Senegal 2-2 Tunisia

WHAT A GOAAALL! Senegal 2-2 Tunisia (Traoui 82') Mnari rolled the ball to Traoui, who sized up his options and decided that rocketing the ball into the top corner from 35 yards was the best course of action, and did just that. Behold the Tunisian fairy godmother!

79 min: Like Cinderella's ugly sisters, Senegal are intent on hogging the ball. Tunisia will need magic to thwart it but they're desperately short of fairy godmothers.

76 min: With ease Senegal are absorbing the best Tunisia can throw at them and look capable of adding a third whenever they feel like. At this point, let me remind you to come back to GU later to see Brian Oliver's blog on his experience in Tamale today - I've had a sneak preview and it's great.

73 min: Camara scurries down the right and curls a nice cross towards Niang, who's felled - legally - by a fine Falhi tackle.

70 min: That's more like it from Zaeim, who picked up a flick-on at the edge of the box, paused, and then effected a dainty lob over the keeper ... and just wide.

68 min: Zaiem, a substitute for Santos, shows why he started on the bench by shanking the ball high over the bar from 25 yards.

GOAL! Senegal 2-1 Tunisia (Kamara 66') A Senegalese corner sparked chaos in the Tunisian box as defenders slashed frantically at the ball yet failed to clear it. Eventually the ball makes its way to Kamara, who sweeps it gratefully into the net from five yards. Thoroughly deserved for Senegal, and just punishment for Tunisia's cowardly negativity.

62 min: Senegalese change: Mendy replaced by Henri Camara, Senegal's record goalscorer and the man who basks in the nickname ""the rabbit with a rifle".

59 min: What a miss! What an absolutely absurd miss! I'll say it again: WHAT A MISS! Mendy lashed down the left and cut a fine ball back across the face of goal. Niang cantered on to it and, from five yards out and right in front of goal, he slashes it madly wide.

58 min: Another Tunisian is booked for blatant diving. This Japanese referee is excellent - when he's finished in Africa, can we have him at the European Championships please?

56 min: Tunisia appear to be settling for a draw. Whether the more ambitious Senegal will allow them that luxury remains to be seen, of course. "I've just seen your photo," announces Chawupi Kalinga. "How nice of you, after basking in European and World Cup glory as a Frenchman, to remember in your retirement that you are in fact Ghanaian. I hope Ben Parker wins."

54 min: It's been a cracking second half so far, much better than the first. Kasraoui has just produced a splendid double-save from Diouf, who'd been set up after some clever work by Sall.

51 min: Absolutely scandalous dive by Santos, who collapsed in the Senegalese box with Faye about three yards away from him. The referee righteously brandishes a yellow card.

49 min: Wonderful play by Senegal. Several slick passes around midfield culminated with Diouf sliding a tidy ball through to Kamara, who clipped it over the out-rushing keeper - and wide. "Well, since you do ask," retorts Chawupi Kalinga. "I wonder if it isn't partially the result of a trend in Europe towards prioritising size and speed over talent and technique. With so many African players being scouted by European clubs these days, it wouldn't surprise me to find that many skilful players are being overlooked in the rush to find the next supreme physical specimen." You could be on to something, Chawupi.

46 min: They're off. And within seconds Diouf has a superb opportunity to score, king-playmaker Kamara dinking a sweet ball over the top, but Diouf's shot lacked power, accuracy and even dignity. In short, it was a disgrace. Elsewhere, Ben Parker has risen to my challenge so we're going to have right royal rumble somewhere in Accra next month. To facilitate this, he has courageously sent me a photo of himself

Half-time: For your half-time refreshment, how about some food for thought? "Given that African football, like South American football, has traditionally been associated with individual flair and dynamism, doesn't it seem surprising that, perhaps Egypt and Morocco aside, none of the heavyweights in this tournament seem to have a genuine playmaker in their ranks?" blurts Chawupi Kalinga. "Diomansy Kamara may well have a great number of talents, but effectively impersonating a No10 clearly isn't one of them." It's a good point, Chawupi. Apart from Pascal Feindouno and the injured Stephen Appiah, I can't think of any other playmaker in the top teams. To what should we attribute this? An inexplicable mini-phenomenon? The increasing influence of European coaching?

