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Captain Cisse On Target
Written by Newcastle Utd
Papiss Cisse scored for Senegal on Saturday night, but couldn't prevent them slipping to a 4-2 defeat against Ivory Coast
By Anthony Marshall - Newcastle United Club Reporter
Papiss Cisse scored for Senegal on Saturday night, but couldn't prevent his nation from slipping to a 4-2 Africa Cup of Nations play-off first leg defeat away at Ivory Coast.
Cisse skippered the Lions of Teranga in Abidjan, and helped give them the perfect start when he set Dame Ndoye up for the opening goal of what was to be an eventful evening.
Former Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou netted a close range effort just before half-time to drag Ivory Coast level, but after the break Cisse turned from provider to goalscorer as the visitors edged back in front.
Meeting the ball outside the box, Cisse looped home a spectacular header past Elephants goalkeeper Boubacar Barry - his first goal of the season.
However, the lead lasted just five minutes before Arsenal's Gervinho burst through the middle and hammered home a strike off the underside of the crossbar.
Didier Drogba converted a penalty with ten minutes remaining as Ivory Coast took the lead for the first time in the match, before Max Gradel gave them a two-goal cushion with time running out.
Cisse's Magpies teammate Demba Ba was on the substitutes' bench for Sengal.
Cheick Tiote was not involved for Ivory Coast, having been ruled out of Newcastle United's last four games in all competitions with a knee injury.
The teams meet again in Dakar next month, with the aggregate winners advancing to the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in South Africa.