By James Robert Kayindi
Guinea has officially been the last team to qualify to the quarter finals of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations after drawing of lots between them and their Group D rivals Mali yesterday in Malabo. On Wednesday, the Elephants of Ivory Coast edged the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon with a 1-0 victory thanks to Max Gradel’s only strike in the first half that helped Elephants top the group.
In the other game of the group between Guinea and Mali, it was a 1-1 stalemate after 90 minutes which meant that the two sides had tied on three points from three games. Not only did they have the same points but also had the same number of goals scored and an equal number of goals conceded. This meant that the only one team that had confirmed its progression to the quarter finals from Group D was Ivory Coast who finished top of the group with 5 points.
A lots draw was then made between Guinea and Mali to determine the 8th team to make it to this year’s quarter finals. After the official made the draw, it was Guinea that had the luck of its gods thus joining the hosts Equatorial Guinea, Congo, Tunisia, DR Congo, Ghana, Algeria and Ivory Coast who had already sealed their qualification.
“The gods of football fortune smiled on us. It has been a long road up to now,” Amara Dabo, financial director of the Guinea Sports Ministry, who participated in the draw, told Reuters.
The news was though heartbreaking to the Mali national team together with their fans who thought it was not a fair way to exit the competition. The last time lots were drawn was way back in 1972 and 1988 which ended in favour of Congo and Algeria respectively.
Quarter final fixtures:
Congo vs DR Congo
Tunisia vs Equatorial Guinea
Both games will be played at Estadio de Bata stadium on 31st January
Ghana vs Guinea
Ivory Coast vs Algeria
Both games will be played at Nuevo Estadio de Malabo on 1st February
Email Robert: Robert.k.circles@gmail.com