Djos ISSAMA MPEKO: good work... on the left
AFCON 2017: IVORY COAST-DRC 2-2
A draw also for our goalkeepers
January 20, 2017
It is in Oyem stadium where the group C is based that DRC could go to seek its qualification on Friday, January 20th, but shame... Ivory Coast, back to the wall after the draw against Togo had more than this game to revive. At the end, a draw of 2 goals everywhere that best suits the Leopards (4 points) than the Elephants (2 points).
After its victory over Morocco on the first day, it is therefore full of ambitions that DRC started its match against Ivoirians. Merveille BOPE and Djos ISSAMA start games and will be very prominent, even the last will play to the left in the absence of Joyce LOMALISA suspended and Fabrice NSAKALA injured. His performance will be above average with a lot of duels won against the swing ZAHA.
Authors of a very nice start, the Congolese will offer themselves the opening of the score. In the 10th minute, after a shift of Junior BAKANANGA, Neeskens KEBANO unleashes a powerful grazing shot on which Sylvain GBOHOUO can do nothing. Superb entry for Leopards where Dieumerci MBOKANI and Neeskens KEBANO, Jordan IKOKO and Jacques MAGOMA start the game. Despite the equalizer of BONY (25th), DRC returns in front of two minutes after, on a head kick by the passer BAKANANGA on the Congolese opening score!
Leopards are going to have their half-time without taking full advantage before letting the Elephants leave all their energy in the second period with the equalization by Serey DIE (67th) on a ball deflected by a defender and a big scare during Additional time! Salomon KALOU scores but the Ivorian striker is penalized for an offside (90th+1).
Two big goalkeepers, each one his halftime
Despite the two logical goals conceded on each side, the two TPM goalkeepers were great craftsmen in the draw of their team. In the first period, Sylvain GBOHOUO could do nothing on the two goals of the Leopards. Against KEBANO and KABANANGA, Sylvain shot conceded before some world-class actions: he leaves authoritatively from his area to return a ball that could benefit Dieumerci MBOKANI (45th), he reduces the angle on an action of Firmin MUBELE (55th) and ahead of an Ivorian defender, Firmin MUBELE, who is stepping forward in front of an Ivorian defender but fails to slide a super ball to Dieumerci MBOKANI, the Ivorian Ravens’ goalkeeper cutting the ball’s trajectory (65th).
Quiet for 25 minutes, Ley MATAMPI will first commit a big hand fault before getting into the perfume of the duel. Cheik DOUKOURE thinking to put a shot to the bottom (60th), Ley comes out with a beautiful parade! Confident despite of the two goals conceded like Sylvain his club teammate, Ley will keep his cage inviolate during the additional time when his country was near to capitulate. At the first post, it stops a heel of Serge AURIER (90th), which could finish at the bottom and he manages on the canceled goal of Salomon KALOU (90th+1). A performance that allows him to show that he has his place in this Congolese team.
The entry of Jonathan BOLINGI during the last quarter of hour of game did not change the thread of the match for the DRC which lived its weak moments of the match. A period during which Merveille BOPE, central back, made again a huge task.