Group A: Libya 2-2 Zambia
How it happened: Libya kept their Africa Cup of Nations dream alive with a 2-2 draw against Zambia in rain-drenched conditions last night.
Torrential rain in Bata delayed kick-off in the second round of Group A games by over an hour, and it was Libya who were quickest off the mark when the game finally got underway. Just four minutes were on the clock when Ahmed Saad latched on to Walid El Khatroushi’s through ball and finished smartly to give Libya the lead.
Young Boys striker Emmanuel Mayuka led the Zambian response and he drew his side level with his second goal of the tournament, a far-post volley in the 29th minute.
But Libya were not to be deterred and Saad re-established their lead two minutes after the break, digging the ball out from underneath his feet to beat Kennedy Mweene from six yards out.
Within minutes, Zambia had rallied again, and scorer turned provider as Mayuka set up captain Christopher Katongo who headed his side level in the 54th minute.
Key player: Emmanuel Mayuka. The 21-year-old was a real livewire and played a central role in both of Zambia’s equalisers.
Turning point: The torrential rain, which forced both sets of players to resort to “kick and rush” rather than football, in the words of Zambia coach Herve Renard.
What it means: Zambia remain in control of their qualification chances; they need at least a draw against Equatorial Guinea in their final game. Libya will need to beat Senegal and hope for Zambia to lose if they are to have a chance of sneaking through in second place.
YouTube Credit: GolofanHD
Group A: Equatorial Guinea 2-1 Senegal
How it happened: Senegal are out of the Africa Cup of Nations after a frantic finale saw them lose 2-1 to tournament co-hosts Equatorial Guinea in Bata last night.
Moussa Sow looked to have given Senegal a lifeline a minute from time when he cancelled out Iban “Randy” Iyanga’s 62nd-minute opener.
But David Alvarez had other ideas and the defender, who plays his club football in the Spanish Tercera Division, smashed home the winner from 25 yards out in the fourth minute of stoppage time, sparking a minor pitch invasion.
Laurence Doe was shown a second yellow card for time-wasting late on as the Equatorial Guinea supporters celebrated their country’s unlikely progression to the tournament’s knockout stages.
Key player: David Alvarez. The defender became Equatorial Guinea’s unlikely hero when he capped a solid all-round performance with a thunderous winner in stoppage time.
Turning point: Alvarez’s winner, which eliminated any lingering hope that Senegal might somehow make it through to the knockout stages.
What it means: Equatorial Guinea are through; Senegal are out. Simples.
YouTube Credit: mohailem
Next up: All eyes turn to Malabo for the second round of matches in Group B. At 16:00 GMT, Sudan play Angola and at 19:00, it’s Ivory Coast vs Burkina Faso.
