AFCON 2020 Matches 35 and 36: Gambia v South Africa and Nigeria v Chad

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

AFCON 2020 Matches 35 and 36: Gambia v South Africa and Nigeria v Chad

Two Seven-Goal Matches Complete AFCON Group Stages

June 25, 2020

Gambia 2 South Africa 5

 

South Africa scored five goals to the Gambia’s two in their third group match, winning all three matches with ease.

 

Group E rounded out AFCON 2020’s group stages, looking to ruffle the combinations of the Round of 16’s ties.

 

The Gambia sought to solidify second place against South Africa, who were already guaranteed top spot in the group. South Africa only made one change, in the hopes of keeping momentum going into the knockout stages.

 

South Africa needed to defend early, with blocked shots the entrée on the menu, before Gambian Ebrima Sohna had a header off a corner cleared off the line.

 

On the counterattack, Bongani Zungu nearly had a goal, only missing the goals to the left by a small margin. In the next passage of play, receiving the ball this time from the left wing, Zungu was deemed offside.

 

A clearance off the line was also needed for the Gambians after South African defender Thulani Hlatshwayo’s header off a corner was on target.

 

Bubacarr Jobe also had an effort from a corner at the other end fly wide of the mark.

 

Finally, an opening goal came, this time from the head of Hlompho Kekana. The ball, crossed from the right wing by Kamohelo Mokotjo, found Kekana’s head with ease, and the positioning and speed was so perfect, there was no way of the goal being stopped.

 

Lebo Mothiba should have doubled the lead immediately, only to miss the chip shot over Gambian goalkeeper Moudou Jobe. Again, the striker should have scored when found alone from left wing run; his volley flew wide into the same spot.

 

Instead, it took a penalty to bring about Mothiba’s goal; a tussle in the box ended with Gambia’s Omar Colley giving away the penalty. Mothiba made no mistake.

 

Nine minutes into the second half, Dean Furman hit a pearler from the D beyond the Gambian goalkeeper, making it three goals.

 

The Gambia worked back into the match, though being three goals down was going to be a near-impossible task. After winning a series of 50-50 balls, Sohna ended the play with the ball at his feet inside the box, and the midfielder made no mistake.

 

South Africa, though, restored the three-goal lead via substitute Kamohelo Mahlatsi’s power strike in the 75th minute.

 

Eight minutes later, Mokotjo led into the box and fired home South Africa’s fifth with his head.

 

In additional time, the Gambians managed a second goal from substitute Adama Jammeh’s header from a corner.

 

Important aspects of the match:

            29th-minute goal for Kekana.

            45th-minute penalty for Mothiba.

            Furman’s 54th-minute goal.

            65th-minute goal for Sohna.

            75th-minute goal for Mahlatsi.

            Player of the Match Mokotjo’s goal in the 83rd minute.

            Additional time goal for Jammeh.

 

            Gambia’s best afield: Sohna with his goal and most passes and tackles for Gambia, as well as four key intercepts and a clearance; Sulayman Bojang at right back with four key clearances, a clearance and a block.

            Moudou Barrow with most dribbles for Gambia.

 

            South Africa’s best afield: Mokotjo with his goal and assist; Furman with his goal; Kekana with his early goal and most passes and dribbles for his side.

            Zungu with two assists.

            Hlatshwayo with most tackles for South Africa, as well as three key intercepts and a clearance.

 

Nigeria 5 Chad 2

 

All attention was firmly on the match between Nigeria and Chad. A loss or draw would not be enough for either side. Nigeria needed to restore some pride, and to help, made five changes.

 

Three early shots came Nigeria’s way, with the final one falling on the shoulders of Samuel Kalu; however, his shot flew over the crossbar.

 

John Obi Mikel nearly had a goal in the seventh minute but missed to the left of goal with his long-range shot. He made no mistake the second time round, curling his right footer around the diving goalkeeper, Mathieu Adoassou.

 

As Nigeria tightened the screws, the opportunities increased. Joe Aribo hit the crossbar with his long-range effort, while Kalu and Obi Joel both had their shots saved by Adoassou. Joel’s second effort was far closer, just missing to the left.

 

However, it was Chad who finally gelled as a team and worked down the middle, leading to a Karl Max Barthélémy goal.

 

Oghenekaro Etebo restored the lead for Nigeria right before the break, completing a series of high-quality team passes with a left footer that Adoassou had no hope of saving.

 

Kalu then tried with earnest intent to gain a third for Nigeria, only for the shot to be partially blocked.

 

Instead, Chad looked to equalise, coming close when Barthélémy reached a through ball first; the shot rolled along the ground and to the left of goal.

 

Ezechiel Ndouassel had a chance as well with a header off a corner, only for Daniel Akpeyi to make the save. Casimir Ninga reached the parry first. His header, though, with three Nigerians around him, flew nowhere near the goals.

 

In the 59th minute, Barthélémy was found with a cutback ball from the right midfield; his shot required a firm Akpeyi save. From the corner, defender Aubin Mbaigohmem had a go, only to miss over the bar.

 

Instead, Etebo headed home his second goal and Nigeria’s third, leaning in front of his marking man and gliding the ball into the back of the net.

 

Ahmed Musa then came off the bench and added to the tally, coolly placing the ball with his left foot in the goal.

 

Chadian substitute Ali Mahamout Tchari pegged a second goal for his side after waiting in front of the far post for a cutback pass to reach him.

 

Odion Ighalo, however, made it five goals for Nigeria, winning the ball from a free kick and volleying into the back of the net.

 

From there, Nigeria finished the match with the same score as South Africa did, a remarkable feat with seven goals, and one not likely to be for many years to come.

 

	Group E	Pl	W	D	L	Pts	GD
1	South Africa	3	3	0	0	9	+6
2	Nigeria	3	1	1	1	4	+1
3	Gambia	3	0	2	1	2	-3
4	Chad	3	0	1	2	1	-4

 

After a poor first two games, Nigeria can breathe a sigh of relief with the win over Chad, taking momentum into their Round of 16 clash against Morocco. South Africa, with three wins, will look to tackle the likes of Angola.

 

The Gambia, however, misses out on the knockout stages as the weakest third-place side. They join Zambia, who had a goal difference of -3 after winning only one match.

 

The Round of 16 matches are as follows:

 

AFCON 2020 R16 (in brackets)

·      Cameroon v Guinea

·      Egypt v Madagascar

·      Tunisia v São Tomé and Príncipe

·      Morocco v Nigeria

·      South Africa v Angola

·      Algeria v Comoros

·      Ghana v Mozambique

·      Mali v Benin

 

The two Round of 16 matches on June 30 are set to be the biggest: Cameroon taking on Guinea, who just scraped through, and Morocco against Nigeria, who only have the one win.