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On Friday, in the so-called "Group of Death" D of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament taking place in Egypt, the second round matches were played, with victories secured by the teams of Ghana and Nigeria.
Ghana 1 - 0 Senegal
13' [1 - 0] Matthew Amoah
Both teams started the match actively, and already in the 10th minute, Ghana's player Matthew Amoah had a great opportunity to score, but he failed to do so. However, just three minutes later, the same Amoah took advantage of a mistake by the Senegalese and put his team in front.
Both teams had another chance to score, but the shots by John Mensah and El-Hadji Diouf were not precise. As the half was coming to an end, Ghana started to control the game and after a pass from Stephen Appiah, Amoah had another chance, but Senegal managed to defend.
In the second half, the Senegal team intensified their game and Diouf had several opportunities to score. In the 63rd minute, Habib Beye and Laryea Kingston clashed on the field, resulting in both receiving red cards and having to leave the field.
In the final minutes, Senegal played better, but they could not break through Ghana's defense. The match ended with a 1-0 victory for Ghana. Now, Senegal, who won the first match of the tournament, only need a win against Nigeria, the group leaders, to secure a spot in the quarter-finals.
Nigeria 2 - 0 Zimbabwe
57' [1 - 0] Christian Obodo
60' [2 - 0] John Obi Mikel
In the other matches of Group D, the young John Obi Mikel emerged as a hero, making a significant impact on the game in the second half.
In the first half of the match, both teams seemed dull and did not create any real goal-scoring opportunities. However, in the second half, the introduction of John Obi Mikel and Nwankwo Kanu changed the game for Nigeria. After 56 minutes, Christian Obodo scored a header from a corner kick by J.M. Obi, and a few minutes later, J.M. Obi himself doubled the lead by sending the ball into the net from about 18 meters.
After this victory, Nigeria only needs a draw against Senegal in the final group match to advance to the quarter-finals of the tournament, while this loss has eliminated any chance for Zimbabwe to do the same.
