OWN CORRESPONDENT, Kumasi, Ghana | Tuesday 8.30am.
AN African Nations Cup goal flow which brought 16 in five matches dried up on Monday when Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo drew 0-0 in a Group B clash dominated by the North Africans.
The result put 1996 champions South Africa clear at the top of the table with three points after defeating Gabon 3-1 in the opening match at the same venue 24 hours earlier.
Civil wars have severely hampered the preparations of Algeria and DR Congo and it showed in the first disappointing match of the three-day-old championship.
DR Congo, surprise bronze medalists behind Egypt and South Africa in the previous finals, were particularly poor with Michel Ngonge from English Premiership club Watford making no impression.
Another Congolese player expected to stamp his authority at Asokwa Stadium in the central Ghanaian city, Makaya N’Silulu from Tunisian giants Esperance, was equally ineffective and came off midway through the second half.
Goalkeeper Mkueni Mayala was the DR Congo hero, repeatedly showing superb anticipation as he dashed from goal to foil the creative Desert Warriors strikers.
Algeria coach Nasser Sandjak arrived at the team camp just one day before the match after being hospitalised with food poisoning in Benin, where the team played warm-up matches last week.
He will draw some satisfaction from his first international in charge of a team that has had seven coaches within two years as the North Africans did not collect even one point at the 1998 finals.
DR Congo settled for stalemate long before the final whistle while Algeria pressed forward even in injury time when Rezki Amrouche headed over off a corner.
There was a further scare for the Congolese as Farid Ghazi moved within sight of goal, but he fired wide as Mayala made a customary sprint off the goalline. — AFP