Guinea and Senegal will face off in a pivotal clash in Group C of the Africa Cup of Nations. The Teranga Lions, have already guaranteed their spot in the round of 16. They must avoid defeat to finish first in the group. The National Elephants only need one point to finish in the top two and ensure their qualification.
Preview (Guinea vs. Senegal)
Senegal’s exciting 3-1 victory over Cameroon in their second group match guaranteed them a spot in the AFCON 2023 knockout stages. Habib Diallo’s emphatic finish and Ismaila Sarr’s deflected shot put the reigning African champions in a commanding position. But with seven minutes of injury time left, Jean-Charles Castelletto’s goal for the Indomitable Lions put the Teranga Lions under tremendous pressure. It appeared that Cameroon may steal a point. Sadio Mane struck in the 95th minute to give Aliou Cisse’s team the lead and complete the victory. This gave them six points from two games and guaranteed their spot in the round of 16.
Senegal’s final group encounter is on Tuesday. They will want to keep their winning streak going as the top spot in the group is up for grabs. They would secure first place and possibly a better tie in the following round if they managed to avoid losing. The Teranga Lions have now won three of their last six games, including friendlies. They have also not lost in their previous nine AFCON games, which date back to the 2022 competition. After the Cameroon game, Cisse had a stomach infection and had to spend the night in the hospital under observation. He will be hoping that his team will put on another impressive display to continue their winning streak. Guinea, though, cannot afford to relax before Tuesday’s pivotal fight for qualification.
The Guineans only need one point to guarantee themselves a top-two ranking and a position in the knockout stages. If they lose, though, they would have to hope that Cameroon loses to Gambia or that they have a better goal differential if both teams end with four points. It is noteworthy because Senegal and Guinea played to a goalless draw in their group at the previous AFCON. When the National Elephants play the defending champs on Tuesday, they want to repeat that outcome.
Team News
Senegal will be without Abdullah Sima. He had a thigh injury during training and returned to his club Rangers from the AFCON. Following their removal from the game against Cameroon due to injury, Lamine Camara and Diallo will need to clear fitness tests before Tuesday’s match. Cisse might make a few changes to the starting lineup, hoping that players like Eliman Ndiaye and Nicolas Jackson would play right away. Both Serhou Guirassy and Nathaniel Keita of Liverpool are recovering from injuries, and they will need to clear fitness tests before playing in this match. Francois Kamano, who received a one-match suspension for his red card in the first game against Cameroon, ought to be back in the starting lineup.
Guinea 1-1 Senegal
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