AFCON 2020 Match 2: São Tomé Shock Come-From-Behind Win Stalls Sudanese

AFCON 2020 Match 2: Sudan v São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé Shock Come-From-Behind Win Stalls Sudanese

 

June 15, 2020

Sudan 1 São Tomé and Príncipe 2

 

São Tomé and Príncipe have taken first place in Group A after coming from behind to defeat Sudan in a match they should not have won.

 

Sudan felt they would have the upper hand in this match, hoping to show São Tomé and Príncipe how to play at the elite tournament level.

 

Waleed Hamid started for the north Africans with a solid shot, needing a left-handed Primo save.

 

The Sudanese soon had the lead in the eighth minute, with Ramadan El-Agab setting the ball on the head of Hamid, and he made no mistake.

 

Four minutes later, Hamid and El-Agab both had shots, only for desperate goalkeeping to save Hamid’s effort, and sliding blocks to save El-Agab’s.

 

In the next passage of play, Abuaagla Abdalla had a ping, and Primo was up to the task.

 

Down the other end, São Tomé worked down the left before sending through a long cross, straight to Ludgério Silva, only for his header to miss to the right.

 

Sudan ramped up the pressure and El-Agab nearly set up Hamid with a through ball, only for the defence to hold firm.

 

Hamid also missed to the right after Ahmed Mahmoud placed his pass in front of him.

 

Right before the break, Hamid had a diving header missing to the right of goal, though Sudan felt they could increase their lead in the second half.

 

Marcos Barbeiro had other ideas as he headed to the right of goal from São Tomé’s first corner of the match.

 

In the 54th minute, Barbeiro did gain his goal after leading onto a through ball that caught the Sudanese defence off guard.

 

With the match tied, neither side could get inside their 18-yard box. Finally, in the 69th minute, São Tomé finally did, with Silva setting up Luís Leal, only for the shot to be half-blocked.

 

In the 85th minute, a long through ball found Harramiz Soares one-on-one with Sudanese goalkeeper Ali Abu Eshrein, and when it seemed a chip shot would score, the goalkeeper stuck his hand out and parried the ball to relative safety.

 

Leal gained possession in the next passage of play, and he lined up a shot, fired low and to the left of Abu Eshrein.

 

With the lead, São Tomé held on for the final minutes, even with Barbeiro having a missed shot on goal.

 

In the end, it was São Tomé and Príncipe that showed Sudan how to open a tournament campaign, winning in style in coming from behind and taking the lead in Group A after last night’s draw between Egypt and Mali.

 

Important aspects of the match:

8th minute goal from Hamid.

54th minute goal from Barbeiro.

86th-minute goal from Leal.

São Tomé only had two shots on target out of ten. These were the two that scored and were the difference on the day.

 

Sudan’s best afield: Hamid with his goal and four shots on target out of six, as well as equal most tackles for Sudan; El-Agab with his assist and equal most passes for Sudan, as well as most dribbles overall; Amir Suliman in central defence; Abdellatif Boya at left back.

Yasir Mozamil with equal most passes for Sudan.

Abdalla with equal most tackles for Sudan.

 

São Tomé and Príncipe’s best afield: Leonildo Soares with an assist and equal most dribbles for São Tomé, as well as four intercepts and two clearances; Joazhifel Soares with most passes overall and equal most dribbles for São Tomé, as well as eight intercepts and two clearances; Leal with his goal; Harramiz Soares with an assist.

Silva with most tackles overall.

Lúcio Oliveira and Vavá Pequeno with two key intercepts, two clearances and a block.