A football supporter's guide to CAN 2017: Day 10

The combinations get complicated, Zimbabwe’s Nhamoinesu was robust, Algeria were on their way home, Ghana's Grant was candid and complaints about the pitch continued on day 10 of CAN 2017.

Tunisians celebrate their victory against Zimbabwe (4-2) in Libreville on 23 January 2017. Gabriel Bouys/AFP

1- They do know what’s going on.

The final phase of pool matches are played on two sites in order to stop sides doing a tacit deal. But that sort of thing clearly wouldn’t have happened in the day 10 matches. Senegal had already qualified following their victories over Tunisia and Zimbabwe. And because of previous results, Tunisia, Zimbabwe and Algeria all had a chance of joining Senegal in the quarter-finals from Group B. To advance, Algeria needed to overcome Senegal in Franceville by a healthier margin than Zimbabwe beating Tunisia in Libreville. For the Zimbabweans to progress, they needed to get past Tunisia and hope that Senegal beat Algeria. As for the Tunisians, they had to win or draw against Zimbabwe. Algeria’s players obviously knew what was going on in the match in the capital where Tunisia were cruising past Zimbabwe 4-2 and they were slogging their way to a 2-2 draw.

2- He knows what he’s doing.

The agricultural spirit of Ron "Chopper" Harris and Norman "Bites yer legs" Hunter was alive and kicking in the shape of Zimbabwe’s Costa Nhamoinesu. He was robustness personified and it has to be said the referee was boundlessly munificent allowing him to stay on the pitch particularly after one unedifying challenge on Yassine Khenissi. Towards the end of the match in Libreville the Tunisian players realised that with qualification secured at 4-2 up and officials seemingly sanctioning savagery, venturing near the defender might lead to a stint in the infirmary. So they stayed well clear. Thus Nhamoinesu – operating in a free trade zone – had his inner libero released. The 31-year-old’s abundant flock of dreadlocks swayed in the time and space afforded him in his realm.

3- Farewell Riyad.

At least the Leicester City faithful will be happy to have their men Riyad Mahrez and Islam Slimani back earlier than presumed. Algeria had been tipped as potential champions. But instead of hoisting the trophy on 5 February in Libreville, the Algerians are out after the group stages following a 2-2 draw with Zimbabwe, a 2-1 loss to Tunisia and a 2-2 draw with Senegal. Mahrez, 25, had been expected to be one of the stars of the 2017 competition along with the Gabon skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Like Mahrez, Aubameyang is on his way back to his club in Europe. So much for predictions.

4- Is it joined up or not?

I was pondering this as CAN's organiser, the Confederation of African Football, ditched its often wacky and surreal protocol for logic. Normally a day before each match, the head coach and a senior player from each team goes to the stadium in order to chew the fat with reporters. It saves the pack hounding them at their hotel or outside the front door of a newly discovered companion in the city. Ahead of the Group C match on day 11 in Port-Gentil between Togo and Democratic Republic of Congo’s main men turned up at the stadium. So far, so normal. But Ghana and Egypt’s leading lights were also convened to update journalists on the state of things in the camp. Ghana coach Avram Grant was clearly irked. When asked if he would make changes for the match against Egypt, the 61-year-old was his ever-candid self. "You need to wait and see because I need to say it first to the players and not to the media at a press conference 48 hours before the game. They [CAF] forced us to come because of other arrangements and two days before the game, not even I know what the team will be."

5- Pitched battle.

Avram Grant, the Ghana coach, has made his displeasure known about the state of the field at Port-Gentil. The Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor echoed his concern about facilities too. Having had a look at the playing surface after his team’s arrival from Oyem for their final Group C match against Democratic Republic of Congo, the 32-year-old said it was a shame that with so much media coverage of the Cup of Nations that organisers couldn’t provide a decent park for the lads. The Ghana skipper, Asamoah Gyan, dealt majestically with the curveball about whether Ghana would effectively take a fall – not difficult on the Port-Gentil surface - to avoid playing their quarter-final on the sand dunes. "We want to maintain our 100 percent record," said Gyan. "We want to build our confidence in every game."