Afcon Cup 2013

8 games of the Afcon Cup 2013 are being played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

The 2013 Africa Cup of Nations hosted in South Africa will be the 29th Africa Cup of Nations, the football championship of Africa organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil as the representative from CAF.

A total of 32 games will be played between 19 January and 9 February 2013 at venues across South Africa – Soccer City in Johannesburg will host the opening match and the final on 10 February 2013 at 20:00. The other venues are; Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit, Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth, Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg and the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Afcon Cup Port Elizabeth Match Schedule (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium):

 * 20 January 2013 @ 17:00 – Ghana vs Congo DR
 * 20 January 2013 @ 20:00 – Mali vs Niger
 * 24 January 2013 @ 17:00 – Ghana vs Mali
 * 24 January 2013 @ 20:00 – Niger vs Congo DR
 * 27 January 2013 @ 19:00 – Cape Verde vs Angola
 * 28 January 2013 @ 19:00 – Niger vs Ghana
 * 2 February 2013 @ 17:00 – Quarterfinals, Winner Group B vs Runner-up Group A
 * 9 February 2013 @ 20:00 – Third place play-off, Loser Match 29 vs Loser Match 30

The 16 participating teams are divided into four groups of 4 teams each:


 * Group A – South Africa, Angola, Morocco and Cape Verde
 * Group B - Ghana, Mali, Niger and Congo DR (All these teams will be based in Port Elizabeth)
 * Group C – Zambia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia
 * Group D – Côte d’Ivoire, Tunisia, Algeria and Togo

19 January 2013

 * 1. Johannesburg, South Africa vs Cape Verde: 0-0
 * 2. Johannesburg, Morocco vs Angola: 0-0

20 January 2013

 * 3. Port Elizabeth, Congo DR vs Ghana: 2-2
 * 4. Port Elizabeth, Mali vs Niger: 1-0

21 January 2013

 * 5. Mbombela, Zambia vs Ethiopia: 1-1
 * 6. Mbombela, Nigeria vs Burkina Faso: 1-1

22 January 2013

 * 7. Rustenburg, Cote d'Ivoire vs Togo: 2-1
 * 8. Rustenburg, Tunisia vs Algeria: 1-0

23 January 2013

 * 9. Durban, South Africa vs Angola: 2-0
 * 10. Durban, Morocco vs Cape verde: 1-1

24 January 2013

 * 11. Port Elizabeth, Ghana vs Mali: 1-0
 * 12. Port Elizabeth, Niger vs DR Congo: 0-0

25 January 2013

 * 13. Mbombela, Zambia vs Nigeria: 1-1
 * 14. Mbombela, Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia: 4-0

26 January 2013

 * 15. Rustenburg, Cote d'Ivoire vs Tunisia: 3-0
 * 16. Rustenburg, Togo vs Algeria: 2-0

27 January 2013

 * 18. Durban, Morocco vs South Africa: 2-2
 * 19. Port Elizabeth, Cape Verde vs Angola: 2-1

28 January 2013

 * 19. Port Elizabeth, Niger vs Ghana: 0-3
 * 20. Durban, DR Congo vs Mali: 1-1

29 January 2013

 * 21. Mbombela, Burkina Faso vs Zambia: 0-0
 * 22. Rustenburg, Nigeria vs Ethiopia: 2-0

30 January 2013

 * 23. Rustenberg, Algeria vs Ivory Coast: 2-2
 * 24. Mbombela, Togo vs Tunisia: 1-1

2 February 2013

 * 25. Durban, Mali vs South Africa: 3-1
 * 26. Port Elizabeth, Ghana vs Cape Verde: 2-0

3 February 2013

 * 27. Mbombela, Burkina Faso vs Togo: 1-0
 * 28. Rustenburg, Nigeria vs Cote d'Ivoire: 2-1

6 February 2013

 * 29. Durban, Nigeria vs Mali: 4-1
 * 30. Mbombela, Burkina Faso vs Ghana: 1-1 (3-2)

9 February

 * 31. Port Elizabeth, Mali vs Ghana: 3-1

10 February

 * 32. Johannesburgh, Nigeria vs Burkina Faso: 1-0

Nigeria first won the Afcon title in 1980 and again in 1994 with a team captained by their current head coach, Stephen Keshi. They finished in third place in the 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010 Afcon tournaments.

