As the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2017 finals kicked off on Saturday, host country Gabon made a disappointing start after their opponents, Guinea-Bissau, pulled off a shocking equalizer in the 90th minute to end the first match of the tournament 1-1.
Poor Start
Despite having a world-class striker with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gabon displayed a lack of organization and a low level of performance much to the disappointment of a rather buoyant home crowd.
Aubameyang had a hard time accessing the ball due to the poor service of midfielder Mario Lemina who seemed to be playing at his worst.
The home side had taken the lead in the 52nd minute through Aubameyang, but a diving header by Juary Soares meant they had to share the spoils of a game that only livened up in the second half.
Tough Resistance
Although they lacked many spectacular scoring chances, the Wild Dogs maintained a fighting spirit, frustrating the host team throughout the game.
Gabon kept on firing shots in an attempt to double their lead, but that didn’t dampen Guinea-Bissau’s determination to get something out of the game.
Therefore, the visitors fought back tirelessly and imposed themselves on the game until the final whistle.
By the 80th minute, it appeared that Guinea-Bissau was going to leave the pitch with a brave defeat; however, Soares was able to connect impressively with a free-kick to rescue his side.
This is Guinea-Bissau’s first time participating in the African Cup of Nations finals.
Thousands of Gabonese fans who flocked to the Libreville Stadium to cheer the home team booed loudly at the final whistle, directing their disappointment at the team’s head coach, Jose Antonio Camacho, who appeared restless throughout the game.
After the match, Camacho said, “It’s very difficult to win the first match in these tournaments. For the next match we have to fight tooth and nail.”
Football analysts have urged the Gabonese national soccer team to improve its timing and rhythm if it wishes to make any headway in the tournament.
Other matches that were played over the weekend include Burkina Faso versus Cameroon (1-1), Algeria versus Zimbabwe (2-2), and Tunisia versus Senegal (0-2).
The AFCON 2017 tournament is set to end on February 5th.
Gabon vs Guinea-Bissau 1-1 All Goals… by hqfootball2016
Nigerian entrepreneur Tade Oyerinde leads Campus, an online community college startup. The son of Nigerian…
What are you willing to endure in the name of love? A Florida mother decided…
Tracy McBride’s dream came true when she finally arrived as a contestant for the Wheel…
Chris Brown is an American R&B singer, songwriter, and dancer. He made his career debut…
Following the success of his 2008 single "Can't Believe It," in which he memorably rhymed…
The Atlanta City Council has reached a $3.8 million settlement with the family of a…
Actress and model Daphne Joy has been slapped with a defamation lawsuit by her ex-boyfriend…
Authorities in Canada said a man identified as Drake’s security guard was left seriously injured…
A physical education teacher, Alfred Kattola, owes his life to the quick thinking of two…
An 11-year-old girl, Tia Gordon, has endured misdiagnoses of sickness bugs and migraines by medics…
Serena Williams is undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players to grace the court. In…
At the age of sixteen, LeAnna Roberts made headlines when she graduated from the University…
Will.i.am is a musician, producer, technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Born Williams Adams, the musician turned…
Ohemaa Nyanin has been named the general manager of the WNBA Golden State team. Nyanin,…
Meet Allen Onyema; he is the founder of Nigeria’s largest carrier, Air Peace. The Nigerian…