Mali v.s. Ivory Coast Semi-Final. 2/8/12.

Well, it was a good 1st half for the Ivory Coast and a mediocre 2nd half for both sides as the "Golden Generation" make it to the Final match of this African Cup of Nations tournament. Mali started poorly and never really got back into the game after they allowed a goal in the 44th minute - just before half-time! There were chances from the off for the Ivory Coast who really should have probably increased the margin of victory given the number of their chances. Also from the beginning were fouls with both teams committing at least 10 a piece. Despite the one-sided nature of the 1st half though, Mali were almost able to maintain themselves under the heaps of pressure. However, Gervinho collected the ball from Yaya Toure within his own half and (it was magic this was!) proceeded to dribble right into the Malian area before finishing into the far corner of the net with his right foot. Despite a half-time score of 1-0, it wasn't too outlandish for the Malians to have fought their way back into the match. The most they needed was an equalizer and they could have taken their chances with penalties. However, Ivory Coast were relentless and didn't allow the Malian side to do anything. The 2nd half was still controlled by the team from the Ivory Coast, but not nearly as effectively as the 1st half. A win is a win though so look forward to the African Cup of Nations Final Match this Sunday between Ivory Coast and Zambia! Enjoy!