AFCON 2023: Equatorial Guinea Vs Guinea Preview
Written by Oluwaseun Oyediji
In a match involving two Guinean side, Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara will host Equatorial Guinea and Guinea in one of the remaining Round of 16 matchup at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The winner will join Angola and Nigeria in the last eight after the two team beat Namibia and Cameroon respectively on Saturday.
Equatorial Guinea
Despite starting as enormous outsiders against both Ivory Coast (4-0 win) and Nigeria (1-1 draw), Equatorial Guinea came out on top of one of the toughest groups of this Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), finishing above two nations who were amongst the top eight favourites to win the tournament before it began.
Yet even as the most prolific goalscorers of the entire group stage (nine goals), Juan Michá’s side are still considered unlikely to match their magical feat of finishing fourth on home soil in 2015.
The team was hailed by captain Emilio Nsue as “one of the strongest in Africa” despite not “having any superstars”, and perhaps they’ve been galvanised by the pre-tournament reports of a pay dispute with the national government over match fees.
That hasn’t stopped them from starting off well and taking the lead in all three matches, and on the historical basis of getting to the final eight in each of their three prior AFCONs, clearing the Round of 16 appears a realistic ambition.
Player to watch
Equatoguinean’s Nsue stood head and shoulders above his peers and rivals with five goals during the group stage, at least two more than any other player.
Guinea
The expectations are on the shoulders of Guinea, despite their third-place finish in Group C behind Senegal and Cameroon.
It was their inferior tally of just two goals throughout the group stage, including just one against last-placed Gambia (1-0 win), that saw them finish in third, albeit as the best-performing third-placed team on paper across the tournament.
Their progression through the competition has been hampered by similar issues to their next opponents, to the point where Guinean media reported that a training session leading up to this match was cancelled owing to the non-payment of promised qualification bonuses.
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That was the last thing the struggling side needed ahead of their inaugural competitive meeting with Equatorial Guinea, especially as they’ve lost at the Round of 16 in the previous two AFCONs.
Players to watch
One of Guinea’s two goals came from 22-year-old midfielder Aguibou Camara, who has opened the scoring in each of Guinea’s last three victories.
Seven of Guinea’s last eight games, including friendlies, produced fewer than 2.5 total goals.
Verdict
Barring an upset, Nsue's goals and experience should be able to guide the Nzalang Nacional (Equatorial Guinea) to the quarter final.
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