No one could believe it when Equatorial Guinea beat Gabon 2-0 to enter the knockout stages of AFCON 2015. After getting off to flying start at the tournament, Gabon had hit a slump and were looking to get back on the horse, the little-fancied hosts offering the perfect opportunity.
National Thunder had different ideas though. In a CAN tournament laden with 1-1 and goalless draws, Equatorial Guinea were able to put two goals without a reply past the Gabonese, sending the whole country into a frenzy as the rest of the world looked on in awe. The Gabonese ranted about how questionable the refereeing decisions during the match were but at the end of the day it did not matter – Eq. Guinea were through to the last eight of AFCON 2015, an achievement that was nothing short of a miracle.
Against the formidable North Africans of Tunisia, the general feeling in the hosts’ camp will be that there is nothing to lose in this game. To have made it this far, after initially having been banned during the qualifiers for fielding an ineligible player, is a feat that is almost equal to bringing home the AFCON trophy itself. And this is what makes National Thunder a very difficult opponent for the Tunisians to face.
While the Guineans have nothing to lose, the Eagles of Carthage have lots. A reputation built on years of consistent performances would be trashed if they were to exit the Africa Cup of Nations at the hands of the hosts. Tunisia’s #2 ranking on the latest FIFA CAF list does not ease the pressure – a defeat to 39th-placed Equatorial Guinea on Saturday would be catastrophic for the North Africans.
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