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2019 AFCON Qualifiers - Big wins, Bailly redemption & Salah's corner kick goal
We made sure you wouldn’t miss the updates from the Friday Goal Festival as the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations Qualifiers took a new twist. Have you seen Salah’s corner kick goal? Get updated and share with us how your favorite team is faring.
Angola players celebrate their first goal during the 2013 Orange African Cup of Nations match between Cape Verde Islands and Angola from Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on January 27, 2013 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.
(Jan. 26, 2013 - Source: Gallo Images/Getty Images Europe)
The 2019 AFCON qualifiers action resumed on Friday with a total of ten matches played all across the continent. Friday could easily be summarised as a goal fest with many sides winning big and obviously a sizeable not losing small. Here is what happened.
You might have not predicted this but, Aubameyang was not on the scoresheet as the Panthers grabbed a much needed 3-0 home victory against lowly ranked South Sudan who are still pointless after three matches. We will wait and see if the South Sudanese will be able to salvage some pride in the return leg on Tuesday.
The most talked about thriller will be Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah’s goal, scored direct from a corner kick in the Pharaohs 4 - 1 victory over Swaziland. Egypt and Salah’s international form is hitting some serious levels as they are proving to be the most free scoring side in the whole campaign as they have bagged 10 goals in the last two matches.
The wait for an international goal continues for Crystal Palace’s Zaha as he only managed an assist in Ivory Coast’s 4-0 demolition of Central African Republic. The Elephants fielded a strong lineup which was no match for the travelling team. Fulham’s Seri, AC Milan’s Kessie, Basel’s Serey Die, Zaha, Manchester United’s Bailly and Spurs’ Aurier were all among the notable names on the starting team sheet. The biggest redemption came for Eric Bailly who has been struggling this campaign under Jose Mourinho in the English Premier League. Eric scored the second goal of the match, shortly after assisting J.Kodja for the first of the contest. Lyon’s Maxwell Cornet continued his club form with a goal and C.Doukoure also added another as Ivory Coast moved to within three points of group leaders, Guinea who beat Rwanda 2-0 and are still yet to drop a single point in the 2019 AFCON qualifiers.
Wilfried Kanon of the Ivory Coast leaps to control the ball during the International Friendly match between the Ivory Coast and Senegal at the Stade Charlety on March 27, 2017 in Paris, France.
(March 26, 2017 - Source: Dan Mullan/Getty Images Europe)
The Sable Antelopes of Angola came from behind at home to beat the qualifiers’ dark horses, Mauritania, 4-1. The two finished the night tied on six points in group I and will await Saturday’s results of the Burkina Faso and Botswana match before they fix their eyes on the return leg on Tuesday. The 2019 hosts, Cameroon, who automatically qualify by virtue of being hosts edged Malawi 1-0 courtesy of powerful strike by Paris St Germain’s forward, Eric Maxim Choupo Moting. The 29-year-old handed Clarence Seedorf’s first victory as the Indomitable Lions coach.
Elsewhere, the Islanders, Cape Verde grabbed their first victory of the campaign as they comfortably saw off the Taifa Stars of Tanzania, 3-0 with forward Ricardo Gomes scoring a brace in the encounter. The Blue Sharks climbed up to top of group L after being rock-bottom as a result of that victory, with Uganda and Lesotho still to play their third match on Saturday.
Here are the full lists for results, fixtures and standings of the 2019 Africa Cup Of Nations Qualifiers. How are things looking up for your favorite team?
Central African Republic: Coach describes football as the country’s bearer of good news
Coach describes football as the Central African Republic's bearer of good news
The Wild Beasts’ boss, Raoul Savoy has expressed delight over his team’s ability to bring people together in the country. CAR has been hit with religious and ethnic conflicts since 2013 claiming thousands of lives. At times, football matches had to be postponed or played in other countries because of the unrest.
““The national team are unifying the country. When the Wild Beasts play, people think of something else. If we have good results, then we bring positive news.”- Savoy told BBC”
CAR is currently going through an internationally supervised transition and the games will be played in the Capital Bangui, once again. The Wild Beasts will play a friendly with the Scorpions of Gambia on 23 March in preparation for the resumption of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers where they were pitted in the same group with Guinea, Ivory Coast and Rwanda. A group they currently lead.