Goalkeeper Kossi Agassa was the Togo hero as they drew 0-0 with Ivory Coast Monday in an African Nations Cup Group C match.
Agassa, who quits top Ivorian club Africa Sports for Metz in France after the biennial continental championship, produced a string of first-half saves as the `Elephants` threatened to trample their opponents.
But the goalkeeper refused to capitulate, making brave double saves from Ibrahima Bakayoko and Kader Keita and, soon after half-time, stopped a point-blank header by Aruna Dindane. p
While the Togolese Hawks smiled at the final whistle in the south-west Mali town, the Ivorians must view the result as two points lost in a pool expected to be dominated by defending champions Cameroon.
The `Indomitable Lions` defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 Sunday in the first of six mini-league matches with the group winners and runners-up advancing to the quarter-finals.
Ivory
Coast began the 2000 tournament in Ghana with a draw against Togo and ended up spending three days in an army camp, where they attended lectures in discipline and patriotism by the then military rulers.
Much was expected of an Ivory Coast squad boasting top-class strikers in Bakayoko of Marseille, Dindane of Anderlecht, Bonaventure Kalou of Feyenoord and Keita of Tunisian outfit Etoile Sahel.
Coach Lama Bamba began with Bakayoko, Dindane and Keita, but their failure to break down the red-shirted Togolese led to Bakayoko and Dindane making way for Tunisia-based Kandia Traore and Kalou midway through the second half.
But the underdogs refused to lie down and almost snatched a shock victory in injury time when Ivorian Habib Toure hit the woodwork when attempting a clearance.
The Ivorians have much the tougher second-round assignment, confronting three-time champions Cameroon Friday while Togo tackle DR Congo 24 hours later.