Comments

 * "Some of the players seemed to freeze when the whistle blew and lost their nerve. Perhaps for some of them the occasion was a bit too big.” – South Africa’s coach Gordon Igesund.
 * "The result will make Cape Verde's 500,000 people happy. Today, I can hold my head up high." - Cape Verde coach Luico Antunes.
 * "We were not up against a phantom side - they have got strong strikers and woke up in the second half." - Morocco coach Rachid Taoussi.
 * "Before the tournament, we were the [second] weakest team in the group, according to Fifa's rankings. Now we've all come away with 0-0 draws and we [have] the same chances as before." - Angola coach Gustavo Ferrin.
 * "I even used to be Ghana on Fifa and other computer games but now I can pick myself in the team. It's unbelievable." Ghana winger, Albert Adomah
 * Paul Put, Burkina Faso coach; "My players have done well tonight and l thought we played a good game. After this game and the way we played l think the opportunity for us to qualify to the next round is still open"
 * Dagano Moumouni, Burkina Faso captain; "It was a hard game against Nigeria as we expected but to get a draw is good for us. We know that as a team we can play even better, so we are going to work hard for the next games."
 * Stephen Keshi, Nigerian coach; "We are going to let anything bring us down after this result. The only thing we have to do is to work even harder as a team and we will win. Victor Moses had a little niggling problem and was not physically fit for this game and when he is fully fit for the next game he will play."
 * Joseph Yobo, Nigerian captain; "We played a good game and had controlled it well for the greater part of it but that’s football for you. We were supposed to get all three points so credit to Burkina Faso they found the equalizer. As far as the result is concerned it wasn’t the best start for us. We were supposed to win this game; it is like a lost game to me. The match against Zambia is going to be like a Cup final because we want to make sure that we qualify for the next stage."
 * Herve Renard, Zambian coach; "Ethiopia deserved to be congratulated for their play today. It was not a surprise to me that they played well, they are such a good side and we deserve what we got today from this match. I hope they will do the same against Nigeria and Burkina Faso."
 * Christopher Katongo, Zambian captain; "We are not under any pressure but we acknowledge that after today’s game we need to improve and work harder and that for sure as we will do. It is fair that Ethiopia got a draw from this match, they deserved it but as defending champions it is not a fair result to get."
 * Sewnet Bishaw, Ethiopian coach; " Despite failing to convert a penalty l am happy with the result . We have tried to play good football and we challenged a very good side in the current champions Zambia. My boys showed they are talented and it was unfortunate that we lost our goalkeeper but a keeper is a defender too."
 * Adane Girma, Ethiopian captain; "I thought the support we got from the Ethiopians in the stadium today was great. We really appreciate this and as you saw it gave us confidence to continue working hard even when we were a man short."
 * Sabri Lamouchi (Cote d'Ivoire Head Coach): "I feel relieved. Winning is all that matters. I will concentrate a bit more on our performance which was far from what we can do. This is the worst game for my team since I took over."
 * Kolo Toure (Cote d'Ivoire defender): "We expected a tough game. We are used to playing against teams like Togo who give out 200-pecent effort against us. Our next game against Algeria might be a better scale to judge us."
 * Didier Six (Togo Head Coach): "I don't have much to say. I believe my team deserved a better result than this."
 * Jonathan Aiyte (Togo striker): "When you look back at the game you can see it was a close one. We made some changes but they didn't payback. I believe a draw would have been a fair result. We know the first game is a crucial one.
 * Sami Trabelsi (Coach of Tunisia): "This is a joyful feeling. It was a hotly contested match and both teams played well. At times, we believed more than Algeria did, we never lost hope. I told the players to win matches of this caliber. You had to be patient and stay focused. What I've seen in this tournament is that majority of matches were decided in the 90th minute."
