes into the second half kicked off a period of prolonged pressure from the Malians, which finally paid off when Keita was perfectly placed to score from Daouda’s telling mistake.
The goalkeeper was on his knees with his head in his hands after the decisive error, but was backed afterward by his coach Gernot Rohr, and opposite coach Carteron.
Niger launched occasional counterattacks but tried to defend for much of the 90 minutes in the hope of gaining a point from its opening game. Forward Mohamed Soumalia had one of the few chances for Niger but couldn’t connect properly with a cross from the left just before Keita’s goal.
Rohr said saw enough spirit from his team to think it could still make the quarterfinals — despite being the only team so far to lose at the tournament.
“The players did their best,” he said. “When you have players with a fighting spirit and big hearts, you can be happy even when you lose.”
