And that concludes our coverage of the Afcon Group C finale. What a rush! Thanks for reading and emailing in and enjoy the Carabao Cup action. Bye for now.
Scott Murray has Chelsea v Middlesbrough here, to see who wins that:
“If the Gambia kept their heads, they would have have won,” emails Hugh.
What a chaotic and dramatic finish. Tremendous scenes all round, although it would have been a great story had The Gambia held on to win.
Sky Sports are straight off to Carabao Cup, so there will be no reaction available on the telly.
Full time! The Gambia 2-3 Cameroon
Crazy stuff. Cameroon were heading out – now they’re through to the last 16, and not even as one of the best third-placed teams. Senegal’s second goal against Guinea means they are through in second place, combined with the fact that The Gambia’s potential equaliser for 3-3 was ruled out for handball.
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Full time! Guinea 0-2 Senegal
Senegal win Group C. Seck and Ndiaye with the goals.
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Disallowed goal! The Gambia 2-3 Cameroon
Sanneh’s dramatic effort is ruled out. It was a crafty handball as he ran on to the corner from the right. He’s also booked for his trouble.
It looks like it’s a handball by Muhammed Sanneh, from a corner, and it’s going to be ruled out by the VAR! The referee has gone to the screen. High, high drama.
Goal! The Gambia 3-3 Cameroon (Sanneh 90+3)
Are you kidding me?
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Goal! Guinea 0-2 Senegal (Ndiaye)
The former Sheffield United man, now with Marseille, secures the win and a 100 per cent group record for Senegal … and potentially puts Cameroon through in second place, too!
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Goal! The Gambia 2-3 Cameroon (Wooh 90+2)
A cracking header in stoppage time! Cameroon are back in this tournament! Even if they can’t overhaul Guinea, they will still go through with a win as one of the best third-placed teams.
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Guinea 0-1 Senegal: Meanwhile, Senegal are edging towards a win …
Goal! The Gambia 2-2 Cameroon (Gomez 87)
Oh no! A ball is sent in low from the Cameroon left. Gomez slides in at the near post to try to deal with it, but only diverts it into his own net. The Gambia were so close to a historic win!
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Goal! The Gambia 2-1 Cameroon (Colley 85)
What a goal! What a finish! What a story! A lovely link-up with Assan Ceesay and Ebrima Colley promptly tucks an unerring low finish into the far corner from an angle. The celebrations are wild! There are tears! Will it be a fine win for The Gambia to sign off?
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The Gambia 1-1 Cameroon: Olivier Kemen comes on for Cameroon. Jallow belts a shot from distance that flies over. He thinks it’s taken a nick and wants a corner but doesn’t get it.
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Guinea 0-1 Senegal: Senegal are closing in on winning all their group matches at Afcon for the first time.
The Gambia 1-1 Cameroon: Fadera also went close for The Gambia, right after the goal by Jallow. Exciting times. There is a cooling break under way at both matches.
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Goal! The Gambia 1-1 Cameroon (Jallow 72)
Brilliant goal! The full-back, with No 3 on his back, runs on to an excellent lofted cross from the left and guides a superbly technical volley inside the far post. Jallow had space but only had one bite at getting that volley right. He nailed it. It was Alieu Fadera who audaciously kept the ball up with his knee out on the wing, before delivering an excellent cross.
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The Gambia 0-1 Cameroon: Bubacarr Sanneh and Alieu Fadera come on for The Gambia. Barrow has a crack from the edge of the box. It’s blocked, and then Ondoa has another save to make soon after. Magri off, Moumbagna on for Cameroon. “He can play the piano with his eyes closed,” the commentator tells us of Moumbagna.
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Guinea 0-1 Senegal: Guinea look to strike back almost immediately, Ali Camara bending in a fine delivery from the left wing, but Senegal manage to clear their lines.
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Goal! Guinea 0-1 Senegal (Seck 61)
A wonderful free-kick delivery from the right wing by Diatta, which gives Seck a simple enough task to power an imperious downward header into the net from close range! Lovely goal, and all created by a wonderful curling set-piece. And that makes things more complicated in terms of permutations, as it puts Cameroon firmly back in the hunt, as it stands … They have a goal difference which is one worse than Guinea right now.
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The Gambia 0-1 Cameroon: Musa Barrow tries his luck from distance – and from an angle … it’s a poor effort and Saintfiet looks suitably disgusted on the touchline.
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Goal! The Gambia 0-1 Cameroon (Toko Ekambi 56)
Nkoudou crosses, Toko Ekambi heads in, and the goal is confirmed after a VAR check! The Gambia need to score three unanswered goals in a little over half an hour if they are to stay in the competition.
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Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Still not much going on … but wait! Mané is suddenly through, one on one with the goalie … he goes around him, and can see the open goal, but he completely fluffs his attempted finish! He allows himself a wry smile.
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Now, on replay, it looks like Cameroon should have had a penalty for a foul on Nkoudou around the penalty spot. He was clearly tackled from behind. It’s all Cameroon, and Nouhou Tolo soon belts a powerful shot over the bar from inside the area.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: You do fancy we’ll see a goal between these two, who both need a win to have any hope of staying alive. Karl Toko Ekambi breaks down the right for Cameroon. He’s half-tackled, but manages to grab the ball back, and tries to cut back for a teammate … Cameroon come again, and Nkoudou hammers a half-volley against the crossbar from point-blank range after taking a cross from the right down brilliantly!
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon and Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Second-half kick-off!
Allez! Part deux.
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“I went and looked at Tom Saintfiet’s CV and it was as incredible as you said,” writes Kári Tulinius. “It’s mindboggling to think that 21 years ago he was standing on the sidelines of second division matches in the Faroe Islands, and now he’s managing a national team at Afcon. It’s a ludicrous journey.”
Tarek Abdel-Hamid has also been in touch on email:
“For the record: Mozambique’s second goal late in injury time against Ghana, though it made no difference to the scoring team, resulted in the automatic qualification of six countries: Egypt, Guinea, Angola, Burkina Faso, Mali and Morocco. And significantly revived hopes for Ivory Coast. I don’t think I can recall a more significant goal in any tournament!”
Nice one.
“I don’t have pay TV so was a bit disappointed that the beeb only seems to have the odd game,” emails Matt. “However, where one hand taketh away, the other one giveth, so I’m going to give Irish football a whirl tonight.
“It’s Glentoran v Larne in the County Antrim Shield Final and it’s on iPlayer! It’ll be a good craic, and what’s more it’s an excuse to get a nice Irish whiskey from the cupboard! Sláinte!!”
Enjoy the match Matt … given both these Afcon matches are 0-0, I simply have to post this clip (again).
Half-time in both matches!
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon, Guinea 0-0 Senegal. Stalemates all round. Let’s hope for goals, goals, goals in the second half.
Here’s some half-time reading:
Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Mane goes down injured following a challenge by Saidou Sow. He looks to make a meal of it, it would seem. “Finally a talking point in the first half,” observes the commentator. Now, there’s another big round of pushing and shoving as the match moves into first-half stoppage time. It was Jakobs and Keita, among others, who clashed.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Jallow, Minteh and Barrow link up nicely in attack. More defending to do for Cameroon. This is the more dynamic of the two matches, which is hardly surprising considering both sides desperately need a win.
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Inside the last five minutes of the first halves … the Gambia are putting a bit of pressure on Cameroon as their half-time oranges and cups of tea beckon.
Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Of Kalidou Koulibaly’s time in Naples, our commentator tells us that the defender was “So popular in the Italian city, they named a pizza after him.” There’s not a massive amount happening on the pitch, so we’ll take what we can get. Senegal and Guinea, astonishingly, might not be too bothered about this finishing 0-0, because that would send them both through to the last 16 …
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Jallow roars down the right wing for the Gambia. It’s a stunning run and he wins a corner, from which Minteh heads goalwards at the far post … Ondoa manages to smother the effort, and Cameroon survive!
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Ali Sowe makes inroads for the Gambia with a determined run, and nearly has a chance to shoot … but he’s crowded out by a couple of opponents. Now we have a cooling break in both matches.
Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Krépin Diatta bends in a free-kick for Aliou Cissé’s team after a long time setting up the set-piece. It’s initially repelled, but Nampalys Mendy then has a crack. But nothing doing.
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: The live TV feed drops out for a few seconds. An apologetic red slate appears from Sky Sports, briefly, but the pictures come back soon enough. It’s still 0-0 in both these Group C games.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Minteh storms down the left wing for the Gambia, injecting some much-needed pace into proceedings. It’s a brilliant run and he cuts the ball back well from near the byline – but no one is there to get on the end of it. Jallow wasn’t a million miles away, but Nouhou Tolo was lurking around the penalty spot to clear for Cameroon.
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Cameroon have certainly had the best of the first 20 minutes. The Gambia’s Omar Colley has now gone down after a very painful looking 50-50 challenge in midfield with Enzo Tchato. Colley is receiving treatment but he looks OK to continue.
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Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Ismaila Sarr runs on to a lovely threaded pass, angled into the penalty box. But the Guinea defence is collectively well positioned and holds firm. It remains goalless in both these games – and let’s just say it stays this way – it would put both Guinea and Senegal through, Senegal as group winners.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Georges-Kévin Nkoudou has a chance to cross with a free-kick from the Cameroon right. He gets it wrong and fails to get the ball over the two-man wall. A corner results, but nothing comes of that either, after it’s also taken by Nkoudou.
