Africa Cup of Nations 2015: Schedule and how to watch on Day 5

Bad news, lovers of AFCON in the United States and Canada -- beIN Sports has decided Copa del Rey is much more appealing, and is showing Villarreal vs. Getafe rather than today’s second match. Express your displeasure by turning off the TV and turning on the online streaming service. Because after four days of thrills, spills, and unexpected surprises, we know it’s best to watch every minute of this tournament.

We promised you surprises from Group D. And surprises we got. No, not in the scoreline: this tournament seems to be producing 1-1 draws like maybe someone is paying for them. These shocks came in how the points materialized -- or at least, they were shocks to those not paying attention.

Or shocks to those not reading our helpful hints for the day. For instance, we warned you all that Ivory Coast was a mess at the back. But somehow, people still seemed astounded when Guinea, playing at pace, took the lead in the 36th minute through Mohamed Yattara’s sharp shot. By far the most dramatic moment of the game, though, was Gervinho’s red card. The Roma man had been one of the Ivorians’ few bright spots, but a hand to Naby Keita’s face meant he was given his marching orders. Gervinho instead decided to get down on the ground and beat his fists on the pitch. Ivory Coast eventually recovered from the histrionics, however, thanks to a beautiful bit of control from Wilfried Bony that enabled him to set up Seydou Doumbia for the 72nd minute equalizer.

The goals were slow to come in the second game, as expected from a Mali side that favors caution over attack and a Cameroon squad lacking in creativity. But despite their third-place finish in three consecutive AFCONs, Mali still managed to catch most off-guard when they took the lead, Sambou Yatabare slotting home from close range. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night, though, was that the equalizer came not from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (anonymous for much of the match) or even Vincent Aboubakar, but right-back Ambroise Oyongo, who collected his first goal for Cameroon.

Day 5 brings us full circle, back to Group A and the start of the second round. And the pressure’s already on. After falling 2-0 to Gabon last week, bottom-side Burkina Faso knows that anything less than an emphatic win against hosts Equatorial Guinea will leave them nearly unable to qualify. Problem is, those hosts have already showed that they’re not quite as bad as many had assumed. But their lack of preparation time for the tournament is still evident, and you get the sense that if Burkina Faso can just push them past the hour mark, Equatorial Guinea will once again start to fade. And that’s when the Stallions’ attack can finally live up to its hype -- provided they can put their shots on target this time, of course.

As for the second game, well...let’s just say if Congo pull off a result, that really will be a shock. Despite Burkina Faso’s persistent attack Gabon barely looked in danger throughout their first match, while it took nearly the full 90 minutes for Congo to find a draw. Congo, too, will be under pressure, having been unable to get three points from the group’s weakest link, and absolutely needing a result today. Expect them to buckle against Gabon’s determined youth.

thanks to Wikipedia for being on top of things with handy charts.

Time: 11 a.m. ET
Venue: Estadio de Bata, Bata
Watch: beIN Sports and beIN Sports Connect (USA and Canada); Eurosport 2 and Eurosport International (where available); other viewing options available here

Time: 2 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio de Bata, Bata
Watch: beIN Sports Connect (USA and Canada); Eurosport and Eurosport International (where available); other viewing options available here