Key events
Heartbreaking for Equatorial Guinea. Their players are sobbing on the pitch. Salvador is absolutely distraught. Coco hasn’t moved. Akapo has his shirt over his head as his shoulders heave. And what about Nsue? that missed penalty will haunt him forever.
Full-time: Guinea 1-0 Equatorial Guinea
It’s over! It wasn’t a classic. In fact, that first half was dreadful. But an eventful second period with a red card, a missed penalty and a disallowed goal meant it was a whole lotta fun until a last second winner secured Guinea’s passage to the last eight. What a competition!
I can’t believe it. I thought I’d be watching this match forever, as if stuck in purgatory. But Bayo’s sublime header has sealed it.
GOAL! Guinea 1-0 Equatorial Guinea (Bayo, 97)
They’ve done it! Finally, with what might be the last kick of the match, Guinea have won it! Well, I say kick, it was actually a header. A brilliant header. Diakite with a brilliant ball to the near post where Bayo found some space. He meets it at pace and expertly beats Owono. Men in white go nuts. Men in red are close to tears. What a dramatic finish!
90+6 min: The best move of the match as far as Guinea is concerned ends with Onowo pouncing on a cross from the right. The ball was worked with pace, a neat one-two set Sylla free and he got to the byline and then went looking for Guirassy who made a near post run. But the pass wouldn’t land with the keeper cleaning up.
90+4 min: Keita picks up the ball from deep and drives. He penetrates the first defensive line and gets near the box. His pass inside the area finds a spinning Bayo but it bobbles away from anyone in white before someone can swing their boot at it.
90+2 min: Guinea steal the ball in midfield and have a chance to launch a counter. Once again the final pass is poor. So no danger there.
They’ve looked devoid of any other idea apart from drive with the ball and hope it bounces favourably.
90 min: There’ll be eight minutes of added time. Is that enough for Guinea to find the winner? They’re on the attack now with Equatorial Guinea hoofing clearances away.
87 min: Another comfortable save for Owono. Tenacious from Kamano who managed to get the ball back near Equatorial Guinea’s box after losing it, but he ran out of puff as he let off a shot. Straight at the keeper and without much power.
85 min: Equatorial Guinea are defending in front of their own box. That means Guinea can get at them and Diakite is past his man on the right flank. He’s charging towards goal on the angle. There are teammates free in the box if he can find them. Instead he shoots – tamely – and it’s an easy save. Poor decision making from the 20-year-old.
82 min: Good football all-round as a delicious ball is headed on target by Guirassy. It’s on target but a sharp save from Owono tips it over the bar.
80 min: Another chance for Guinea to deliver from a free-kick from the right. Please let the delivery be good. It’s not bad, but it’s close enough for Owono to punch away. Guinea recycle it but the attack is repelled and they have to start again from the back.
78 min: Naby Keita, once of Liverpool now with Werder Bremen, replaces Konate in central midfield. Can he provide the missing spark for Guinea?
Cooling break. That was an entertaining passage. A disallowed goal, a red card, a missed penalty. We’re still yearning for a breakthrough (and a goal that will prevent this going into extra time) but at least it’s been fun.
75 min: Owono punches a cross away from danger. Guinea’s coach is getting irate on the touchline. He must be wondering why his team are failing to get the ball up the pitch. Very ponderous from the side with 11 players.
72 min: It’s Equatorial Guinea on the attack. Despite the penalty miss, and despite being a man down, they fancy it. A promising attack down the right can;’t quite stick the landing. Unfortunately the quality in the final third hasn’t been up to scratch.
70 min: That was a huge let-off. Guinea opt to gather themselves before launching an attack down the left. The cross is gathered by the keeper. Guinea will surely have to go for the win with the man advantage.
Penalty missed! Nsue hits the post
Oh my word! He sent the keeper the wrong way but still can’t hit the target. A side-footer scrapes the outside of the post and Sylla’s foul goes unpunished.
“There are silly fouls, and then there are Sylla fouls,” says Peter Oh.
VAR intervenes, Equatorial Guinea get a penalty!
Now then. The 10-men of Quatorial Guinea will have a chance to go ahead. No question about it. Sylla raked the back of Salvador’s leg and Nsue will have a shot at registering his sixth of the tournament.
Replays are pretty clear. Has to be a penalty. Would be amazed if this isn’t given. Sylla obviously hacked Salvador’s ankle from behind.
VAR is checking the foul on Salvador. Sylla is the offending defender. Could be a penalty…
63 min: Equatorial Guinea have a free-kick near the box on the left. It’s a wonderful opportunity to lift a ball in. Instead they play it low as Salvador finds some space. Clever. But before he can swing his boot he’s knocked over. He lets out a cry but no foul is given.
60 min: This has turned into a predictable pattern. Guinea attacking. Equatorial Guinea sitting deep. A long bal is flicked on by Camara for Bayo but he can’t get a shot away and gives away a hand-ball as Coco defends.
58 min: Guinea’s free-kick from that red-card foul is a poor one, but the ball is recycled as it bobbles in the area. Both centre-backs – Diakhaby and Jeanvier – hack at the ball as they attempt to shoot but neither can catch it clean.]
Equatorial Guinea will likely look to hold on until a penalty shoot-out. From what we’ve seen from Guinea on attack, they might just do it.
Red card! Equatorial Guinea (Bikoro, 56)
Straight red for the midfielder! No doubt about it. He stepped up to clear the ball but he left his kicking leg dangling in the air as he followed through and brought it down with force into Bayo’s rib cage. Bikoro is complaining but he’s got to go. Just as Guinea were gaining a foothold, they’ve been handed a numerical advantage.
55 min: Guinea have upped the tempo. They’re moving the ball with greater urgency and better accuracy.
Goal disallowed!
Guinea thought they had the opener. Konate hammered the header home but he was a mile off-side when the free-kick was delivered.
51 min: There’s a greater sense of urgency in this half so far. Much better intent from both sides. Let’s hope it lasts. Guinea steal the ball in midfield and shift it left. The cross, though, is disappointing. They’ll have a free-kick as the play is brought back for a foul in the build up
49 min: Blazed over the bar from Guilavogui. Guinea found space down the left and sent their winger on his way wth a lovely through ball. But the first touch took him away from goal and, sensing the onrushing defenders, snatched at the shot.
47 min: Bright start to this half and there’s a penalty shout for Guinea. Sekou Sylla was felled but by his own making, according to the referee. So he’s told to get up.
45 min: An early chance for Equatorial Guinea! Wow, we almost had our opener. The ball was bobbling around in the box and Emilio Nsue lashed at it. He got a big piece of it but it flew over the bar.
Looking for some quality? Then read Jonathan Wilson on the evolution of Africa’s coaches and the end of European journeymen swooping in to do a mediocre job: