Seton Hall
Preview of the African Cup of Nations Final
Date: July 17, 2019By: Joseph Osei-Bonsu
The streets of Algiers and Paris were filled with wild Algerian celebrations deep into the North African country and Parisian night.
Riyad Mahrez, curled in an absolute stunner into the nearside of the Nigerian goalie’s net in the last minute of stoppage time; to seal a berthing spot in the final of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations. So much was that winning goal in their 2-1 triumph celebrated that would make everyone think Algeria had finally won the AFCON title after 29 years.
The post-match quotes from both sides reiterated a singular point: “This was a very difficult game.”
Nigeria’s coach, Gernot Rohr, had hoped that his tiring side would eke out a draw against the technically superior Algerian team who looked well on their way to a relatively comfortable victory; thus, until Odion Ighalo’s 70th minute equalizer from the penalty spot.
A William Troost-Ekong own goal had already given the Algerian Foxes a much-deserved lead after forty minutes. The game descended into a tactical chess match after Nigeria levelled the score through a VAR-awarded penalty.
Based on their second half performance, The Super Eagles of Nigeria will feel that they were hard done by. But as Ighalo said after the match, “This is football.”
Senegal will miss their defensive rock at the back - the highly-rated Napoli center-back, Kalidou Koulibaly, on Friday’s final due to a suspension.
With Salif Sane returning from injury, and their versatile captain, Cheikh Kouyate, filling in at the back for the former while he was out, Senegal will believe they have able deputies to make up for Koulibaly’s loss.
The feeling throughout Senegal’s AFCON campaign this year has been described by several pundits as ‘can do better’. Senegal boasts some of the best players not just in African football, but in European and subsequently, World football.
However, their performances in the past few games have left little to be desired of a side oozing with class in several positions. The trend continued in their labored win against Tunisia in the other semifinal played on Sunday.
An own goal and VAR penalties played an important part in deciding the outcome of this semifinal when Tunisia’s Dylan Bronn put the ball in the back of his own net in the 100th minute of extra-time.
The argument for Senegal, who have never won the competition and are only playing their second AFCON final, is that the mark of champions is the ability to win soccer matches without necessarily playing well. Algeria have been the best team by far. Considering the manner with which they dispatched fellow Group C mates, Senegal, in a one-nil-er earlier in the tournament, you could surmise that they’d be strong favorites on July 19.
This year’s AFCON has been the best in a long while in terms of entertainment and quality; especially, during those tumultuous knockout phases. Shock result after shock result has proven that wins have not always gone to the in-form sides.
And therefore, the Teranga Lions will outduel the Les Fennecs d’Algerie, in Cairo, come Friday. Whatever the outcome may be, it will be a win for African football. Coaches of both teams, Aliou Cissé and Djamel Belmadi, are natives of their respective Senegalese and Algerian nations.
Either’s triumph will further drive home the need for more trust in African coaches than in foreign ones. The third-place match between Nigeria and Tunisia will take place tomorrow, on July 18.
Joseph Osei-Bonsu can be reached at joseph.oseibonsu@student.shu.edu.
