AFCON R16: Bayo breaks Equatoguinean hearts with dramatic late finish

In an action packed, rollercoaster of emotions, Guinea emerged victors against Equatorial Guinea courtesy a goal on the whistle by Mo. Bayo, for his second of the tournament.

Building on their numerical advantage, Guinea on Sunday sealed a ticket to the quarter-final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a nail-biting match that saw them defeat Equatorial Guinea with a spectacular 1-0 win.

After a long-standing deadlock that had extended to the end of the game, Guinea’s Mohamed Bayo locked a win for his team with a header from the center of the box to the bottom right corner. The goal was beautifully assisted with a cross from Ibrahim Diakite.

At the start of the game, both teams appeared to adopt a cautious approach. However, as the game hit the 15th-minute mark, physicality took center stage with multiple fouls disrupting the flow of the game.

Neither team succeeded in dominating the pitch, as possession was largely shared, and defensive play was rampant, with Guinea’s Coco making a crucial defensive play in the 18th minute, blocking a shot and denying Equatorial Guinea a scoring opportunity.

Equatorial Guinea made a second offensive attempt in the 22nd minute, which was likewise thwarted by Guinea’s defense.

As the clock reached the 34th minute, the match remained goalless despite the heightened. Both teams maintained staunch defense.

The first half concluded with the score locked at 0-0, paving the way for a ferocious second half.

At the start of the second half, both teams fought tenaciously for a breakthrough, but the deadlock persisted. Emilio Nsue had a missed attempt, and Guinea’s Morgan Guilavogui also missed a shot from outside the box.

The scales tipped in favor of Guinea as Equatorial Guinea’s Féderico Bikoro was shown the red card in the 55th minute, leaving Equatorial Guinea at a numerical disadvantage.

The game continued in a deadlock as Emilio Nsue of Equatorial Guinea missed a penalty opportunity in the 69th minute, hitting the right post with a right-footed shot.

Despite the miss, the VAR decision favored Equatorial Guinea, indicating a penalty was awarded.