The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Ali Sowe belts a powerful shot from an angle for the Gambia. Fabrice Ondoa beats it out acrobatically.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: Frank Magri goes close for Cameroon, forcing a save from Baboucarr Gaye in goal for the Gambia.
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Guinea 0-0 Senegal: Meanwhile in the other match, there’s an almighty bout of pushing and shoving after an off-the-ball clash between opponents. But now it’s all calmed down somewhat.
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The Gambia 0-0 Cameroon: The Gambia’s Yankuba Minteh has gone down injured early doors after a clumsy challenge in midfield by Jean-Charles Castelletto of Cameroon.
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First half kick-off!
Allez!
Tom Saintfiet, the 50-year-old Belgian in charge of the Gambia, has one hell of a managerial career path.
Here we go then. The players are emerging on to the pitches at both venues for the conclusion of Group C. The Gambia v Cameroon is being staged in Bouaké, Ivory Coast’s second-largest city. Guinea v Senegal is taking place in Yamoussoukro, which FYI is the fourth-largest settlement in the country, according to my sources.
Bob O’Hara has emailed in regarding Ivory Coast’s hopes of progress: “Am I right that if the Gambia v Cameroon is a draw, the hosts qualify for the second round?”
I believe you are right, Bob.
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Senegal defeated Cameroon 3-1 last time out, with Sadio Mané’s goal clinching the three points:
Aguibou Camara’s solitary goal earned a 1-0 win for Guinea against the Gambia on the same day.
If photographs of football shirts hanging in changing rooms are your thing, then Caf’s Twitter has got you covered:
🇬🇲🇨🇲 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌𝐒 🇬🇳🇸🇳
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 23, 2024
Two decisive group C encounters ahead of us! ©️#GAMCMR | #GUISEN | #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/AlB39BN1yv
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Guinea v Senegal teams
Guinea: Kone, Antoine Conte, Mohamed Camara, Sow, Issiaga Sylla, Toure, Diawara, Aguibou Camara, Naby Keita, Facinet Conte, Guirassy. Substitutes: Moriba, Bayo, Diakite, Karim Cisse, Seydouba Cisse, Moussa Camara, Konate, Sekou Sylla, Kante, Aly Keita, Diakhaby, Guilavogui.
Senegal: Edouard Mendy, Diatta, Seck, Koulibaly, Jakobs, Pape Sarr, Pape Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Ismaila Sarr, Habibou Diallo, Mane. Substitutes: Ahmadou Dieng, Gomis, Formose Mendy, Idrissa Gueye, Jackson, Kouyate, Ciss, Ballo-Toure, Iliman-Cheikh Ndiaye, Diaw, Camara, Niakhate Ndiaye.
The Gambia v Cameroon teams
Cameroon’s André Onana of Manchester United is notably dropped to the bench for this pivotal Group C encounter against the Gambia. Fabrice Ondoa is preferred in goal, with three other changes: Toko Ekambi, Ntcham and Yongwa coming in.
The Gambia: Gaye, Muhammed Sanneh, Gomez, Omar Colley, Mendy, Jallow, Manneh, Bobb, Minteh, Barrow, Sowe. Substitutes: Jobe, Barry, Ngum, Fadera, Ceesay, Sanyang, Touray, Janko, Ebrima Colley, Badamosi, Darboe, Bubacarr Sanneh.
Cameroon: Ondoa, Castelletto, Wooh, Tolo, Tchato, Ntcham, Zambo, Yongwa, Toko Ekambi, Magri, Nkoudou. Substitutes: Moukoudi, Ngamaleu, Kemen, Ateba, Tchamadeu, Gonzalez, Epassy, Neyou, Moumbagna, Elliott, Onana, Mputu.
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Some Afcon-themed Liverpool news here, regarding Mohamed Salah’s departure from the tournament, courtesy of Andy Hunter:
Preamble
Africa Cup of Nations, Group C: what’s the vibe?
It’s simple in the sense that Senegal are already into the knockouts with two wins from two. Should Senegal avoid defeat today they will top the group. However, Guinea would nab top spot with a win, sitting as they do in second place with four points after an opening draw followed by a victory … a draw for Guinea would mean they are through, no matter what happens in the other match.
On which note, neither the Gambia nor Cameroon have given up hope of progress, in view of the fact that the four best third-placed teams will also earn a place in the round of 16.
It’s all up for grabs. Kick-off in both matches is at 5pm UK time.
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