Your friendly ref

but

isn't a yellow card a warning? So why warn for a yellow card? what is it: two warnings is a yellow, two yellows a red? And were does it stop? Imagine a pre-warning. You could make two pre-warnings a warning. And can the ref remember all his warnings? Who he gave them to? Maybe he could write it down, use a card. A warning for a warning card.
And the talking to, it did didn't really work. Luckily no one was hurt, so maybe El Fatah (is that his surname?) was right after all.

match

Very boring at the start, an attack with no more than three and only one doing all the work - losing the ball of course, then a minute or three jut passing the ball then another attack with only three guys of which one etc. This was the first hour, then it got better. t could as easily be a tactic: the Zambians stayed fit until the very end. As if their coach knew it was going to be a long night.

coach

definitely the best dressed coach in Africa, in his white dress shirt standing cool next to the dug out. Have you ever tried wearing a shirt like that in the heat? But he is good, this guy. This match and his team should feature in an instruction DVD for coaches called "how to beat a better team". The Zambian players were very fit and disciplined (but not really good enough so they didn't beat the better team in the end).

smart

The Zambians spread their cards, taking turns kicking Nigerians. Nigeria did not do that and the only Nigerian with a yellow, fouled again.