Guinea breathed new life into their aspirations of progressing to the knock-out stages of the TotalEnergies CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 by defeating a 10-man Congo team 3-1 on Tuesday.
After suffering a defeat in their opening match against hosts Morocco, Guinea entered their Group A encounter at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat with an insatiable hunger for victory.
The early stages of the game saw both teams evenly matched, but it was Guinea who broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes through a clinical strike by Aguibou Camara. The Congo goalkeeper, Dhody Chris Guelor Bissila, was left helpless as Camara unleashed a powerful shot from close range.
As the match progressed, Congo grew in confidence and intensified their offensive efforts. Their persistence paid off in the 40th minute when Yann Geoffrey Kouori Ngatse capitalized on miscommunication between Guinea's defenders and goalkeeper to equalize.
In the second half, Congo returned to the pitch with determination, seeking to secure a second goal. Ngatse came agonizingly close with a header in the 53rd minute, narrowly missing the target.
However, against the run of play, Congo conceded an unfortunate own goal in the 54th minute. Substitute Salifou Soumah delivered a well-placed cross that deflected off Jacques Geordy Ndecket Bowamba, eluding his own goalkeeper and granting Guinea the advantage.
Guinea maintained control of possession and were awarded a penalty in the 70th minute when Congo goalkeeper Dhody Chris Guelor Bissila fouled Mohamed Cisse inside the box. Bissila received a red card, and despite the substitution of Simon Samba as the new goalkeeper, the subsequent penalty taken by Algassime Bah was saved by Samba.
Nevertheless, Guinea persisted, capitalizing on their one-man advantage to launch continuous attacks on the Congo goal. Salifou Soumah secured Guinea's third goal in the 84th minute, capitalizing on another defensive mix-up by Congo.
Having secured their first three points in the tournament, Guinea now eagerly anticipates their crucial final Group A match against Ghana.
Meanwhile, Congo Brazzaville's hopes of advancing to the semi-finals have been significantly diminished following their second defeat, following a previous 3-2 loss to Ghana.
