Barça will have to make do for one more game without Toure Yaya and Samuel Eto’o. Toure’s Ivory Coast qualified for Thursday’s semi-finals thrashing Guinea 5-0 in Sekondi on Sunday. They now play Egypt on Thursday in Kumasi for a place in the final, kick off is at 9.30 (Spanish time). Cameroon and Eto’o beat Tunisia 3-2 last night in a close game that went to extra time. They now face hosts Ghana in the other semi final in Accra which also takes place on Thursday, kick off at 6pm.
I am happy for both players but a little concerned for Barça who will now travel to Sevilla for Saturday’s league game without them. Sevilla will have both Seydou Keita and Freddie Kanoute back after Mali’s elimination, but they may well be without Dani Alves who picked up his fifth yellow card in Sevilla’s win at Recreativo. Sevilla, however, are appealing against the card so he may still get to play. I hope that either Eto’o or Toure can win the trophy but in such a tough game Barça could definitely have benefitted from having them playing. I’d like to see Marquez back in defence as I think Thuram will have problems against Kanoute and Luis Fabiano. Then if Edmilson could play as well as he did in the Copa del Rey game in the Sanchez Pizjuan we might just sneak a win. Hopefully the defence can hold firm again and our forwards can start knocking a few in.
4 responses so far ↓
Youssef Gazia // Feb 5, 2008 at 13:08
No nic, if eaither of the african teams lose, we will regain our players because they will have time to travel back because the matchs are on thursday and the match is on saturday.
Siim // Feb 5, 2008 at 15:44
The third place match is also on saturday and both our players will attend either the final or the third place match.
Nic // Feb 5, 2008 at 23:57
Unless Barça manage some miracle of diplomacy (a big wad of cash perhaps) neither player can get out of the 3rd place game on Saturday. Fifa wouldn’t like it. Let’s hope we see both players facing each other in Sunday’s final. No offence to any fans from Ghana or Egypt, your sides have both looked great.
Youssef Gazia // Feb 6, 2008 at 21:35
Firstly I am a proud Egyptian. The upcoming match tommorow will be tough but i hope that Egypt can win. Now im cheering for Egypt more than ever because if we win theres chance of Yaya returning to barcelona in time for the Sevilla clash. Even if he has to play in the 3rd place match, on Saturday, that means one extra day of rest for Yaya.
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