The last 8and of the CAN final turned the advantage of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday. After a long indecisive and very disappointing meeting in terms of spectacle, the difference was made on penalties. After two hours of play, Nsué and his band proved to be the most effective in this exercise.
A Mali little arm
Mali was the favorite of this tussle. But, too tense, the men of Magassouba were not able to make a difference in the game. There were a few good sequences here and there, but none resulted in a goal. In terms of clear chances, there was only one worth reporting. AT the 58and minute of play, Mohamed Camara sent the leather over the frame on a flat foot recovery at the penalty spot. At the 81andthe RB Salzburg player missed the boat again when he had the opportunity to deliver his own.
On the side of Equatorial Guinea, we were even more discreet on the offensive level. Apart from Ndong (95and) no one has been able to put Mali’s last rampart to work. However, the Nzalang Nacional was not ridiculous. In line with what he had shown in the first round, he showed excellent defensive solidity. The Guinean players were also united and hunkered down during the Malian highlights. Efforts that ended up paying off.
The lottery therefore smiled on Equatorial Guinea. As in 2015, the Guineans will play the quarter-finals of the continental tournament. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to repeat the feat of seven years ago by reaching the last four. It will not be an easy task against the Senegalese neighbor.