CHAN 2020: Guinea defeats Rwanda and joins Mali in semi-finals
Malian Morlaye Sylla (left) celebrates his goal against Rwanda on January 31, 2021 © Courtesy of CAF
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
5 mins
After a choppy match, marked by big mistakes and two expulsions, the national Syli won against Rwanda on Sunday, January 31.
In this quarter-final hanging on Limbé, Guinea found its salvation in the magical foot of Morlaye Sylla, author of a sumptuous free kick.
Qualified for the semi-finals, the Guineans will face Mali.
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The last square is complete.
After Mali and Cameroon on Saturday, and after
Morocco
earlier this Sunday, the final ticket to the semi-finals was played between Guinea and Rwanda.
And it is the Guineans who managed to pull out of the game of a difficult meeting loaded with drama.
🇬🇳 Guinea ➡️ Semi-finals 🎊
The National Elephants secure the last # TotalCHAN2020 semi-final spot!
💯 pic.twitter.com/g9LT7VgeTo
- # TotalCHAN2020 (@CAF_Online) January 31, 2021
A complicated first act, with an expelled after 11 minutes
This
quarter-final
started off badly for the proteges of Lappe Bangoura.
We had been playing for ten minutes at the Limbé stadium when the match changed for the first time when midfielder Mory Kanté committed a dangerous foul on Jacques Tuyisenge.
The Guinean missed his gesture and crushed his crampons on the top of the knee of the Rwandan captain.
After sending a yellow card, Moroccan referee Samir Guezzaz went to review the images thanks to video assistance.
And he reviewed his judgment: he canceled the yellow card and released the direct red card to Mory Kanté (11th).
A decision even more justified by the exit on injury of captain Tuyisenge, replaced by Ernest Sugira (17th).
The first period was poor in chances.
Neither team has scored a single shot.
On the other hand, what violent tackles and what breakage ... Moussa Camara, the Guinean goalkeeper, thus needed several minutes to recover his spirits after a shock with Ernest Sugira at the half-hour mark. For a time, the Guinean bench believed that the substitute goalkeeper would have to replace him.
A twist of fate which, in fact, was for the Rwandans in the second half ...
Sylla punishes the Rwandan fault
Just after the break, Rwanda lit a first fuse with this shot from Sugira on the post of Camara (47 ').
And then, another turnaround with the exit of the Rwandan goalkeeper, Olivier Kwizera, in the feet of Yakhouba Barry at the entrance to the surface.
The doorman first took a yellow card.
But, once again, Mr. Samir Guezzaz went to watch the action again.
And, again, he corrected his judgment: Kwizera's yellow card was canceled, in favor of a red card (52nd).
Olivier Kwizera remained prostrate.
Ten against ten, the match changed again, but even more with the expulsion of the goalkeeper.
Vincent Mashami, the Rwandan coach, sacrificed winger Lague Byiringiro to bring in goalkeeper number two, Yves Kimeny.
But despite the stoppage of play and a quick warm-up, the latter did not have time to touch the leather: the free kick, kicked beautifully by Morlaye Sylla, was lodged in the top corner with the help of the bar transverse (60th).
🇬🇳 Morlaye Sylla keeps up his good form & scores a sublime free kick 👏 # TotalCHAN2020 |
#GUIRWA pic.twitter.com/i0WiBelv4z
- # TotalCHAN2020 (@CAF_Online) January 31, 2021
Rwanda has tried everything, make way for Mali for Guinea
The Amavubi, with their backs to the wall, have not given up.
On the contrary, they pushed to the end to come back, even if it meant chopping up the meeting a little more with tackles and shocks (30 faults whistled in total, including 20 committed by Rwanda).
But they have always lacked a bit of success, like this lobed header from Dominique Savio Nshuti, returned by the crossbar (27th).
Two amounts, a goalkeeper sent off, and even a goal in added time refused for offside ... It was too much for this brave but helpless Rwanda.
The national Syli therefore thank the address of Morlaye Sylla, the only scorer in this quarter-final won on the smallest of scores (1-0) and ten against ten.
As in 2016, Guinea climbed to the semi-final, this time with the hope of passing this stage and playing a CHAN final for the first time.
For this, it will be necessary to defeat Mali, its next opponent, at the Japoma stadium in Douala, Wednesday, February 3.
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