 * Khelil Chammam (defender and captain of Tunisia): "Victory in the first game is always important. This is a motivation for the entire team and the staff, I hope we will just celebrate tonight, and tomorrow we will return to work. Hopefully, Tunisia will go far in this year's competition".
 * Vahid Halilhodzic (coach of Algeria): "This is a huge disappointment for me and my players. I don't believe we deserved to lose. I cannot blame any of the players for their performance tonight. This goal that came at the end is cruel, but this is football."
 * South African coach, Gordon Igesund: "I gambled today because it was a must-win situation. We had four defenders, one holding midfielder, and the other five players were committed to attacking. The players believed in themselves - the nerves that affected us so much against Cape Verde were gone. It was not easy out there on the pitch with the weather so hot."
 * Claude Le Roy (Head Coach, DR Congo): "We did not play well today. We missed some chances in the first half which we could have scored. Though we did not too much, I believe we can do better."
 * Gernot Rohr (Head Coach, Niger): "I'm very happy with our performance. It was historic as Niger won a point for the first time in the Africa Cup of Nations. You can only be proud of your team when you have such players."
 * Sabri Lamouchi (Head Caoch, Cote d'Ivoire): "I want to say two things; the first is I'm proud of my Tunisian origin. Tunisia is a beautiful country with wonderful people. The second is that I am proud of my players and their response during the game. They portrayed today what they showed in training. I'm satisfied with the victory and happy with the performance. We won the previous match, but I wasn't happy. We really began the competition today."
 * Sami Trabelsi (Head Coach, Tunisia): "Until the 25th minute, we were not in the game. Even if our opponent did not create many chances, we committed avoidable mistakes. In the second half we dominated until the 85th minute, and we expected to equalize. It's not over yet, there is still a game to go. We hope to qualify, we have to win our last game and we will qualify."
 * Didier Six (coach of Togo): "This is perhaps one of the hardest games we've ever had. We came across a very good Algerian team. We had to manage through determination and the players wanted Togo to win, and this victory is deserved."
 * Vahid Halilhodzic (coach of Algeria): "What do you want me to say? Just one word will do : unfortunate. It has been a good day and l thought we played some beautiful football and created chances.With better finishing we would have done well but this is a team for the future. Unfortunately for us Togo had two chances and twice they scored. It is difficult to analyze now but I can not blame anyone, it is my choice of players. When you have so many opportunities to score at this level we must do better. We saw a player (Adebayor) who made the difference in his only opportunity and scored, this is a great."
 * Gustavo Ferrin (Head Coach, Angola): "We had a great first half. In the second half, Cape Verde resorted to aerial balls and it worked for them. When the scores was one-all, we knew a draw was not enough for us, so we pushed more men upfront for the kill and they scored from the counter. I'm very disappointed but my players gave their best."
 * Lucio Antunes (Head Coach, Cape Verde): "Our objective has been accomplished. We came here to win and did just that. We had a good game and the players showed determination throughout the game. I'm very happy for my players and they deserve the victory."
 * Gordon Igesund (South Africa coach): "We feel very proud about what we achieved tonight. Tonight we achieved our first objective. This was a very tough match. We now look forward to our next game. I feel proud for these players, and I feel proud to be South African today. I saw how people were happy today."
 * Bongani Khumalo (South Africa captain): "A lot has been said about us in this tournament. We had to trust each other and believe. We are a family – we are one group. Today we showed a fighting spirit. We are in the quarterfinals now and that is all that matters."
 * Rachid Taoussi (Morocco coach): "I'm a bit stressed right now because of the results, but I walk away with dignity. I chose to see positives from the results. I take this chance to congratulate South Africa and their coach, I'm very happy for them. I also want to congratulate Cape Verde who qualified on the last minute. I wish South Africa coach (Gordon Igesund) well, I hope he will do what the 1996 team did that won the Africa Cup of Nations."
