AfCON debutants Madagascar upsets DR Congo, makes history and books a spot in the quarter finals
Madagascar, a team playing the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time, pulled yet another surprise on Sunday, July 7, beating the Democratic Republic of Congo on post match penalties after a 2-2 draw to advance to the cup’s quarter final stage.
DRC’s defender Chancel Mbemba scored in the last minute of the usual time to equalize and send the game into extra time but no side scored to break the tie hence forcing the game into post match penalties in Alexandria.
Madagascar’s players converted their penalties with Congo’s defender Marcel Tisserand sending his kick over the bar and Yannick Bolasie missing his as well.
Madagascar, a team which has a good number of its players playing in the lower leagues in france, has not been beaten in the championship and seems unbowed by the fact that they are playing AfCON for the first time. They qualified out of group stages atop their Group B, ahead of former title holders Nigeria and Guinea.
It was all celebrations in the Madagascar’s camp in the 77th minute when Captain Faneva Andriatsima cancelled Congo’s equalizer with an amazing diving header only for Mbemba to dim the celebrations and revive Congo’s hope in the last minutes of the game.
Meanwhile, Algeria booked its spot in the quarter finals when they crushed Guinea 3-0 which played without their experienced midfielder Naby Keita who is nursing an injury.
Algeria opened their scores in the first half with Youcef Belaili and Riyad Mahrez registering their names in the score sheet and Adam Ounas sealed Guinea’s fate in the second half and setting up his team for a clash against either Ivory Coast or Mali on Thursday.
Madagascar sent shock waves and warning signals to all 2019 AfCON big boys when they beat Nigeria 2-0.
Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina led the cheering from the stands as he watched his boys set up a would-be tight game against either Tunisia or Ghana on Thursday.
Africa Global News Publication
