Recap
(AFP) – Guinea progressed to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after beating Equatorial Guinea 1-0 with practically the last kick of the game, booking a place in the final eight for the first time since 2015.
The first half produced very few chances, with neither side registering a shot on target. Guinea squandered the game’s opening opportunity inside three minutes, as Mohamed Bayo struck the side-netting from an acute angle.
Saúl Coco then hit the wall from a free-kick for Equatorial Guinea, before group stage goalscorer Aguibou Camara found himself tackled well by Basilio Ndong as he charged up the other end.
AFCON’s top scorer Emilio Nsue had a chance early after half-time to net his sixth goal of the tournament. In space in the box, he chested the ball down well, but was uncharacteristically off target with his volley.
A few minutes later, Guinea had the ball in the net as Mory Konaté headed in from a free-kick, only to be denied a goal of his own for offside. Already, the second half was far more lively, and a major turning point saw Federico Bikoro shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Bayo, leaving Equatorial Guinea to play over 35 minutes with 10 men.
Having finished top of a group involving hosts Ivory Coast and quarter-finalists Nigeria, that setback did not seem to phase them, as they were gifted a golden opportunity to take the lead.
Equatorial Guinea were awarded a penalty after Iván Salvador was clipped in the box, and only one man was going to take it. Nsue stepped up, but struck the outside of the post despite sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, leaving the whole stadium in shock.
Guinea smelt blood after that, and brought on Stuttgart’s 19-goal star striker Serhou Guirassy to help find the winner. It nearly proved an immediate masterstroke, with his bullet header being brilliantly tipped over by Jesús Owono.
However, it was Guinea’s other striker that decided the tie deep into stoppage time, as Bayo headed home at the near post to score his second goal, and only Guinea’s third of the entire tournament.
