AFCON day eight: Nightmare for the favourites, with reigning champions on the verge of elimination
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 17.01.22. | 02:14
Ivory Coast keeper Badra Ali Sangare tried to prevent a corner. And gifted Sierra Leone a stoppage-time equaliser
We have a tournament no one could possibly predict just days before the kickoff. Day eight provided us with some sensational and unexpected outcomes. These major upsets could send a tournament's favourites and a reigning champions Algeria - with a one-way ticket back home.
And let's see who is to blame or compliment for that...
Heroes of the day: Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone
It would be unfair to praise a single player and his achievements when both of those teams stunned the entire world of football, let alone their Sunday's opponents.
Equatorial Guinea players celebrate after the final whistle (©Gallo images)Firstly, the Leone Stars made it possible to dream after a shocking injury-time stalemate with the Elephants. A side packed with Kamaras - Mohamed, Musa, John and Kei in the starting XI - earned their second point and will meet other heroes (Equatorial Guinea) in a decisive, third-round tie.
This is Freetown, Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 right now, after #TeamSierraLeone equalized in stoppage time with Ivory Coast and got their second surprising draw in the competition.
— Uri Levy (@Levyninho) January 16, 2022
A little tournament they said… #AFCON2021 is a massive tournament. Period.pic.twitter.com/BZQRyUeOeR
What the latter did is maybe even more staggering. They topped the holding champion Algeria and have pulled off a probably most remarkable upset of the AFCON so far.
Loser of the day: Badra Ali Sangare
Despite Algeria's second winless game in a row, the notorious accolade goes to Ivory Coast keeper. What he did in that added time is as lousy as it gets. In order to prevent a late corner kick, he jumped for a ball and somehow managed to bring it back. Straight to opponents.
AFCON has peaked with this last-gasp Sierra Leone equaliser. Heads fallen clean off at this 😠pic.twitter.com/4vdTrytjCq
— Mitch (@mitchwilks) January 16, 2022
Apparently, he got injured during that stunt, but don't blame us for having serious doubts about it. Injury aside, you simply can't react like that and spoil it all for your teammates and the entire nation.
Goal of the day: Musa Kamara
One of 'only' four Kamaras in Sierra Leone's lineup, the above-mentioned Musa Kamara scored a marvellous equaliser to tie the game at one.
Superb ball control, dribble and that - booom! A splendid goal that deserves to be praised for its fashion.
Musa Kamara (21) has scored #TeamSierraLeone first goal in the AFCON since 1996.
— Salone Messenger (@Salonemessenger) January 16, 2022
Kamara is currently without any club. #afcon#Afconsierraleone pic.twitter.com/0NDNJWfI6Q
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