2015 Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage

The knockout stage of the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations ran from 31 January, and ended with the final on 8 February. The matches were held in the Equatorial Guinean cities of Malabo and Bata.

In the knockout stages, if a match was level at the end of normal playing time, extra time would be played (two periods of 15 minutes each) and followed, if necessary, by kicks from the penalty mark to determine the winner, except for the play-off for third place where no extra time was played.

Qualified teams

The top two placed teams from each of the four groups advanced to the knockout stage.

Group Winners Runners-up
A  Congo  Equatorial Guinea
B  Tunisia  DR Congo
C  Ghana  Algeria
D  Ivory Coast  Guinea

Bracket

 
Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
          
 
31 January – Bata
 
 
 Congo 2
 
4 February – Bata
 
 DR Congo 4
 
 DR Congo 1
 
1 February – Malabo
 
 Ivory Coast 3
 
 Ivory Coast 3
 
8 February – Bata
 
 Algeria 1
 
 Ivory Coast (pen.)0 (9)
 
1 February – Malabo
 
 Ghana 0 (8)
 
 Ghana 3
 
5 February – Malabo
 
 Guinea 0
 
 Ghana 3
 
31 January – Bata
 
 Equatorial Guinea 0 Third Place
 
 Tunisia 1
 
7 February – Malabo
 
 Equatorial Guinea (a.e.t.)2
 
 DR Congo (pen.)0 (4)
 
 
 Equatorial Guinea 0 (2)
 

Scores after extra time are indicated by (a.e.t.), and penalty shoot-out are indicated by (pen.).

All times local, WAT (UTC+1).

Quarter-finals

Congo vs DR Congo

Congo took the lead in the 55th minute, when Férébory Doré met Delvin N'Dinga's free kick to slot home. They increased the lead seven minutes later, when after they intercepted a DR Congo pass out of the defence, Thievy Bifouma scored from the rebound after Doré's shot was saved. DR Congo pulled a goal back in the 65th minute, when Dieumerci Mbokani converted from Yannick Bolasie's cross. The equalizer came ten minutes later when Jeremy Bokila scored from Cédric Makiadi's pass. DR Congo took the lead when Joël Kimwaki headed in Neeskens Kebano's free kick in the 81st minute, and completed the comeback after Mbokani converted his own rebound to score his second goal of the match in the first minute of injury time. This put them in the semi-finals for the first time since 1998.[1][2]

31 January 2015
17:00
Congo  2–4  DR Congo
Doré  55'
Bifouma  62'
Report Mbokani  65', 90+1'
Bokila  75'
Kimwaki  81'
Estadio de Bata, Bata
Attendance: 31,670
Referee: Bernard Camille (Seychelles)
Congo
DR Congo
GK 1 Christoffer Mafoumbi
RB 18Marvin Baudry
CB 21Sagesse Babélé
CB 4 Boris Moubhibo
LB 6 Dimitri Bissiki
DM 8 Delvin N'Dinga  83'
RW 12Francis Litsingi  84'
AM 7 Prince Oniangué (c)
LW 5 Arnold Bouka Moutou   84'
CF 13Thievy Bifouma
CF 10Férébory Doré  76'
Substitutions:
FW 19Dominique Malonga  76'
MF 14Césaire Gandzé  84'
FW 11Fabrice Ondama  84'
Manager:
France Claude Le Roy
GK 1 Robert Kidiaba (c)
RB 2 Issama Mpeko
CB 17Cédric Mongongu
CB 14Gabriel Zakuani  50'
CB 3 Jean Kasusula
CM 22Chancel Mbemba Mangulu
CM 6 Cédric Makiadi  40'   89'
RW 19Jeremy Bokila
AM 18Cedrick Mabwati  66'
LW 11Yannick Bolasie
CF 9 Dieumerci Mbokani
Substitutions:
DF 15Joël Kimwaki  50'
MF 10Neeskens Kebano  66'
MF 5 Nelson Munganga  89'
Manager:
Florent Ibengé

Man of the Match:
Yannick Bolasie (DR Congo)[3]

Assistant referees:
Djibril Camara (Senegal)
El Hadji Malick Samba (Senegal)
Fourth official:
Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Tunisia vs Equatorial Guinea

