NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso coach Paul Put, whose own career was blighted by his involvement in a match-fixing scandal in Belgium in 2005, says the problem has always existed in soccer and little can be done.

The Belgian has made progress in his bid to rehabilitate his reputation by taking the unfancied side to the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Wednesday but his murky past has become a focus in the build-up since the release of Europol’s report this week detailing widespread European match-fixing.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa (Reuters) – Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said the controversial Mbombela Stadium pitch in Nelspruit will not be a distraction for his players in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final against Burkina Faso.

Much of the grass had been killed by a fungus in the build-up to the tournament after recent heavy rains and had to have a coating of sand, leaving it hard and patchy in a major embarrassment to organisers.

NELSPRUIT, South Africa, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah said the controversial Mbombela Stadium pitch in Nelspruit will not be a distraction for his players in Wednesday’s African Nations Cup semi-final against Burkina Faso.

Much of the grass had been killed by a fungus in the build-up to the tournament after recent heavy rains and had to have a coating of sand, leaving it hard and patchy in a major embarrassment to organisers.

NELSPRUIT (Reuters) – Ghana and Nigeria hope they are headed for a heavyweight clash in the African Nations Cup final but Mali and Burkina Faso could well emerge as the spoilers in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

For the first time in Nations Cup history, all four semi-finalists are from the west African region and while Ghana and Nigeria have the pedigree, Mali appeared to have the most depth while Burkina Faso proved the surprise package.

NELSPRUIT (Reuters) – Ghana and Nigeria hope they are headed for a heavyweight clash in the African Nations Cup final but Mali and Burkina Faso could well emerge as the spoilers in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

For the first time in Nations Cup history, all four semi-finalists are from the west African region and while Ghana and Nigeria have the pedigree, Mali appeared to have the most depth while Burkina Faso proved the surprise package.

NELSPRUIT, Feb 5 (Reuters) – Ghana and Nigeria hope they are headed for a heavyweight clash in the African Nations Cup final but Mali and Burkina Faso could well emerge as the spoilers in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

For the first time in Nations Cup history, all four semi-finalists are from the west African region and while Ghana and Nigeria have the pedigree, Mali appeared to have the most depth while Burkina Faso proved the surprise package.

RUSTENBURG (Reuters) – Didier Drogba still has ambitions of competing at the next World Cup but his chances of national team honours to add to a glittering array of club prizes are now surely over.

His hopes fizzled out in meek fashion on Sunday as the Ivory Coast were eliminated in the African Nations Cup, losing 2-1 to Nigeria in the Rustenburg quarter-final.

RUSTENBURG, Feb 4 (Reuters) – Didier Drogba still has ambitions of competing at the next World Cup but his chances of national team honours to add to a glittering array of club prizes are now surely over.

His hopes fizzled out in meek fashion on Sunday as the Ivory Coast were eliminated in the African Nations Cup, losing 2-1 to Nigeria in the Rustenburg quarter-final.

RUSTENBURG, South Africa (Reuters) – Burkina Faso and Nigeria completed the line-up for the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Sunday as tournament favourites Ivory Coast again failed to live up to expectations.

Burkina Faso beat Togo 1-0 thanks to an extra-time goal from Jonathan Pitroipa in Nelspruit after Nigeria’s upset 2-1 win over the much-vaunted Ivorians in Rustenburg had thrown the tournament wide open.

RUSTENBURG, South Africa, Feb 3 (Reuters) – Burkina Faso and Nigeria completed the line-up for the African Nations Cup semi-finals on Sunday as tournament favourites Ivory Coast again failed to live up to expectations.

Burkina Faso beat Togo 1-0 thanks to an extra-time goal from Jonathan Pitroipa in Nelspruit after Nigeria’s upset 2-1 win over the much-vaunted Ivorians in Rustenburg had thrown the tournament wide open.