On Sunday, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea will face off in the knockout stage of the Africa Cup of Nations. The winner will move on to the quarter-finals and face either Egypt or Congo DR. Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara in Abidjan will host this exciting match.
Match Preview:
The Africa Cup of Nations has already provided some surprises, and Equatorial Guinea is one of them. They defied the pre-tournament odds by winning their group, defeating heavyweights Ivory Coast and Nigeria while scoring nine goals in three matches.
In contrast, Guinea secured a spot in the last 16 as one of the best third-placed teams. This will be the first-ever meeting between these two sides.
Equatorial Guinea has been impressive in the competition so far. They have reached the knockout stages in each of their last four AFCON appearances and posted nine goals in the group stages, just two goals less than they managed in their first three tournaments combined.
On the other hand, Guinea has scored only four goals in their last eight Africa Cup of Nations matches and never scored more than a single goal in any of the matches during that period.
Based on their form in the competition, Equatorial Guinea is the favorite heading into this match. However, Guinea has more AFCON experience, which could prove beneficial.
The head-to-head record is even, with Guinea ranked 80th and Equatorial Guinea placed 88th in the FIFA world rankings. Nonetheless, Guinea has suffered defeat in their last six AFCON knockout games and failed to score in the last four.
Team News:
Equatorial Guinea is likely to field the same starting lineup as their last two matches, with Emilio Nsue and Jose Machin making history in the group stages.
Meanwhile, Stuttgart attacker Serhou Guirassy is expected to receive the nod again for Guinea and will likely receive support in attack from former Liverpool’s Naby Keita.
Possible Starting Lineups:
Equatorial Guinea: (4-5-1)
Owono;
Akapo, Obiang, Coco, Ndong;
Salvador, Ganet, Bikoro, Miranda, Pepin;
Nsue
Guinea: (4-2-3-1)
Kone;
Diakite, Sow, M Camara, Sylla;
Moriba, Diawara;
A Camara, Keita, Conte;
Guirassy
Prediction: Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Guinea
They were possibly the most impressive team in the group stages, and this match could be an opportunity to send out a message to the big hitters remaining in the competition. While Guinea has the experience advantage, it may not be enough to overcome The National Thunder in this match.