Tunisia took the lead in the 70th minute, when Ahmed Akaïchi flicked in Hamza Mathlouthi's cross from the right. Equatorial Guinea scored the equalizer in the third minute of injury time through Javier Balboa's penalty, which was awarded after Hamza Mathlouthi was ruled to have fouled Iván Bolado. The match went to extra time, and Balboa scored the winning goal in the 102nd minute with a direct free kick, sending the hosts to their first ever semi-finals.[4][5]

31 January 2015
20:30
Tunisia  1–2 (a.e.t.)  Equatorial Guinea
Akaïchi  70' Report Balboa  90+3' (pen.), 102'
Tunisia
Equatorial Guinea
GK 16Aymen Mathlouthi
RB 17Hamza Mathlouthi
CB 3 Aymen Abdennour
CB 2 Syam Ben Youssef
LB 12Ali Maâloul
CM 20Mohamed Ali Yacoubi   63'  104'
CM 6 Hocine Ragued  9'
AM 13Ferjani Sassi  90+6'
RW 19Ahmed Akaïchi  66'  85'
LW 9 Yassine Chikhaoui (c)
CF 18Wahbi Khazri  85'
Substitutions:
MF 15Mohamed Ali Manser  85'
FW 11Amine Chermiti  86'  85'
MF 7 Youssef Msakni  104'
Manager:
Belgium Georges Leekens
GK 1 Felipe Ovono
RB 8 Randy  80'
CB 5 Diosdado Mbele
CB 4 Rui
LB 16Sipo  86'
RM 14Kike
CM 18Viera Ellong
CM 21Iván Zarandona
LM 11Javier Balboa
CF 10Emilio Nsue (c)
CF 9 Raúl Fabiani  61'
Substitutions:
FW 15Ibán  90+6'   61'
FW 12Iván Bolado  80'
MF 7 Rubén Belima  86'
Manager:
Argentina Esteban Becker

Man of the Match:
Javier Balboa (Equatorial Guinea)[6]

Assistant referees:
Peter Edibe (Nigeria)
Jerson dos Santos (Angola)
Fourth official:
Koman Coulibaly (Mali)

Ghana vs Guinea

Ghana took the lead in the 4th minute, after André Ayew back-heeled the ball for Christian Atsu to convert from close range. Ghana increased the lead in the 44th minute, as Kwesi Appiah intercepted a missed pass from the Guinea defence to score. Atsu scored his second goal of the match in the 61st minute, when he received the ball from Wakaso Mubarak on the right flank, cut inside and curled the ball into the net. Guinea goalkeeper Naby Yattara was sent off in the fourth minute of injury time for bringing down Asamoah Gyan outside the penalty box. Ghana's win sent them to the semi-finals for the fifth consecutive tournament.[7][8]

1 February 2015
17:00
Ghana  3–0  Guinea
Atsu  4', 61'
Appiah  44'
Report
Nuevo Estadio de Malabo, Malabo
Attendance: 14,500
Referee: Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)
Ghana
Guinea
GK 1 Brimah Razak
RB 23Harrison Afful
CB 21John Boye
CB 19Jonathan Mensah
LB 17Baba Rahman
DM 6 Afriyie Acquah  86'
RW 7 Christian Atsu  79'
AM 11Wakaso Mubarak
LW 10André Ayew
CF 3 Asamoah Gyan (c)
CF 2Kwesi Appiah
Substitutions:
MF 22Frank Acheampong   79'
MF 13Mohammed Rabiu   86'
Manager:
Israel Avram Grant
GK 1 Naby Yattara  33' Red card 90+4'
RB 13Abdoulaye Cissé
CB 20Baissama Sankoh
CB 5 Fodé Camara  49'
LB 23Djibril Tamsir Paye   90'
DM 17Boubacar Fofana  70'
CM 12Ibrahima Conté
CM 10Kévin Constant  21'  56'
RW 8 Ibrahima Traoré (c)
LW 7 Abdoul Camara  81'
CF 11Idrissa Sylla  45'
Substitutions:
FW 2 Mohamed Yattara  45'
MF 15Naby Keïta  56'
FW 19François Kamano  81'
Manager:
France Michel Dussuyer

Man of the Match:
Kwesi Appiah (Ghana)[9]

Assistant referees:
Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
Ali Waleed Ahmed (Sudan)
Fourth official:
Hamada Nampiandraza (Madagascar)