 * Patrice Carteron, Mali coach: "We are happy to have qualified for the quarterfinals. We played a difficult game against a difficult team. They have a good team and a good coach. Our next match is against South Africa. That will be another tough game for us but I believe that pressure will be on them on Saturday. This stadium (Moses Mabhida) will be full with all the supporters of South Africa, but we will do our best."
 * Seydou Keita, Mali captain: "This means a lot for Mali. This qualification will give hope to Mali people, you all know what is happening in our country. I'm very happy. I think we played very well, this was a good game. We have our next game against Bafana Bafana. I'm hoping we can continue playing well in this tournament. We have played against Bafana before, they are a host country, they are big here in Durban. We are going to play them in their own ground that won't be easy."
 * Claude Le Roy, Democratic Republic of Congo coach: "We mastered the game but we didn't create enough chances. I want to congratulate Mali. I know that this win means a lot for the people of Mali. I know that Mali is going through a difficult moment right now, but they are not alone, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we have many internal problems and people have died."
 * Mulumbu, DR Congo Captain: “We are sad; we are sad because we didn't lose a match in this competition. We didn't score goals, we didn't create enough chances that is why we are out of the tournament. It hurts because we have a good team and good players. I hope we will get back as a team and the coach and work on our mistakes in order to improve maybe in 2015."
 * Gernot Rohr (Head Coach, Niger): "Today was a difficult game for us. I have to admit that we played a team that had players who were faster than us. I'm proud of my players and the future is bright. I have a team of courageous players. At least, we got one point and is historic."
 * Kwasi Appiah (Head Coach, Ghana): "Niger was a good team, they defended well. My players stepped up their performance and that resulted in Niger not coming out as they are used to. We are half way through and can do much better."
 * Paul Put, Burkina Faso coach: It was a tactical victory and a great victory that allowed us to qualify many congratulations to my players, who played really well disciplined. we knew that Zambia had nothing to lose, we awaited for their attacks something we have been working on the last two days – how to defend. It's a shame that Alain Traoré could not finish the match. It's hard to tell if he will be available for the quarter, we will hear from the doctors. As for the next match we willwait for tomorrow, tonight we will celebrate. I hope it will go for it. At the beginning we had a plan, and after a few minutes the plane fell away with changes due to the injury and we had to adapt. It was not pretty today, but to be realistic. The most important qualification was, we did everything we did not give away many opportunities either. Zambians could not break us and use their chances. This is the greatest achievement of Burkina because the last time  Burkina reached quarter finals was at  home, and it was a long time ago (1998.)"
 * Charles Kabore, Burkina Faso captain: "I am very happy with today's result even though we had a difficult game because we knew Zambia wanted to score and win, so we could not play like we did against Ethiopia. Zambia were the better team and they are the defending champions so when you consider this- it is a pleasing result indeed."
 * Herve Renard: Zambia coach; "It is better to have won something in your life. Today we put in our maximum effort and tried our best but unfortunately we did not manage to win. The players were playing well so let's not judge them or me for that matter because what's done is done and we cannot change anything. So in general l am pleased that we played well. The last AFCON we were the winners but now there will be a new winner and that is football for you."
 * Kennedy Mweene, Zambia captain: "We pressed hard in the first half and had them on the back foot but unlike 2012 we were less efficient in front of goal."
 * Stephen Keshi, Nigeria coach: "This victory is for all Nigerians wherever they are in the world. Sunday Mba was outstanding in midfield and his introduction is part of my plan to build the team around young players and experienced players like Joseph Yobo, Victor Enyeama and John Obi Mikel."