Africa Cup of Nations 2015: Schedule and how to watch on Day 9

The third round of the AFCON group stage begins today, so pay careful attention: both games today will be played at the same time, to avoid any of that messy so-and-so-threw-the-match nonsense. But with no one having yet qualified for the knockout stages, it’s unlikely there will be any hijinks going down. But by the end of the day we will know who’s through from Group A, so that’s fun!

Guess what? We had two 1-1 draws in Group D yesterday. Yes, that leaves the entire group on two points, with two goals scored and two conceded. If you’re not cheering on a drawing of lots, there’s something seriously wrong with you.

In the first match, Ivory Coast came back yet again. Mali had led for 80 minutes, taking the lead through a half-volley from Bakary Sako, when Max Gradel finally evened things up for the Ivorians. But let’s face it -- what everyone’s really talking about was this ridiculous nutmeg from Wilfried Bony.

After having to play catch-up in their opening match, Cameroon decided to take control early in Saturday’s game. Benjamin Moukandjo scored direct from a corner, putting the Indomitable Lions up before 15 minutes were out -- although really, he was helped along by goalkeeper Naby Yattara, who guided the ball into his own net. Before the break, however, Ibrahima Traoré had helped his side compensate for their mistakes, ensuring Guinea had their draw.

Progress! No matter what, by the end of the day we’ll know who’s going through to the quarterfinals and who’s headed home. This group looked a lock before the tournament started, with newly-hot teams Gabon and Burkina Faso both tipped to easily go through. Instead we’ve got Congo on top and no...we’re not really sure how it happened. Our only guess is that it’s transpired from some witchcraft performed by Claude Le Roy.

It says a lot, though, that even though Congo are top, no one really trusts that they’ll actually make it through. Which is a bit strange considering today’s opponents, Burkina Faso, have yet to produce even one goal. Congo could put on the brakes and get through with a draw, but if they want an easier opponent in the next round, they’ll need to try for a win, which means Burkina Faso could finally live up to expectations, sneak in a goal, and move on.

Gabon is a bit more comfortable, sitting second in the group, but they face a tougher-than-anticipated task against Equatorial Guinea. The hosts were meant to be the easy pushovers; instead they’ve yet to lose. It’s highly unlikely they’ll manage a win against Gabon, but they’ll make it uncomfortable enough that the Panthers shouldn’t assume they’ll take top honors in Group A.

Thanks to Wikipedia for keeping these standings up-to-date

Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Nuevo Estadio de Ebebiyín, Ebebiyín
Watch: beIN Sports Connect (USA and Canada); Eurosport 2 (where available); other viewing options available here

Time: 1 p.m. ET
Venue: Estadio de Bata, Bata
Watch: beIN Sports Connect (USA and Canada); Eurosport 1 (where available); other viewing options availablehere