Camara on target as Senegal win

African Nations round-up : Wigan striker Henri Camara struck in the second half as subdued Senegal began their African Nations…

African Nations round-up: Wigan striker Henri Camara struck in the second half as subdued Senegal began their African Nations Cup campaign with victory over Zimbabwe.

The former Wolves frontman netted the first in a 2-0 Group D win over a Zimbabwe side who had a great chance to level at 1-0, only for new Portsmouth signing Mwaruwari Benjani to blunder from close range.

Substitute Issa Ba converted from close range, after good work from £3million man Camara, to make the game safe for a team strongly fancied to do well in the tournament.

The first half saw Senegal control possession, with Camara and El-Hadji Diouf asking questions of the Zimbabwe defence, but their finishing was haphazard.

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Bolton's Abdoulaye Faye dragged one shot wide, before Rahmane Barry ballooned the ball over the bar from Diomansy Kamara's cross, the West Brom man having run wide after beating goalkeeper Gift Muzadzi to the ball.

Camara had a goal ruled out for a handball offence before the break, but they needed to improve in the second half and did so.

The opener came after 59 minutes as Camara took Barry's pass in his stride, rounding goalkeeper Muzadzi and slotting into an unguarded net.

Benjani bustled his way into a goalscoring position 10 minutes later, but as Tony Sylva went to ground, he lifted the ball over the goalkeeper and the bar from six yards. With 10 minutes left, good work by Camara set up Ba's clincher.

Earlier, Nigeria profited from a momentary lapse in concentration from Ghana as they edged to a 1-0 victory in their opener.

A goalless draw looked the likely outcome until Marseille defender Taye Taiwo struck in the 84th minute with a low long-range drive following a quickly-taken free-kick which caught the Ghanaian defence napping.

Both sides were without arguably their most influential players, with Bolton's Nigerian Jay-Jay Okocha and Chelsea's Ghanaian Michael Essien not involved due to injury.