Congo DR will take on Guinea in the second quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations on Friday. Seven-time champion Egypt was eliminated by the Leopards in the round of 16. Syli National’s victory over Equatorial Guinea broke their losing streak in the competition.
Preview (Congo DR vs. Guinea)
The Leopards advanced to the final eight of the continental extravaganza after overcoming Egypt. The DRC has not won a game in Cote d’Ivoire. Sebastian Desabre’s team’s hero was Lionel M’Pasi. He scored from the penalty spot after Pharaoh’s goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal struck the post. The shot-stopper took advantage of the situation and easily finished off his. The Leopards’ victory over Rui Vitoria’s team is the result of their first Cup of Nations knockout match since 2015 when they advanced to the semi-finals and finished third.
Even though Egypt proved they could do it in the previous championships, Desabre’s team is unlikely to advance far if they continue to rely too heavily on extra time and penalties. The Leopards are attempting to win in the knockout round for the first time since defeating Congo 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Cup of Nations, when they failed to win in regulation time. As for Guinea, their lengthy streak without a knockout stage victory at the finals came to an end. Following Federico Bikoro’s ejection for the Equatoguineans in the 55th minute and Emilio Nsue’s failed penalty.
Intriguingly, Guinea advanced to the knockout stages as the top-seeded team in the competition. Now that they have broken their knockout curse, Diawara’s team aims to advance to the AFCON 2023 semifinals, where they may play either Mali or the tournament hosts. Syli National hopes to be effective in the last third this time around to avoid losing in the quarterfinals. They have scored three goals in their four games (two of which were in the group stage).
Team News
It is unclear if midfield player Edo Kayembe will play in the final eight games of the DRC Cup of Nations. He missed the team’s first eight games. Gael Kakuta, the former Chelsea player, was a major loss for the Leopards in the round of 16. He might be back for Friday’s match. Desabre’s intentions have become more complicated as Yoane Wissa and Cedric Bakambu have not yet produced the goods. The latter failed to score a penalty against Morocco during the group stage.
The Guineans have struggled with Serhou Guirassy’s and Nathan Keita’s fitness, with the latter’s absence detracting from their upper-level threat. After getting hurt against the Lions of Teranga, Ilaix Moriba is questionable; the midfield player was left out of the round of 16 roster. With Syli National’s best players making their first appearance in the starting lineup since they were given starts against Senegal in their last group match, Diawara may switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Congo DR 1-0 Guinea
For more football previews, click here
