GROUP C:

Niger 1-1 Tunisia (1600 GMT)

Gabon v Morocco (1900 GMT)

1608: GOAL! Niger 1-1 Tunisia

1606: Well, Msakni is tying the Nigerien defence up in knots and they just can’t get near him. Another run goes across the bozx and finds Zouhair Dhaouadi who cuts in on his left foot outside the box and drills over from 20 yards.

1603: Lightning strikes twice. Youssef Msakni shows terrific feet to slalom his way into the box before side-footing into the bottom right-hand corner. For al;l the deft footwork, no Nigerien defender came to close him down – very strange after his mazy run and goal against Morocco – while Daouda Kassaly in the Niger goal got a very soft hand on the ball. Just four minutes gone and Niger have given themselves a mountain to climb. Don’t forget, they have not scored a goal outside of their own capital during this entire Nations Cup campaign.

1603: GOAL! Niger 0-1 Tunisia

1601: Just over 80 seconds gone and what a chance for Moussa Maazou. Simple ball over the top frees the Niger striker with only the goalkeeper to beat as he charges in on goal from 25 yards, but his first touch is horribly heavy and spills all the way to a grateful Aymen Mathlouthi in the Carthage Eagles goal.

1600: We’re underway in Libreville as Niger – nicknamed the Mena (local dialect for goal, I am safely assured) – go in search of their first ever goal and point at the Nations Cup.

1559: The referee is Janny Sikazwe from Zambia.

1556: The Nigeriens – who are tournament debutants, don’t forget – all kneel in a huddle on the pitch, while a Tunisian fan holds up a placard predicting a 2-0 win for the Carthage Eagles. Niger all in white today, while Tunisia are all in red.

1553: So it looks like Moussa Maazou, the striker who wears number 2 for Niger, will be captaining the debutants today in the place of Laouali Idrissa. The anthems are over and it’s lucky for the Tunisian players that they don’t have to sing for a living. Not the most tuneful let’s say.

1550: John Bennett is inside the Stade de l’Amitie, where the teams are coming out, for the BBC today. “Sunny and very hot today but lots of cloud about – maybe some rain later – hopefully not on the scale of Bata. The beautiful new pitch brought over from South Africa is already starting to look a bit patchy after Monday’s matches.” He’s also reporting that there are plenty of seats, which there certainly won’t be in just over three hours time when the hosts are in action for the second time.

1546: Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi has made just the two changes, which seem conservative in comparison. Sami Allagui and Saber Khelifa drop to the bench with Youssef Msakni, who really impressed after coming on against Morocco (and not just because of his fine goal), and striker Amine Chermiti coming in.

1542: Well, let’s start with the Niger team news because coach Harouna Doula, assisted by Frenchman Rolland Courbis no doubt , has rung the changes – making five in all. Out go Abdoul Kader, Boubacar Djibo Talatou, Sulliman Mazadou, Issoufou Talatou and Laouali Idrissa. The latter is the Niger captain but not for the first time at this tournament, a coach has not been afraid to drop his skipper (Senegal coach Amara Traore did the same). In their places come the following five: Jimmy Bulus, Harouna Olivier Bonnes, Dankwae Kofi, William Tonji Ngounou and Yacouba Syydou Ali. Niger are without teenager Amadou Moutari of course after the 18-year-old broke his leg less than 10 minutes into his Nations Cup debut.

1539: The line-ups…

Niger: 16-Daouda Kassaly; 5-Jimmy Bulus, 13-Mohamed Chicoto, 18-Koffi Dankwa, 23-Mohamed Soumaila; 3-Abdoul Karim Lancina, 8-Olivier Bonnes, 17-William Tonji Ngounou, 14-Issoufou Boubacar; 21-Yacouba Ali, 2-Moussa Maazou

Tunisia: 16-Aymen Mathlouthi; 20-Aymen Abdennour, 3-Karim Haggui, 2-Bilel Ifa, 5-Ammar Jemal; 8-Khaled Korbi, 14-Mejdi Traoui, 9-Yassine Chikhaoui, 15-Zouhair Dhaouadi; 23-Amine Chermiti, 7-Youssef Msakni

1536: Yes, Niger have it all to do today. Well-beaten by the Gabonese on the opening day of Group C games, with the co-hosts winning 2-0. Meanwhile, Tunisia impressed in a 2-1 defeat of bitter rivals Morocco – following which the Tunisians revealed T-shirts in support of 2004 Nations Cup-winning hero Zied Jaziri, who is now behind bars. It’s a fascinating story and you can read it here.

1533: Of course, don’t forget to text in your thoughts on today’s – or any other – action at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. It’s been quite a tournament so far, with Senegal (Group A) and Burkina Faso (Group B) already out. I can’t say I have much too sympathy for the Senegalese after the haphazard fashion in which they approached their games, particularly at the back, whereas the Burkinabe can count themselves pretty unfortunate. They were right in last night’s game against Ivory Coast and could have levelled things up if Moumouni Dagano had directed a late header across goal rather than against the crossbar. Shortly after, the Stallions scored an own goal and that was that. Will Niger and, more surprisingly, Morocco also go out of the tournament today after both lost their opening games?

1530 GMT: So, two rounds of games have gone in Groups A and B, and we already know two of the eight quarter-finals – namely, co-hosts Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast. Will anyone from Group C join them today? First up, it’s Niger against Tunisia, followed by the other co-hosts, Gabon, in action against Morocco tonight.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/9688073.stm