https://www.myjoyonline.com/ft-live-update-dr-congo-1-3-ivory-coastelephants-overpower-resilient-dr-congo-side/-------https://www.myjoyonline.com/ft-live-update-dr-congo-1-3-ivory-coastelephants-overpower-resilient-dr-congo-side/

DR Congo have showed great focus to put pressure on the Elephants despite being two goals down. Referee whistles for the end of the game. A pulsating game. Ivory Coast are in their second finals in three years. They have lived up to the tag as contenders.

90' Manhester City new signing Winfried Bony is off for Lacina Traore

88' DR Congo throwning in the kitchen sink after some sustained attacks. Ivory Coast comfortable and confident in their own half to run down the clock

87' Gervinho pulls out a save from Kidiaba after his typical run into the box.

85' Poor defending by Serge Aurier goes unpunished after a back header meant for Sylvain almost fell to two DR Congo attackers

80' Great chance for DR Congo leveller as a header misses the near post from a corner on the left.

78' Mubele comes on in a DR Congo substitution. Cedric Makiadi is off.

75' Aurier gets a yellow card for time-wasting?

Great curl of a shot from some 18 yards but the DR Congo attempt is a little too high.

70' Ivory Coast is depending on the right flank for most of the attacks. And Yaya Toure is getting very involved in most of them.

68' Goal!!!!!!! Kanon knocks off the ball with his knee and into the goal after Kidiaba punched out a header. Yaya Toure cross panicked the defence. It was connected by Serge Aurier and canonned in by Kanon. Ivory Coast will feel safe.

66' Kiritcho Kasusula picks up a yellow after leaving Ivory Coast's Wilfried Bony

62' Substitution: Gradel comes off for Salomon Kalou. after DR Congo's goal scorer Mbokani comes off for Junior Kabananga. Strange substitution you would think and he is not happy with it.

59' Yaya Toure cannot be faulted today. The captain is peaking just when Ivory Coast need him. Beautiful shot inside the 18-yard box after darting in from the right. But Kidiaba punches it out at the near post.

55' End to end stuff here. DR Congo will make Ivory Coast today. They are so all over the pitch.

54' Ivory Coast dish out an attack in return. But inside the box, Yaya Toure falls off the box just when he could pull the trigger. An early shot had flied across the goal minutes earlier.

53' Great save by Ivory Coast keeper after an attacker DR Congo's Yannick Bolasie runs across the 18-yard box and despite the effort by four defenders lined up to discourage him, he fires a shot which needed the outstreched leg of the keeper, Slyvain to keep  it out.

47' Gervinho is wasteful!!! Too much time on the ball as he outruns his marker and runs on the edge of the corner line and right into Robert Kidiaba's arms.

46' Sergio Aurier is now trudging onto the pitch a minute after the game has started. Nobody noticed his absence.

45’  Ivory Coast trade an attack after A DR Congo shot inside the box is parried off .

DR Congo have resumed their ambition with a visible determination.

HT:

44' AS Roma attacker wastes too much time on the ball after cutting into the penalty box. His shot is blocked before it could breath a threat.

40' Gervinho goal!!!!!!!!!! Lovely finish from a nice curl on the ball to beat the keeper on a oneo-on-one situation!!!! The three-pronged attack works to perfection as Gervinho, Bony and Serey arched around the box after a counter-attack. He could pass, he could shot. He took the latter and wow what a finish!!

39' Gervinho header inside the box is goal bound but it is headed out daringly by a defender to cannon off  the inside of the cross bar and out. DR Congo live to fight on. The ball is cleared from the panic area. Great chance to push for a lead!! Gervinho is on fire!!

38' Gervinho is brought down legally at the edge of the box, the referee allows play to continue. Seconds earlier, Bolassie was blocked off a shot.

36' Ivory Coast keeper Sylvain Gbohouo streches to push out a shot by goalscorer Mbokani after Bolassie teed him up nicely from the left.

33' Boubacar Barry warming-up. Is the keeper coming out so soon? No the treatment on the field is enough for him. He will continue.

33' Yaya Toure to take a freekick from a distance. His scorcher is still fresh in DR Congo's mind. Anything can happen with CAF plyaer of the year behind the ball. Good low shot as it cuts past the near post.

Both teams have sized up each other enough and after drawing blood from each other, they have settled down.

30' What a fluid situation!!!! DR Congo are fighting with everything.The game has been fired up. Yaya Toure is in the book after criticising referee Cameroon referee Neant Alioum in front of his face

22' Penalty for DR Congo get a penalty!!!! Eric Bailly handled the ball from a cross into the box. Dieumerci Mbokani converts with a low shot to the right. Mbokani has three goals to his name.

19' Goaaal!!!!!!! A thunderbolt by Yaya Toure from almost nothing after Bony pushes the ball into Toure's path for the on-rushing Man City player to connect power with precision through the center of the goal. Beautiful!!!!!

 

14' Yaya Toure freekick into the box from the right is punched out. The follow-up shot is low,aggessive but off target.

9' An attacker runs down the left but he backtracks after running into two Ivorian defenders. He looks for support with a pass across the edge of the box. A Nice tee-up but the shot is poor.

DR Congo showing great ambition running at the Ivorians.

6' Bokila and Mbokani good chance to score inside the Ivorian penalty. Bokila snap shot at a cross into the box is pushed out by the keeper. The rebound against a defender is squandered by Mbokani after a volley wide over the bar.

The first semi-final clash at AFCON 2015 between DR Congo and Ivory Coast is on.The odds are heavily in favour of Ivory Coast in this semi-final clash with surprise contenders DR Congo in this semi-final clash at AFCON 2015

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DR Congo's Peterborough United defender Gabriel Zakuani recovers from a sprained ankle to make the first XI. Crystal Palace's lively winger Yannick Bolasie is also selected.

 

Ivory Coast's Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote is fit again having missed the last two matches with an ankle problem - he starts on the bench. Manchester City's Wilfried Bony is up front in a starting XI that includes City midfielder Yaya Toure, his brother and Liverpool defender Kolo and Roma winger Gervinho.

So what of DR Congo?

They've sneaked through to this stage, in all fairness.

Coach Florent Ibenge's side drew all three matches and reached the quarters because they scored more goals than Cape Verde.

But then came their performance in arguably the best match - OK, best second half - of the tournament so far, against neighbours Congo.

Two goals conceded in the second half with 28 minutes remaining, DR Congo looked set for the exit. But, oh no.

Dynamo Kiev striker Dieumerci Mbokani inspired the fight back, as the Leopards recorded an astonishing 4-2 win.

Crystal Palace's Yannick Bolasie didn't even score. His team are peaking at the right time.

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DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.