Ivory Coast vs Algeria

Ivory Coast took the lead in the 26th minute, when Wilfried Bony headed in Max Gradel's cross. Algeria equalized in the 51st minute, after Riyad Mahrez passed to El Arbi Hillel Soudani to score. Bony scored his second goal of the match in the 68th minute with another header, this time from Yaya Touré's free kick. Ivory Coast sealed the win in the fourth minute of injury time, as Tallo Gadji set up Gervinho in a fast break, and they qualified for the semi-finals for the fourth time in six tournaments.[10][11]

1 February 2015
20:30
Ivory Coast  3–1  Algeria
Bony  26', 68'
Gervinho  90+4'
Report Soudani  51'
Ivory Coast
Algeria
GK 16Sylvain Gbohouo
CB 17Serge Aurier
CB 22Wilfried Kanon
CB 4 Kolo Touré
RWB  21Eric Bertrand Bailly
LWB  5 Siaka Tiéné  67'
CM 20Serey Die
CM 19Yaya Touré (c)
CM 15Max Gradel
CF 12 Wilfried Bony  90+1'
CF 10Gervinho
Substitutions:
MF 6 Cheick Doukouré  67'
FW 11Tallo Gadji  90+1'
Manager:
France Hervé Renard
GK 23Raïs M'Bolhi
RB 3 Faouzi Ghoulam
CB 2 Madjid Bougherra (c)
CB 20Aïssa Mandi
LB 12Carl Medjani
DM 14Nabil Bentaleb  78'
RM 19Saphir Taïder  90'
LM 11Yacine Brahimi
AM 10Sofiane Feghouli
CF 7 Riyad Mahrez    72'
CF 15El Arbi Hillel Soudani    72'
Substitutions:
FW 9Ishak Belfodil    72'
FW 13 Islam Slimani    72'
Manager:
France Christian Gourcuff

Man of the Match:
Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast)[12]

Assistant referees:
Jean-Claude Birumushasu (Burundi)
Aboubacar Doumbouya (Guinea)
Fourth official:
Ali Lemghaifry (Mauritania)

Semi-finals

DR Congo vs Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast took the lead in the 20th minute, when Yaya Touré slammed home a pass from Wilfried Bony. DR Congo equalized four minutes later through Dieumerci Mbokani's penalty, awarded for Eric Bertrand Bailly's handball. Ivory Coast retook the lead in the 41st minute, as Bony set up Gervinho to score. Wilfried Kanon sealed the win in the 68th minute, as he scored from the rebound after Serge Aurier's header was saved. The win put the Ivorians into their fourth Africa Cup of Nations final.[13][14]

4 February 2015
20:00
DR Congo  1–3  Ivory Coast
Mbokani  24' (pen.) Report Y. Touré  20'
Gervinho  41'
Kanon  68'
Estadio de Bata, Bata
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Néant Alioum (Cameroon)
DR Congo
Ivory Coast
GK 1 Robert Kidiaba (c)
RB 2 Issama Mpeko
CB 15Joël Kimwaki
CB 14Gabriel Zakuani
LB 3 Jean Kasusula  67'
CM 22Chancel Mbemba Mangulu
CM 6 Cédric Makiadi  79'
RW 19Jeremy Bokila
AM 18Cedrick Mabwati  69'
LW 11Yannick Bolasie
CF 9 Dieumerci Mbokani  61'
Substitutions:
FW 13Junior Kabananga  71'   61'
MF 10Neeskens Kebano  69'
FW 21Firmin Ndombe Mubele  79'
Manager:
Florent Ibengé
GK 16Sylvain Gbohouo
RB 17Serge Aurier  76'
CB 21Eric Bertrand Bailly
CB 4 Kolo Touré
LB 22Wilfried Kanon  26'
CM 20Serey Die  70'
CM 19Yaya Touré (c)  28'
RW 15Max Gradel  62'
LW 5 Siaka Tiéné  72'
CF 12Wilfried Bony  90+2'
CF 10Gervinho
Substitutions:
FW 8 Salomon Kalou  62'
DF 2 Ousmane Viera  72'
FW 18Lacina Traoré  90+2'
Manager:
France Hervé Renard

Man of the Match:
Gervinho (Ivory Coast)[15]

Assistant referees:
Evarist Menkouande (Cameroon)
Zakhele Siwela (South Africa)
Fourth official:
Bernard Camille (Seychelles)

