We were treated to a couple of interesting match-ups on Matchday 5 of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2023).
Unlike the previous three days, there were only two matches played on Wednesday, as Group F teams closed out the first round of fixtures. On that note, here's a recap of Wednesday's games:
Wednesday's AFCON 2023 talking points
An unpleasant day for Tanzania
Tanzania kicked off their Nations Cup campaign against Morocco, a team they had lost to in November last year. Adel Amrouche's men were on a two-match losing run, with one of those losses coming at the hands of Wednesday's opponents.
However, Tanzania's woes continued as they suffered a 3-0 loss to the Atlas Lions. They finish with 10 men, as Shakhtar Donetsk's Novatus Dismas got his marching order after picking up two yellow cards.
Interestingly, Dismas was also sent off when these teams met less than two months ago. Amrouche's side are currently at the bottom of the Group F table, while Morocco currently lead the group standings.
DR Congo vs Zambia ends in a stalemate
DR Congo and Zambia met at the Laurent Pokou Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Zambians were the first to get on the scoresheet, as Patson Daka set up Kings Kangwa for a stunning strike. However, Brentford's Yoane Wissa put DR Congo back on level terms just four minutes later.
Although both teams played out a 1-1 draw, DR Congo vs Zambia was a one-sided affair. Zambia managed three total shots, with just one going on target. They had no corner kicks in 90 minutes.
In contrast, DR Congo registered a total of 25 shots whilst taking seven corners. They dominated every aspect of the game but were unable to capitalise on their chances.
Play of the day
Our play of the day is Kings Kangwa's opening goal for Zambia.
What's next?
Now that the first round of matches are out of the way, round 2 games will begin on Thursday.
Equatorial Guinea will square off against Guinea-Bissau by 3 pm (GMT +1), followed by the Super Eagles' clash with hosts Ivory Coast.
Two of the top three most successful teams in the history of the AFCON will also meet on Thursday, as Egypt and Ghana go head-to-head.
You can catch all the games live on Supersport and StarTimes Sports Premium if you reside in Nigeria.
