BAFOUSSAM, Cameroon: Liverpool teammates Sadio Mane and Naby Keita became rivals on Friday, captaining Senegal and Guinea in a drab 0-0 Group B matchday 2 deadlock at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Scoring chances were few in the afternoon heat of Bafoussam with Senegal the more wasteful side in a showdown between nations expected to occupy the top two positions in the final standings.
Guinea and Senegal will go into the final round of group matches on Tuesday sharing the lead with four points each, and goal difference could determine who finishes first.
“The Guineans made quite an impression in the first half, but we were the more convincing team after half-time and looked the likelier winners,” said Senegal coach Aliou Cisse.
Guinea coach Kaba Diawara was satisfied with the outcome, saying “Senegal are the top ranked team in Africa so forcing a draw and keeping them goalless was okay.”
Malawi and Zimbabwe meet later on Friday in the second match of a double-header with both needing maximum points to have a realistic chance of reaching the second round.
While neither southern Africa country is likely to overtake Guinea or Senegal, a win could take them into the round of 16 as one the best four third-placed teams.
It was the third clash between the west African neighbors with Senegal winning the previous two by one-goal margins in 1994 and 2006.
Senegal midfielder Idrissa Gueye was ruled out after testing positive for coronavirus and joined fellow stars Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly in isolation.
Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy and Napoli center-back Koulibaly contracted Covid-19 before the opening round, in which Senegal snatched a last-gasp win over Zimbabwe through a Mane penalty.
An opening half played in 32 degrees celsius (90 fahrenheit) heat was dominated by defenses with Guinea wasting the only clearcut chance.
A swift counterattack by the Syli Nationale (national elephant) enabled them to outnumber the slowly retreating Senegalese, but it ended with Morgan Guilavogui shooting straight at goalkeeper Seny Dieng.
The ball then ran loose in the goalmouth and Senegal hastily cleared it at the expense of a fruitless corner.
Reigning African Footballer of the Year Mane had few opportunities to make an impact and teammate Bouna Sarr squandered a chance off a close-range free-kick by firing into the defensive wall.
Guinea won the first half corner count 7-2 and left the pitch at half-time satisfied having had the better of the exchanges with the 2019 Cup of Nations runners-up
Senegal were much improved in the early stages of the second half at the 20,000-seat Stade Kouekong in the western Cameroon highlands, only to be let down by poor finishing.
Unmarked Boulaye Dia missed a good chance at the far post when he failed to connect with a free-kick and Abdou Diallo had a header brilliantly tipped over by Guinea goalkeeper Aly Keita.
A forceful run by Mane set up Sarr, who wasted a great chance when he beat a defender only to fire wide with Keita helpless.
No goals as Liverpool duo Mane and Keita become rivals in Africa
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No goals as Liverpool duo Mane and Keita become rivals in Africa
- Scoring chances were few in the afternoon heat of Bafoussam with Senegal the more wasteful side
- Guinea and Senegal will go into the final round of group matches on Tuesday
China beat North Korea 2-1 to take top spot in Group B
- Uzbekistan finished third in the group with a 4-0 win over Bangladesh in Perth, also securing a spot in the knockout stage
SYDNEY: Defending champion China edged North Korea 2-1 in a physical, high-energy game Monday to take top spot in Group B in the Women’s Asian Cup.
The result sent North Korea into a quarterfinal Friday against Australia in Perth, where the hosts and 2023 World Cup semifinalists opened the tournament with a win over Philippines.
China and North Korea were already assured of quarterfinal spots with two wins apiece ahead of their showdown at Western Sydney Stadium. Uzbekistan finished third in the group with a 4-0 win over Bangladesh in Perth, also securing a spot in the knockout stage.
Playing in their first Women’s Asian Cup tournament since losing the 2010 final to Australia, North Korea only needed a draw against China to top the group. And they took the lead when Kim Kyong Yong finished off a counter-attacking goal in the 32nd minute, the first shot on goal in the game.
The lead was shortlived, though, with China equalizing two minutes later with Chen Qiaozhu’s stunning strike through traffic from the edge of the area.
China went ahead in a tense finish to the first half, when Wang Shuang’s goal was awarded after a VAR review deep in stoppage time.
The VAR decision to overturn the assistant referee’s offside call upset the North Korean players and led to coach Ri Song Ho being yellow carded by referee Thi Ly Le as his team protested on the sideline. The North Korean players didn’t return to the pitch before halftime was called.
Both teams had chances in the second half, with North Korea goalkeeper Yu Son Gum making a full-length diving save to Wang’s powerful left-foot shot in the 78th, and then 19-year-old Choe Il Son appearing to equalize two minutes later before being ruled offside after a VAR review.
In Perth, Dildora Nozimova scored twice in six minutes for Uzbekistan, her first just two minutes after entering the game as a substitute on the hour.
State of play
The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams.
In Group A, South Korea edged Australia for top spot on goal difference after the 3-3 draw in Sydney on Sunday night. The South Koreans will play the third-place team from either Group B or Group C in the quarterfinals. Philippines still have a narrow chance of advancing after placing third, finishing with a win over Iran. That put Iran women’s team out of contention, and facing the prospect of a return to country at war.
In Group C, two-time champion Japan lead with six points ahead of their last group match against Vietnam, who are tied with Taiwan for second spot on three points. Taiwan finish the group stage against India.