Ghana vs Equatorial Guinea

Ghana took the lead in the 42nd minute through Jordan Ayew's penalty, awarded after Kwesi Appiah was fouled by Felipe Ovono. In the first minute of first half injury time, Wakaso Mubarak finished Christian Atsu's pass in a counter-attack to double Ghana's lead. Ghana's third goal was scored by André Ayew from a cross by Appiah in the 75th minute. The win put the Ghanaians into a record ninth Africa Cup of Nations final.[16][17]

Crowd disturbances began after Ghana's first goal, culminating after the third in a 40-minute stoppage while security forces corralled the Ghanaian section from the rest of the crowd.[18] The hosts were find US$100,000 by the CAF.[19]

5 February 2015
20:00
Ghana  3–0  Equatorial Guinea
J. Ayew  42' (pen.)
Mubarak  45+1'
A. Ayew  75'
Report
Ghana
Equatorial Guinea
GK 1 Brimah Razak
RB 23Harrison Afful  44'
CB 21John Boye
CB 19Jonathan Mensah
LB 17Baba Rahman
CM 6 Afriyie Acquah  68'
CM 11Wakaso Mubarak  18'   76'
RW 7 Christian Atsu
AM 9 Jordan Ayew
LW 10André Ayew (c)  66'   82'
CF 2 Kwesi Appiah
Substitutions:
MF 8 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu  76'
MF 22Frank Acheampong  82'
Manager:
Israel Avram Grant
GK 1 Felipe Ovono  41'
RB 2 Daniel Evuy  37'   58'
CB 5 Diosdado Mbele
CB 4 Rui
LB 7 Rubén Belima
CM 21Iván Zarandona  82'
CM 18Viera Ellong
RW 14Kike
LW 11Javier Balboa
CF 15Ibán  68'   74'
CF 10Emilio Nsue (c)
Substitutions:
FW 9 Raúl Fabiani  58'
DF 16Sipo  74'
DF 22Pablo Ganet  82'
Manager:
Argentina Esteban Becker

Man of the Match:
Christian Atsu (Ghana)[20]

Assistant referees:
Albdelhak Etchiali (Algeria)
Jerson Emiliano Dos Santos (Angola)
Fourth official:
Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria)

Third place play-off

After a goalless 90 minutes, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out (no extra time was played as per regulations). Equatorial Guinea missed their first and second penalties by Javier Balboa and Raúl Fabiani, while DR Congo converted all four of their kicks, giving them their best finish in the Africa Cup of Nations since 1998 when they also finished third, while the fourth-placed finish for the hosts were still their best ever in the Africa Cup of Nations.[21][22]

DR Congo
Equatorial Guinea
GK 1 Robert Kidiaba (c)
RB 2 Issama Mpeko
CB 17Cédric Mongongu
CB 14Gabriel Zakuani
LB 3 Jean Kasusula
RM 18Cedrick Mabwati  87'
CM 22Chancel Mbemba Mangulu
CM 6 Cédric Makiadi  51'   72'
LM 11Yannick Bolasie
SS 8 Hervé Kage  46'
CF 19Jeremy Bokila  74'
Substitutions:
FW 9 Dieumerci Mbokani  46'
MF 20Lema Mabidi  72'
FW 13Junior Kabananga  74'
Manager:
Florent Ibengé
GK 1 Felipe Ovono
RB 8 Randy
CB 2Dani Evuy
CB 4Rui
LB 16Sipo
CM 21Iván Zarandona   46'
CM 6 Juvenal (c)
RW 14Kike   46'
LW 7 Rubén Belima   85'
CF 10Emilio Nsue
CF 11Javier Balboa
Substitutions:
DF 20Miguel Ángel  46'
MF 18Viera Ellong  46'
FW 9 Raúl Fabiani  85'
Manager:
Argentina Esteban Becker

Man of the Match:
Robert Kidiaba (DR Congo)[23]

Assistant referees:
Peter Edibe (Nigeria)
Jean-Claude Birumushahu (Burundi)
Fourth official:
Malang Diedhiou (Senegal)

