AFCON day four: You have to give your all over 90 minutes... or for as long as Janny Sikazwe allows

We're delighted to report about a highly eventful day in the Africa Cup of Nation. Also, we're utterly annoyed by some of the things we've seen today. We're looking at you, Janny!

The trend of this 'Binary tournament' continued. All three matches today ended with the same scoreline of 1-0. Those are great for the teams that won, of course, but the neutrals would like to see some high-scoring affairs. It's not much to ask, is it?

AFCON 2021: Comical refereeing overshadows Mali's win over Tunisia

This is what dreams are made of: Gambia win in their maiden AFCON fixture

Elephants in the mud: Ivory Coast barely deserve the points against National Thunder

Also, is it much to ask for a referee to have a working wristwatch and acceptable eyesight? Oh, yes, Janny, we are absolutely looking at you!

Which brings us to...

Loser of the day - Janny Sikazwe

Zambian official Janny Sikazwe had the nightmare of refereeing performances in Tunisia’s defeat to Mali. Things like awarding two controversial penalties are not that uncommon and we could forgive him for it. But his horror show in the final minutes was an utter abomination. Sikazwe sent Mali's Al Bilal Toure off and ended the match before the 90 minutes were up – twice. His actions today made the world take notice of AFCON for all the wrong reasons. We're naming him the loser of the day, but it's probably the African football that lost because of Sikazwe.

Goal of the day - Max Gradel

When most of the team isn't playing well enough, the captain's role is to inspire those around him. And if the other players are too lethargic, the captain has to do it all by himself. That's was the story of Ivory Coast skipper Max Gradel in his team's narrow win over Equatorial Guinea. His great strike settled the match and have the Elephants the expected, but barely deserved victory. The goal itself was a great hit from just outside the box that darted into the roof of the net. An unstoppable shot.

Hero of the day - Ablie Jallow

The Gambian winger has done what no Gambian has ever done before - he scored a goal at AFCON. His match-winner would have gone down in folklore even if it had been a simple tap-in, but the fact it was a long-range belter will make it all the sweeter. What a strike and what a moment for Jallow. He's the hero of the nation and he's Mozzart Sport Kenya's Hero of the day.

The most patient team of the day - Mauritania

Singing your national anthem and watching the nation's flag with pride just before the big game is an important moment for players and fans alike. But Mauritania players had to skip that bit. Their players looked on in bemusement, some shaking their heads, as two unsuccessful attempts were made to play the country's national anthem before their Gambia match. The stadium announcer said Mauritania would then sing it themselves. Instead, a third try was quickly cut short after the country's old anthem was played once more. The players eventually stood and applauded despite being treated with a humiliatingly unpleasant surprise from the PA system. They ought to be congratulated for their patience and decorum. The Gambian anthem rang out as planned.

What was it that caught your eye today? The grand average of 1.00 goals per game? The officials' incompetence? The failure to play the national anthem of Mauritania? Do tell!

And don't forget to join us tomorrow for Mozzart Sport Kenya's coverage of the continent's biggest festival of football, top-notch refereeing and high-scoring encounters!