The-Shot.Net Writers Club - Kenya

Jan 26 1300 GMT Mali - Kenya 3:1 (final score)

Before the match:
Here they are. The most prominent outside bet of the Nations Cup: Mali. But we know what happens to overconfident drak horses: see Columbia 1994 and Portugal 2002.
Every thing else in the groups preview (new window).

1st half:
- Mali in all wihite, Kenya in all green, slow beginning
-('5) concentration problems in the Kenyan defence: after a corner Adama Coulibaly is unmarked but heads wide
-('6) Kenya have a corner, but less dangerous, still Mali defence does not look convincing, too
-('7) Kenya defence looks missorganised again and almost an opportunity for Mali
-('8) again Kenya answer, Mali defence does look anything but solid, neither.
-Kenya , looking inferior in the first minutes, start to gain confidence by neatly passing the ball around
-('12) Kenya: young striker Dennis Oliech proves all the hype around him has its reason and alone by himself causes panic among the Mali defenders who eventually gain control over the situation
-('14) Kenya: the Malian keeper wins the race with quick Oliech for a through ball
-('16) Mali: Kanoute issues a first statement: a powerful 20 meter attempt, but right on the body of the keeper
-Kenya tend to seek their strikers immediately with long balls from defence. This stretches the playable pitch apart and creates midfield spaces as well.
.('20) Kenya with a half chance from a rebound after a corner
-('21) Mali: great chance, Kanoute races into the penalty area from the right, sets up the unmarked #17 Traoré who beats the keeper with a well placed shot from 12 meters central to the goal. But out of nowhere comes Kenyan defender #2(?) and clears the ball from the line
-('23) Kenya: fast counter attack, 3:3 situation, but the defence can stop Oliech with a second effort
-Oliech by his speed continues to make sure, Malian defender will have night mares tonight, as wevery ball on him seems to imply danger
-('25) Kanoute on the other side can only be stopped by the cooperation of three defenders
-('26) Mali want a penalty when #10 Coulibaly seems to fall over the leg of a defender. He had obviously sought the situation and dives theatralically. The referee says neither penalty nor diving.
-('28) huge error in the Kenyan defence: two defenders have the ball but are unsure who to take it. In runs Sissoko, takes it, runs towards the goal and scores by a low shot - 1:0
-('33) the Kenyan keeper races out in time to prevent Kanoute from a scoring opportunity
-Kenya are only slowly recovering from the shock
-('36) Mali: #10 Coulibaly with one of his famous long range power shots but across the bar
-('37) Kenya: Oliech again, alone against the Mali defence, he gets past the defenders but cannot beat the keeper from a closed angle.
-('38) Mali: Diarra with a good opportunity, hesitates, draws defenders on him, has two strikers open, but instead of passing tries himself and the shot is blocked
-('40) Mali: Kenya defend well against an attemted free kick trick
-('42) Kenya have a good counter opportunity, but a mistimed cross ends the promising situation, the next attempt is stopped by a close offside
-('44) Kenya: Oliech almost breaks through but can't control the long ball

halftime 1:0
Two teams with their strengths today in attack. The more inexperienced made the big error which caused the goal. Most conspicious: fast Kenyan striker Dennis Oliech who almost alone provided for the dangerous moments of his team..

2nd half:
-('48) Kenya come out attacking and nearly are gifted an opportunity when the Malian keeper misses a cross
-('51) Kenya Oliech makes the Malian defenders look like schoolboys once more but in the end has a too close angle and cannot get around the keeper
-('56) Kenya: huge opportunity, Kenyans play out the defence but a dfefender rescues on the goalline in the last second
-('57) Kenya: now attacking with more players, they have the Malian defence in chaos, a rebound ball is volleyed into the net from 15 meters by Mulama - 1:1
-('58) Kenya: the next opportunity
-the crowd is excited and pleased by the adventurous display of the outsiders, cheering at every Kenyan pass, whistling against Mali, when in possession
-('63) Mali answer unimprwessed like a class team: #12 Keita breaks through on the right hand side, races to the ground line, and makes a low pass back to Kanoute who takes it directly and scores from 10 meters, central to the goal - 2:1
-('64) Mali almost score the next one as Kenyan defence is still under shock, but Coulibaly targets right on the body of the keeper
-('67) Kenya find back into the game. Oliech is stopped in the last second by a tackle
-('71) Mali: Sidibe with a powerful long range shot but wide
-('74) Mali with a neat looking attack, but a shot
-('76) Mali: Kanoute gets a free kick from 18 meters, central to the goal
-('77) a defender from the wall steps out and blocks the shot by Diarra
-('78) Mali with a couple of crosses, well defended
-('80) Kenya: Oliech steals the ball from a defender but fires into the sky
-('80) Kenya: good save by the Malian keeper who saves against Ake with his foot. The substute had been perfectly set up by Oliech and fires full strength, but inaccurate
-('81) Mali: Kanoute shows how to do it: he is sent through and shoves the ball into the corner, more accurately than powerful - 3:1
-('90) Kenya: a promising free kick situation is blocked
-('90 3) The Kenyan keeper steals the ball from the foot of the broken through Kanoute

final score 3:1
The gap in experience and professionalism shone through when the less entertaining of the two sides, Mali beat outsiders Kenya. In person it was Premier League striker Freddy Kanoute who made an almost perfect exploit of his goal scenes while on the other side great talent Dennis Oliech tormented the Malian defence but could not find the back of the net.
Attacking football again and still no team without a goal at Tunisia 2004. Mali do have to improve and cannot rely on cynics against unexperienced defences when more stabile opponents challenge.