Final

After a goalless 120 minutes (regulation and extra time), the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. Ivory Coast missed their first and second penalties by Wilfried Bony and Tallo Gadji, while Ghana missed their third and fourth penalties by Afriyie Acquah and Frank Acheampong. Both teams converted their kicks in the fifth to tenth rounds, and in the eleventh round, Ivorian goalkeeper Boubacar Barry saved from his counterpart Brimah Razak, diving to his left to push the ball around the post. He then scored his own penalty shooting to the right of the net. Ivory Coast won their second title and their first since 1992, where they also defeated Ghana in the final after a penalty shoot-out, while Ghana lost their third straight Africa Cup of Nations final after their last triumph in 1982.[24][25]

Ivory Coast
Ghana
GK 1 Boubacar Barry
RB 17Serge Aurier
CB 21Eric Bertrand Bailly   105+1'
CB 4 Kolo Touré
LB 22Wilfried Kanon  87'
CM 20Serey Die  14'
CM 19Yaya Touré (c)
RW 15Max Gradel  67'
LW 5 Siaka Tiéné  57'  116'
CF 12Wilfried Bony
CF 10Gervinho  120+2'
Substitutions:
FW 7 Seydou Doumbia  67'
FW 8 Salomon Kalou  116'
DF 11Tallo Gadji  120+2'
Manager:
France Hervé Renard
GK 1 Brimah Razak
RB 23 Harrison Afful
CB 21John Boye
CB 19Jonathan Mensah
LB 17Baba Rahman
CM 11Wakaso Mubarak
CM 6 Afriyie Acquah
RW 7 Christian Atsu  116'
LW 10André Ayew
CF 3 Asamoah Gyan (c)  120+1'
CF 2 Kwesi Appiah  99'
Substitutions:
FW 9 Jordan Ayew  99'
FW 22Frank Acheampong  116'
MF 8 Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu   120+1'
Manager:
Israel Avram Grant

Man of the Match:
Afriyie Acquah (Ghana)[26]

Assistant referees:
Djibril Camara (Senegal)
Ali Waleed Ahmed (Sudan)
Fourth official:
Janny Sikazwe (Zambia)

References

  1. "BBC Sport – Congo 2-4 DR Congo". BBC Sport. 31 January 2015.
  2. "Congo – DR Congo". Youtube. 31 January 2015.
  3. "Match report: Congo 2–4 DR Congo" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  4. "BBC Sport – Tunisia 1-2 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. 31 January 2015.
  5. "Tunisia – Equatorial Guinea". Youtube. 31 January 2015.
  6. "Match report: Tunisia 1–2 Equatorial Guinea" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 31 January 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  7. "BBC Sport – Ghana 3-0 Guinea". BBC Sport. 1 February 2015.
  8. "Ghana – Guinea". Youtube. 1 February 2015.
  9. "Match report: Ghana 3–0 Guinea" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
  10. "BBC Sport – Ivory Coast 3-1 Algeria". BBC Sport. 1 February 2015.
  11. "Ivory Coast – Algeria". Youtube. 1 February 2015.
  12. "Match report: Ivory Coast 3–1 Algeria" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
  13. "BBC Sport – DR Congo 1-3 Ivory Coast". BBC Sport. 4 February 2015.
  14. "DR Congo – Ivory Coast". Youtube. 4 February 2015.
  15. "Match report: DR Congo 1–3 Ivory Coast" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 4 February 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  16. "BBC Sport – Ghana 3-0 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. 5 February 2015.
  17. "Ghana – Equatorial Guinea". Youtube. 5 February 2015.
  18. Ames, Nick (5 February 2015). "Ghana players, fans pelted with missiles in win over Equatorial Guinea". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  19. Press Association (6 February 2015). "Equatorial Guinea fined £65,000 over Africa Cup violence against Ghana". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  20. "AFCON 2015: Christian Atsu wins Man of the Match in Equatorial Guinea win". Ghana Soccernet. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  21. "BBC Sport – DR Congo 0-0 Equatorial Guinea". BBC Sport. 7 February 2015.
  22. "DR Congo – Equatorial Guinea". Youtube. 7 February 2015.
  23. "Match report: DR Congo 0–0 (4–2 pen.) Equatorial Guinea" (PDF). Confederation of African Football. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  24. "BBC Sport – Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana". BBC Sport. 8 February 2015.
  25. "Ivory Coast – Ghana". Youtube. 8 February 2015.
  26. "Orange AFCON 2015 Awards and Best XI". CAF. 12 February 2015.

External links

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