Key events
34 mins: Akapo is up and I think looking back, a booking is far. Daniel Amokachi agrees, having originally suggested a red.
32 mins: The referee allows advantage after a foul, allowing Machin to get a shot in from distance but it flies just over.
Ouedraogo is booked for his dangerous challenge on Akapo. Will VAR intervene here?
30 mins: EQ are always keen to get 11 men behind the ball and make life very difficult for BF. It is working because BF are struggling to find a way through. A desperate cross from deep is easily claimed by the goalkeeper.
28 mins: Zuniga gets a good clattering, causing him to yell in pain.
Another EQ cross goes into the box and is easily claimed by goalkeeper Koffi, who is yet to be tested.
26 mins: Clumsy defending from Coco, results in needlessly giving away a corner. It is chipped to the back post but ends up going over everyone’s head.
24 mins: Ndong is cleared out in the box by Ouattara, but the referee takes a wee while to give he foul.
22 mins: BF get in and around the box but every shot they take is blocked, forcing them out and wide.
20 mins: EQ get into a good position but Asue whacks his shot well over from 25 yards.
18 mins: A few moments of sloppy play break up the rhythm.
16 mins: Daniel Amokachi on co-comms is what we all wanted for Christmas.
14 mins: The referee has a word with Kabore regarding a 50:50 with Orozco, who has made meal of it.
12 mins: The corner is played short but EQ fail to beat the first man.
Traore volleys a cross alongside the six-yard line but the goalkeeper gathers after a deflection. The BF skipper claims there is a handball involved but it clearly hits the defender’s chest.
10 mins: EQ might be eager to just keep this game goalless for as long as possible. They are not getting on the ball much. Saying that, Ndong flies down the left and puts a cross into the box, which is headed behind.
8 mins: A smart pass beyond the EQ defence reaches Outtara. The Brentford man looks to pick out Kabore for a tap in but Coco does well to steer the ball behind.
The resulting corner reaches Dayo at the back post but Ndong clears the header off the line.
6 mins: A reckless and late challenge from Ndong takes out Yago. He catches him on the shin but the referee thinks a free-kick is punishment enough.
4 mins: Bertrand Traore offers a threat on the edge of the box but pulls his shot wide after beating a couple of defenders. Burkina Faso looking the livelier early on.
2 mins: Outtara is called up for a foul when trying to glide past someone.
The rain seems to have slowed the playing surface down a bit, leaving players to wait for the ball to arrive.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
It looks a touch damp in Casablanca but is brightening up slightly. Rain has really been an issue in the opening few games. The crowd, like in Mali v Zambia, is very sparse.
Will Mohamed Salah still be a Liverpool player by the time Afcon concludes? John Duerden looks at the prospect of the Egyptian forward moving to Saudi.
Burkina Faso head coach Brama Traoré: “We are in Morocco to live up to our country’s reputation, and since our arrival we have focused on addressing the areas where we had shortcomings. We know that every team aims to win its first match in the tournament, and that is a legitimate objective for us as well.
“We are here to defend our national flag, and we believe this is the best tournament, with all conditions well provided. In any case, we are aiming to achieve something in this competition.
“The first match is just as important as the others. We are targeting a place in the semi-finals and want to give our very best in this tournament.”
Today’s match will be shown on 4Seven in the UK. The buildup will mainly consist of a festive episode of Frasier.
And if you need anymore hot Afcon content, I’ve done my bit.
Ed Aarons on the announcement Afcon is changing to be every four years and the impact of the decision.
Catch up with yesterday’s action at Afcon.
Starting lineups
Burkina Faso (4-3-3): Koffi; Tapsoba, Yago, Dayo, Kouassi; Ouedraogo, Sangare, Toure; L Kabore, Ouattara, B Traore
Subs: Ayinde, Aziz Ki, Badolo, Bouda, Djiga, I Kabore, Irie, Monoungou, Nikiema, F Ouedraogo, Simpore, L Traore, Zougrana
Equatorial Guinea (4-1-4-1): Owono; Aka, Orozco, Coco, Ndong; Mascarell; Zuniga, Machin, Ganet; Asue; Salvador
Subs: Esono, Anieboh, Balboa, Buyla, Embela, Eneme, Masogo, Obiang, Miranda, C Ondo, Nsue, J Nabil Ondo, Sapunga, Senra
If you have any memories of watching football on Christmas Eve, do let me know. I can’t really remember any …
Preamble
Festive greetings to you and your loved ones. I can’t remember many experiences of live football on Christmas Eve, so we better embrace. It is a final chance to avoid our families for a couple of hours.
Burkina Faso begin their Afcon campaign with plenty of hope. Over the past 12 years they have finished second, third and fourth, and will be optimistic of going a long way in the tournament. Sunderland’s Bertrand Traore is the skipper but there is no shortage of quality in the squad. Dango Outtarra of Brentford is the other Premier League representative, while right-back Issa Kabore, who wears the No 9 shirt, is another experienced player with over 50 caps despite only being 24 years old.
Who could forget Equatorial Guinea skipper Emilio Nsue’s spells with Middlesbrough and Birmingham? He is still going strong at 36 but is plying his trade in the Spanish third tier. The country has never qualified for the World Cup and its best Afcon performance was in 2015 when they came fourth. This year progress to the knockout stages would be their best bet, and a good start today would set them on their way.
Kick-off: 12.30pm GMT