GOAL! Senegal 1-1 Tunisia (Sall 45') Jaidi attempts to intercept a Ndoye through-ball but instead just prods into the path of Sall, who accepts the gift by rifling it into the net for a deserved equalizer!

42 min: Tunisia enter the Senegalese half for the first time since their goal and the shock is so much for them that Chikaoui lets the ball run away from him and straight to Faye, who lumps it back up the where it belongs. "Why don't you give us an exciting update on the grass situation," demands-to-know Emma Grimsdottir. "Is it too long? Too short this time maybe? Or just right?" It looks tip-top to me, Emma, and just the right shade of green too.

40 min: Diouf, surrounded by three defenders, wins a throw-in near the corner flag. Beye hurls it into the box. Bekri butts it back out again. Meanwhile, Ben Parker has a reason for following this commentary and it's not because he has a Tunisian boyfriend, or at least that's what he says. "The reason is because I'll be in Ghana for the knock-out stages!" Funnily enough, so will I. In case you want to hunt me down and punish me for that boyfriend barb, let me tell you that I'm up for the fight - so if you see me, just come right up and smack me in the chops. To help you, here's my photo.

37 min: Senegal are now camped in Tunisian territory but, like spoon-wielding surgeons, are probing ineffectively. "My boyfriend is Tunisian!" squeals Sally Portis. "So I simply have to watch the match." Thank you for giving my work meaning, Sally.

34 min: Beye hurtles down the right but again botches his cross. "I stuck a few bob on Sudan to get out of their group after your preview of the tournament," gushes John McKay. "What went wrong?" You underestimated me, that's what, you cad.

31 min: Diouf lofts a corner over everyone's head. Bayal scampers to retrieve it and then balloons it back into the box. The Japanese ref whistles for offside, which is Gary Naylor's cue to parp: "I note that the referee hails from Japan. I'm all for referees being drawn from all over the world (why don't refs "play" overseas like players do - they could only improve as a result) but I find it surprising that the African Cup of Nations isn't officiated exclusively by African officials. Any reason for that?" As far as I know, Gary, it's part of some cooperative arrangement between the two confederations, whereby Asian officials occasionally take part in the African showpiece and African counterparts do likewise in the Asian one.

27 min: Following that spurt of Senegalese attacking, Tunisia have resolved to go all-out defence - a strategy that is aided by some woeful crossing by Beye. In other news, vanity tells me that my email system is kaput. Unhappily, the IT boffins insist it's fine. Which means I must face the sad truth that nobody is interested is following this here commentary. Good, I guess this is my chance to publish all those sordid and scandalous stories I've heard about various footballers but normally can't reveal for legal reasons ...

24 min: Diouf feeds Niang who turns quickly past Felhi and unleashes a low shot that skids past the keeper ... and the post.

23 min: Kamara, who, Fulham fans may be amused to hear, seems to fancy himself as a midfield playmaker, picks up the ball in the middle, surveys his options like a general scanning a battle-field ... then rolls the ball to Diouf, two yards away.

21 min: Zouaghi attempts to stroll out of defense but is quickly reminded that he's more Bramble than Beckenbauer - he loses the ball and is fortunate that Sayal overhit his subsequent pass.

18 min: Ndoye lets fly with a ferocious long-rang rasper. Felhi blocks it bravely and the rebound almost falls to Diouf. But doesn't.

15 min: Chikaoui nicks the ball off Niang and sprints forward before being pole axed by Mendy. As they get more ragged, Senegal are also becoming increasingly dirty. They may well finish this game with more cards than David Blaine.

12 min: Senegal seem stunned and disoriented and Tunisia are starting to strut about provocatively ...

GOAL! Senegal 0-1 Tunisia (Jomaa 10')) Completely against the run of play and all too easy: Jomaa exchanged a straight-forward one-two with Bekri and then hit the ball first-time from a difficult angle on the left side of the box. Sylva seemed to be taken by surprise and let the ball slide under him and into the far corner.

