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CAN round-up: Equatorial Guinea's Balboa punches above weight A brief round-up of the African Cup of Nations opening day in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon
Best Player: Javier-Angel Balboa (Equatorial Guinea) Javier-Angel Balboa stole the show after guiding co-hosts Equatorial Guinea to a surprise 1-0 victory over Libya in their opening African Cup of Nations encounter on Saturday. The pacey forward scored the winner with four minutes remaining, running onto a deft through pass from substitute Daniel Edeko before coolly slotting home with acurling shot. He also kept Libya defenders on their toes throughout the match, repeatedly exploiting the gaps in their shaky defence. Watch Balboa's goal Best Goal: Dame N'Doye (Senegal) Substitute Dame N'Doye pulled one back for Senegal but his strike was not enough to prevent his side from a surprise 2-1 defeat by Zambia. It was all about his neat control, as he superbly tamed a cross with his chest on the left hand side of the area, cut inside his marker and beat the keeper at the near post with a low right-foot shot. Watch N'Doye's goal Brief overview The pace and agility of Equatorial Guinea's forwards were too good for Libya, who appeared sluggish throughout the game. The hosts kept sending incisive passes behind the lethargic defenders until Balboa netted the decisive winner four minutes from time. In the other Group A game, some woeful Senegal defending allowed Zambia to claim a 2-1 upset victory over one of the favourites to lift the trophy next month. Senegal's constant reliance on an offside trap has also backfired, giving Zambia the green light to carve out many clear-cut chances during the game. Catch of the day: Needless handball Zambia keeper Kennedy Mweene needlessly gifted Senegal a free kick when he chased a deflected shot on the stroke of halftime. The 27-year-old, who plays for South African side Free State Stars, was expected to clear the ball away as it bounced outside the penalty area, but he instead handled it despite being under no pressure from Senegal players. Watch Mweene's handball (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online sports on Twitter: @AO_Sports)
