Gambia creates the feat for its first participation, Cameroon also joins the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations, while Morocco and Senegal do not want to be trapped in the round of 16. We summarize everything for you in this new issue of the CAN newspaper, our daily meeting until the final on February 6.
What to remember from this Monday
Gambia, 150th in the FIFA rankings, continues his clear course, after a perfectly negotiated group stage (2 wins, 1 draw). Facing Guinea, deprived of its captain Naby Keita (Liverpool), suspended for this meeting, the Gambians were able to concretize only one of their opportunities, which was enough for their happiness. It was Musa Barrow, the striker from Bologna (Italy), who delivered a whole people (71′), for the first participation in the history of the country in the CAN. Reduced to ten at the end of the match (87′) after a second yellow card addressed to Yusupha Njie, Gambia held on to reach the quarter-finals (1-0).
Facing Comoros overwhelmed by fate, without a professional goalkeeper and with ten players for most of the match, Cameroon ended up qualifying (2-1) for the quarter-finals on Monday in Yaoundé. The “Indomitable Lions” will face for a place in the last four the other debutant of this CAN, Gambia, winner of Guinea (1-0), in Douala on January 29, but Monday evening the show was truncated. The Comoros resisted heroically, and even scored on a direct free kick from Youssouf M’Changama (81st), to fuel their regrets, with a right-back in the cage and ten against eleven from the 7th minute.
Drama at the stadium entrance. On the ground, Cameroon won its round of 16 (2-1). On the other hand, Cameroon and football lost big outside the stadium on Monday evening. At least six people died in a stampede outside the Olembé stadium hosting the match, a Cameroonian official told the American agency Associated Press (AP) on Monday evening. Naseri Paul Biya, governor of the central region of Cameroon, indicated that there could be other victims. A stampede occurred as the crowd tried to gain access to the Olembé stadium in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé to watch Cameroon-Comoros. Officials at nearby Messassi Hospital said they had received at least 40 injured people as a result of the stampede. “Some of the injured are in desperate condition,” nurse Olinga Prudence told AP. We will have to evacuate them to a specialized hospital. »
Tuesday’s program
Senegal – Cape Verde (5 p.m.). With the elimination of Algeria, Senegal, unfortunate finalist of the CAN in 2019, is more than ever one of the big favorites for the final victory. However, Aliou Cissé’s players disappointed in the group stage, scoring only one goal after regulation time against Zimbabwe, on a penalty from Sadio Mané (1-0). Even though they have one of the biggest offensive forces (Dia, Mané, Baldé, Diallo) in the tournament. The two 0-0 conceded against Guinea and Malawi did not prevent the Lions of Teranga from finishing at the top of group B. In the round of 16, the surprising Cape Verdeans, 3rd in group A by beating Ethiopia (1-0) and by hanging the host country on the 3rd day, Cameroon (1-1), will challenge the Senegalese. “We are ready for this match, explains Aliou Cissé. We know Cape Verde well, we have played them four or five times in recent years (the last time on June 8, 2021 in a friendly, 2-0 victory). What’s more, it will be a derby. It’s a very good team, which is no accident and which we respect. Cape Verde, which does not have a big star in its workforce and which is affected by gastroenteritis due to food poisoning (8 members of the group concerned, including 5 players), will obviously be an outsider against Senegal , the best defense in the African Cup.
Morocco – Malawi (20 hours). For their third participation in the CAN, Malawi, 129th in the FIFA rankings, created a small sensation by qualifying in the best 3rd, even though they had lost in the opening against Guinea (0-1). Fallout of Zimbabwe (2-1), in the second match, thanks to the double of Gabadinho Mhango, the Malawians obtained an excellent point of draw against Senegal (0-0) to obtain their qualification. They will be far from favorites against Morocco, one of the strong and favorite teams in the competition. Vahid Halilhodzic’s men are carried by two Ligue 1 players, Sofiane Boufal (Angers Sco) and Achraf Hakimi (PSG), three goals between them in the group stage. The Atlas Lions climbed to the round of 16 by finishing leaders of group C, winning against Ghana (1-0) and the Comoros (2-0) and obtaining a draw against the Gabonese (2 -2), when they were trailing twice. They will want to redeem themselves for their elimination at this same stage of the tournament, in 2019, on penalties against Benin.
The player to watch: Sofiane Boufal wears Morocco
The left winger was decisive in the group stages for the Moroccans, scoring two important goals. Sofiane Boufal, who is having a good season with Angers (5 goals and 4 assists in 18 Ligue 1 games), first allowed her side to win in the opener against Ghana, thanks to a goal in pivot at the end of the game (83′). More discreet against the Comoros, the 28-year-old was placed on the bench by his coach in the third match. Entering the lawn shortly before the hour mark against Gabon, while Morocco was trailing, Sofiane Boufal provoked and converted a penalty to equalize. He should be a starter for the round of 16 against Malawi on Tuesday evening.
