Guinea secured a 1-0 victory over Gambia in the Africa Cup of Nations finals, with Aguibou Camara scoring the winning goal in the second half. This win puts Guinea in a strong position to advance to the last 16 of the tournament in the Ivory Coast. Camara’s goal came from a pass by Morgan Guilavogui, sealing a well-deserved triumph for Guinea after they dominated the Group C clash at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.
Following their win, Guinea now have four points, placing them in second position in the standings behind holders Senegal, who are at the top with six points after defeating Cameroon 3-1 earlier in the day. Cameroon currently have one point, while Gambia has lost both of their opening matches.
With the top two teams from each of the six opening-round groups advancing, along with the four best third-placed finishers, Guinea is on track to advance to the last 16 after their strong performance in the tournament.
In their previous game, Guinea had a 1-1 draw with Cameroon, with Mohamed Bayo scoring their goal. In the match against Gambia, Bayo hit the woodwork twice and there were missed opportunities by Sekou Oumar Sylla. Camara’s goal, which came at the end of a swift passing movement, was scored in the 69th minute and was crucial in securing the victory for Guinea.
During the match, Guinea had captain Naby Keita back as a second-half substitute, and he had a stoppage-time effort cleared off the Gambia line. However, Serhou Guirassy, the VfB Stuttgart striker who has scored 17 Bundesliga goals this season, did not feature in the game due to an injury sustained at the pre-tournament training camp in Abu Dhabi.
Gambia’s Yankuba Minteh had a goal disallowed for offside in the 80th minute, and Ablie Jallow missed out at the left post soon after. Gambia will need to beat Cameroon in their last game to stand any chance of progress, while Guinea will take on Senegal to determine the top place in the group.
Guinea’s impressive performance puts them in a strong position to advance to the next stage of the tournament, while Gambia faces an uphill battle to progress. The outcome of their final matches will determine their fate in the Africa Cup of Nations.
(Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Clare Fallon)
