By Simon Asare/ Courtesy Ministry Youth and Sports
Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Jan. 18, GNA – The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has witnessed some pulsating matches, with some nations upsetting the odds while others are reasserting their dominance of African football.
The matches were preceded by a colourful opening ceremony with a celebration of African culture, music, and unity, but on the field of play, players have demonstrated their skillful abilities coupled with thrills and chills.
Here are a few facts about the first round of matches:
1. With 12 matches played thus far, a total of 27 goals have been scored, which is an average of 2.25 goals per match.
2. Senegalese 20-year-old youngster Lamine Camara is the only player to have scored a brace in the first round of matches.
3. Morocco and Senegal have scored the most goals (3) after thumping their rivals Tanzania and Gambia, respectively.
4. There have been a total of three red cards and 43 yellow cards shown thus far, with the likes of Gambia, Tanzania, and Guinea being the recipients.
5. Every game at this year’s AFCON has seen at least one goal, with more goals coming in the first half.
6. Ghana Captain Andre Ayew made his eighth appearance at the AFCON, which equalled the record held by Cameroon’s Rigobert Song and Egypt’s Ahmed Hassan.
7. The big casualties of matchday one were Ghana and Tunisia, who lost to Cape Verde and Namibia, respectively.
GNA