Senegal is still trampling, Salim Ben Boina shines, Ghana in danger despite André Ayew … What to remember from Friday’s meetings

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After group A on Thursday, the teams from groups B and C played their second match in this AFCON on Friday 14 January. After a very timid start, this African Cup comes to life a little, even if the Senegalese and Moroccan favorites have disappointed again. At least, this day allows us to see more clearly and to draw up a first draft of the final table. Eighth rounds in which Morocco will participate, while Gabon, Guinea and Senegal are on the right track to qualify. Malawi, stunning against Zimbabwe (2-1), can still believe it. Back to the highlights of the day.

The disappointment: this time there was no miracle for Senegal

But what are the Lions of Teranga playing at? Despite an impressive workforce and stars at all levels, Senegal has paled since the start of the competition. Winners of Zimbabwe (1-0) thanks to a penalty in stoppage time at the opening, the Senegalese failed to break through the Guinean lock (0-0). The finalists of the last CAN are certainly close to eighth with 4 points (like Guinea), but the content does not reassure.

“If you look at the squad we put together today, we’re almost five or six short of starters”

Aliou Cissé, Senegal coach

Bein Sports

Despite these apologies from the coach, the offensive performance of the Senegalese is insufficient and the leaders, including Sadio Mané, are for the moment inside. One of the big favorites of this CAN would be well advised to wake up against Malawi on the last day.

The performance: Salim Ben Boina, it’s crazy!

Yes, the Comoros logically lost against Morocco (2-0) and are getting closer to an early elimination. But from this meeting, we will mainly remember the stratospheric performance of Comorian goalkeeper Salim Ben Boina, a regular in the French fifth division. Strafed by a clumsy Moroccan attack, the goalkeeper kept his team afloat for a long time, despite Amallah’s early opener.

While his usual teammates from the US Endoume (Marseille club of National 3) receive Istres on Saturday, Ben Boina has had the luxury of repelling a penalty from Youssef En-Nesyri, Seville striker. After several high-class saves, the goalkeeper, named man of the match, logically lost at the end of the game on a goal from Aboukhlal qualifying Morocco. But for his first match in a CAN, Salim Ben Boina was, as the Marseillais of Comorian origin Soprano would sing, “in fire”.

The number: 10 CAN goals for André Ayew

An old acquaintance from Ligue 1, André Ayew is once again being talked about. The former OM player put Ghana on the right track, scoring a nice goal against Gabon: a back-to-goal control, followed by a clear shot from the left into the side netting. At 32, Ayew, now a player for Al-Sadd (Qatar), scored his 10th goal in CAN. He remains far from the record of the legend Samuel Eto’o (18 achievements), but becomes, with the Cameroonian, one of the only players to have scored on six different editions.

The problem is that this nice goal was not enough for the Black Stars, joined on the wire by Gabon Jim Allevinah (1-1). This goal of Lot-et-Garonne by birth seriously complicates Ghanaian affairs: it will absolutely be necessary to beat the Comoros on the last day to qualify for the eighth.


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