9 min: A Tunisian makes it all the way into the Senegalese box! But he forgot the ball. Faye collects the abandoned orb, suppresses his chuckle and jogs forward.

8 min: Kamara steals possession mid-way inside the Tunisian half and instantly slips the ball through to Diouf. A cruel bobble takes it away from the striker, allowing Tunisia to scramble it clear. But already a Senegalese goal seems inevitable. Ish.

6 min: Senegal are pressing very high up the pitch - and it's working because Tunisia haven't yet touched the ball outside their own half.

4 min: Niang latches on to a long ball and storms straight into the box. Under pressure from Haggui he thunders the ball fractionally wide.

3 min: Niang's clearly a marked man and is currently writhing on the parched ground after being chopped down by Felhi. Diouf comes across to swing in the free-kick - it's a beautiful ball and Bekri had to reac smartly to nod it behind for a corner before Kamara pounced.

1 min: We have kick-off, Senegal setting the game in motion and managing not to start a fight in the process. "The English patient was also shot in Tunisia," reveals Bill Ceccotti. "Let's hope the match doesn't got that way - ie hours of boredom."

4:56pm: "Come on boys!" hollers Diouf after the Senegalese anthem. The reason he was so clearly audible is that the attendance in Tamala is tiny - the 24,000=seater stadium is about 1/19th full.

4:52pm: Out stomp the teams, escorted by riot police - is the rivalry really that explosive?

Preamble:
All the best scenes of Raiders of the Lost Ark were, of course, filmed in Tunisia but none of them starred a stroppy Senegalese football team spurred on by a seething sense of injustice - which means today's Group D grudge clash could be more thrilling than anything Indiana Jones* ever served up.

Senegal have been lusting for vengeance ever since the 2004 quarter-final, when hosts Tunisia knocked them out 1-0, the goal coming despite the fact that El-hadji Diouf was convinced he'd been fouled in the build up. Diouf was sent off for protesting and the matched ended with the pitch engulfed in freakish fog and players and officials exchanging insults and sneaky slaps .... and it continued this week in Ghana, with Diouf promising to "avenge" that defeat and a senior member of the Senegalese FA decking a Tunisian journalist. Diouf's been so fired up all that he clattered team-mate Frédéric Mendy in training yesterday, but the midfielder has passed a late fitness test and will play. What a trooper.

Diouf's Senegal's captain but no longer their best player (in fact, even though he was twice voted African Footballer of the Year, he was never their best player) - Mamadou Niang is the main man now, and one of the principal reasons why Senegal, who haven't beaten Tunisia since 1989, must surely start as favorites. In addition to their superior offensive skill, the Teranga Lions are also faster and more powerful than their opponents and have been in much better form over the last 18 months. Having said that, Tunisian club sides, from which much of their national team is drawn, dominated African club competitions this year, a fact that has led their manager, Roger Lemerre, to suggest the conditions they'll be more comfortable with the conditions in Tamale.

My prediction? The admirable attacking intent that has characterized the tournament so far will continue - and possibly spill over into bare aggression. Goals and red cards a gogo, then.

For more on the Group that South African will prop up, go here. And for all sorts of other guff and jive from Ghana, go here. You know you want to.

*Who amongst us can honestly say we don't regularly delay entering trains or elevators just so that we can then heroically jump in nanoseconds before the doors slam shut, thus injecting a little Indy magic into our otherwise humdrum daily lives?

Teams:Tunisia: 1-Hamdi Kasraoui; 14-Chaker Zouaghi, 5-Wissem
Bekri, 6-Radhouane Falhi, 15-Radhi Jaidi, 3-Karim Hagui,
12-Joahar Mnari, 21-Mejdi Traoui, 17-Issam Jomaa,
11-Francileudo dos Santos, 9-Yassine Chikhaoui

Senegal: 1-Tony Sylva; 21-Habib Beye, 5-Souleymane Diawara,
20-Abdoulaye Faye, 3-Guirane Ndaw; 15-Diomansy Kamara,
18-Frederic Mendy, 10-Ousmane Ndoye, 12-Moustapha Bayal Sall;
11-El Hadji Diouf, 8-Mamadou Niang

Referee: Yuichi Nichimura (Japan)