1st Quarter final: Burkina Faso 2-0 Tunisia
Late great strikes from second half substitute Aristide Bance and the CAF man of the match, Niguimbe Nakoulma witnessed Burkina Faso book the first semi-final slot at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Bance had replaced the injured Cyrille Bayala with the last quarter of the game to play before he drilled home a low driven free-kick from 20 yards past Aymen Mathlouthi in Tunisia’s goal posts with less than 10 minutes to play.
Nakoulma rounded off Mathlouthi near the half way field after a counter attack with seven minutes left on the clock to bury off the game.
The late show for Burkina Faso had followed a slow start to the game in the first half which stayed goal-less.
There were three yellow cards shown by South African FIFA Referee, Daniel Fraser Bennett and a couple of half chances missed from either side in the opening 45 minutes.
The dull opening 10 minutes where to liven up when Niguimbe Nakoulma fired high of goal in a chance missed for Burkina Faso.
Tunisia missed a free header by Yassine Taha Khenissi off Sliti Naim from the left in the 17th minute.
Veteran Burkina Faso skipper Charles Kabore became the first player to be booked for unsporting conduct.
He was followed by Tunisia’s Aymen Abdennou.
Bertrand Traore had a cheeky chip onto the goal bar and out for a goal kick in what looked as the best chance of the half.
Tunisia’s Muhamed Ben Amor also had with a chance at goal in the 23rd minute before Yakoubi missed with a tap-in after a late arrival at the far post. Nakoulma put the ball in the net for Burkina Faso, but he was off-side in the 37th minute.
The second yellow for Tunisia went to Syam Habib Ben Youssef, who plays at Malherebe Caens in France.
In the 46th minute, Taha Yassine Khenissi had a free header off a delivery from the left.
Tunisia called for the first change of the game when Hamza Lahmar replaced Wahbi Khazri .
The fourth yellow card of the game went to Burkina Faso’s Yacouba Coulibaly.
Cyrille Bayala had an attempt flying over from close range before he got injured.
Aristide Bance took the place of injured Bayala before his moment of magic off a well taken set piece in the 80th minute.
Three minutes later, Prejuce Nigulumbe Nakoluma rounded off the advancing goalie Mathlouthi near the center of the field on the far left, sprinted with the ball before slotting it in an empty net for the second and seal off the game.
Referee Bennett booked the excited Nakoulma for removing his shirt in celebration before play resumed.
Burkina Faso even had the laxity to make two more amendments to the team.
Bakary Sare came on for the weary legs of Ibrahim Traore with 4 minutes left and Sibiri Traore was also withdrawn.
The second semi final comes moments later in Franceville between Senegal and Cameroon.
Team Line ups:
Burkina Faso XI: Koffi Kouakou (G.K), Steeve Yago, Bakary Kone, Prejuce Nigulumbe Nakoulma, Abdou Traore, Issoufou Dayo, Charles Kabore (Captain), Bertrand Traore, Yacouba Coulibaly, Cyrille Bayala, Ibrahim Traore
Subs: Babayoure Sawadogo (G.K), Issouf Paro, Patrick Malo, Bakary Sare, Banoue Diawara, Sibiri Traore, Benninwende Pitropia, Adama Guira, Souleymane Koanda, Aristide Bance, Jonathan Zongo, Moussa Sanou
Head coach: Paulo Jorge Rebelo Duarte (Portgual)
Tunisia XI: Aymen Mathlouthi (Captain), Syam Habib Ben Youssef, Aymen Abdennour, Youssef Msakni, Wahbi Khazri, Taha Yassine Khenissi, Ferjani Sassi, Mohamed Ben Amor, Mohamed Ali Yacouba, Hamdi Naguez, Sliti Naim
Subs: Rami Jerdi (G.K), Zied Boughattas, Slimen Kchouk, Chamseddine Dhaouadi, Hamza Lahmar, Ahmed Akaichi, Ali Maaloul, Francis Abdel Azouni Larry, Hamza Mathouthi, Ahmed Khelil, Saber Khalifa, Moez Ben Cherifia
Head coach: Henri Walejelech Kasperczak (France)
Match Officials:
Center Referee: Daniel Frazer Bennett (South Africa)
1st Assistant Referee: Zakhele Thusi Siwela (South Africa)
2nd Assistant Referee: Aboubacar Doumbouya (Guinea)
4th Official: Joshua Bondo (Botswana)
Commissioner: Pierre Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
General Coordinator: Anthony Baffoe (Ghana)
