CHAN: Rwanda goes down fighting

Doxa Gikanji celebrates his opening goal yesterday. 
All photos via @caf_online

January 30, 2016

Rwanda 1 DRC 2 (aet)
Ivory Coast 3 Cameroon 0 (aet)

TODAY
Tunisia vs Mali 4pm
Zambia vs Guinea 7pm

Semis
DRC vs Zambia/Guinea
I.Coast vs Tunisia/Mali

The Congolese, with their fancy hair-cuts and well calculated football, were stretched on Saturday, but their class showed in the end as they earned a CHAN 2016 semifinal place.

The Leopards of DRC took control from the first whistle, and Rwanda's Amavubi were on the ropes by the time Doxa Gikanji hit an absolute screamer in the 10th minute.

Half time of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) first quarterfinal match had the DRC comfortable with a 1-0 lead, with dangerman Ernst Sugira and the rest of the Amavubi struggling to keep up.






The half time talk by coach Johnny McKinstry and introduction of Dominique Savio Nshuti seems to have combined to inspire the Amavubi, as they showed a new purpose. If there was one player going to score, it was Sugira - and he did in the 56th minute to put Rwanda level.

He was then guilty of missing several chances before full time that would have sealed it for the hosts at a packed Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Extra-time turned out to be a little too much for Rwanda, and with Sugira limping, DRC hit late in the second half of extra time. Padou Bompunga headed in, capitalising on one of Rwanda's weak links - a lack of superiority in the air by their defence.

Sugira (shirt 16) and Emery (shirt 8) tried to put up a fight, but 

Rwanda's best was not good enough

In the second quarterfinal, Ivory Coast beat Cameroon 3-0 after extra-time

The first 90 minutes ended goalless. The goals were thereafter scored by Koffi Boua, Atcho Djobo and Serge N'Guessan