Africa Cup of Nations

AFCON 2023 Day 14 Reviews: Unlikely winners Guinea and DR Congo make quarterfinal spots as Pharaohs lose penalty shoot-out

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(Made in Africa Sport) – It was a night for the unbelievable as Guinea and DR Congo progressed to the quarterfinals of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 at the expense of heavily favoured opponents. The Elephants of Equatorial Guinea started the AFCON 2023 with convincing performances in their group stage fixtures, leading everyone to think they would be the underdogs for this competition.

But that was not to be, as the clash of Elephants saw the National Elephants of Guinea secure their qualification with a last-gasp 1 – 0 win. The entire game was a relatively quiet affair for the forwards, as the current top scorer at the AFCON 2023, Emilio Nsue, was kept at bay for most of the match. He, however, did have his own chances to decide the game, as a penalty for a foul on Iban Salvador came in the 68th minute after Nsue had miscued a volley, sending it well over the bar.

The striker missed his penalty too, sending it against the upright, missing Equatorial Guinea’s biggest chance to progress to the next round. On the other hand, the Guineans were tenacious with their pressure, peppering their rivals with shot after shot and even reducing them to ten men after Federico Bikoro’s high boot challenge in the 55th minute. 

Both teams huffed and puffed, but it was Guinea who got the last laugh with perhaps the last kick of the match, as Mohammed Bayo glanced a header from Ibrahim Diakhite’s cross at the near post in the eighth minute of stoppage time to send the National Elephants through. Tough blow for Equatorial Guinea, who have been quite the sensation after defeating the hosts Cote d’Ivoire, and they will have to try again at the next AFCON

Later at the Laurent Pokou Stadium, it was a battle between heavyweights, as two-time AFCON winners DR Congo went up against seven-time winners Egypt in a tightly contested 1 – 1 game that ended in penalty shootouts. The Pharaohs missed their talisman in Mo Salah sorely, as their attack was mostly blunt and lacked the elements that the star winger is most known for. The Leopards took the lead in the 37th minute, with Mechak Elia bundling in a deflected cross from Yoanne Wissa to break the deadlock. 

Minutes after, the Pharaohs got a penalty from a foul on captain Ahmed Hegazy in the box, and Mostafa Mohammed duly converted in first half stoppage time to level matters going into the half-time break. The second half brought more chances for the Leopards, as Elia’s cross could have caused damage if Cedric Bakambu had directed his shot well enough. Arthur Masuaku’s corners were equally unsettling for the Pharaohs, but the Egyptian defence managed to keep them at bay. 

Mahmoud Hamada had a good chance to give Egypt a late winner, but the winger appeared not to be switched on when a floated cross from the right found him. He fumbled his control and Lionel Mpasi could gather for the Leopards. The match went into extra time, where the best opportunity fell for substitute Simon Banza, as his touch on Masuaku’s cross was not enough to send the ball in.

The penalty shoot-outs were decided by the goalies, after Mostafa Mohammed and Arthur Masuaku missed their own spot-kicks. Lionel Nzau converted the last kick of the game after his Egyptian counterpart Mohammed Gabaski struck the crossbar with his shot. DR Congo advance to the quarterfinals, where they will take on Guinea as they charge for their first AFCON trophy in 50 years.

The AFCON 2023 round of 16 fixtures continue today, as upstarts Cape Verde go up against Mauritania in a match that could go either way. Senegal will also take on Cote d’Ivoire by 9pm, as the host country could revive their chances for continental glory against the defending champions.

There is still so much to look out for; stay tuned as more AFCON action reaches you from this space. 

Oluwasegun Itakorode

itakorode

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