Musa Barrow transformed a 90th-minute penalty for Gambia to grab a 1-1 draw towards Mali with the matchday 2 consequence assign to preserve both groups thru to the 2d round of the Africa Cup of Worldwide locations.
Mali went forward after 79 minutes in Limbe when Ibrahima Kone scored from one other penalty, both of which own been awarded after the Moroccan referee watched replays on a VAR computer screen.
The draw keeps Gambia and Mali stage on the highest of Team F with four facets every. Pointless facets Tunisia and Mauritania meet later on Sunday and a obtain for both country will carry them into rivalry.
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Team winners and runners-up after three matchdays qualify for the round of 16 along with basically the most straightforward four third-positioned facets.
“I’m thrilled with our results up to now. We own overwhelmed Mauritania and drawn with Mali, a personnel 97 locations above us within the field rankings,” said Belgium-born Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet.
“This Gambian personnel is packed with talented players and one in all them, Musa Barrow, confirmed big calmness to gain from the penalty.”
Debutants Gambia are the lowest-ranked of the 24 groups in Cameroon and wished a penalty shootout victory over Djibouti to e book a assign within the neighborhood share of qualifying.
Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma, who came off the bench in a matchday 1 obtain over Tunisia, turned into promoted to the starting line-up by Mali coach Mohamed Magassouba.
The diversified Premier League player within the Mali personnel, Southampton winger Moussa Djenepo, retained his assign because the West African nation sought a ninth obtain in 19 matches in all competitions towards the Gambia.
Unhurried Tempo
In 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) early afternoon heat and 75 p.c humidity on the 20,000-seat Stade Omnisport it turned into no shock that the match started at a gradual tempo.
Mali had been more spectacular within the early exchanges with Bissouma firing a free-kick huge and Djenepo having a header saved by Modou Jobe, who plays within the South African 2d division.
After being on the again foot for 20 minutes, Gambia had been awarded a 35-metre free-kick and Musa Barrow unleashed a thunderbolt that rattled the crossbar.
After two cooling breaks within eight minutes to allow the players to drink water, the woodwork came to the rescue of Mali every other time.
This time Ablie Jallow turned into the sad Gambian as his angled shot rebounded off a put up to the relief of Mali goalkeeper Ibrahim Mounkoro.
Djenepo turned into harshly yellow-carded by the Moroccan referee as half of-time approached, ruling him out of the final neighborhood match towards Mauritania on Thursday as he turned into also cautioned towards Tunisia.
After a gradual launch up to the 2d half of, the match burst into lifestyles with Mali having three scoring alternatives in hasty succession and Gambia one.
Bissouma fired handsome over, Adama ‘Malouda’ Traore narrowly misplaced a scuttle for the ball with Jobe, who then blocked along with his chest a discontinuance-range try by Traore.
A Gambian counterattack threatened to interrupt the impasse except they had been dispossessed on the threshold of the Mali field.
Then came the 2 penalties with Kone and Barrow keeping their nerve to send the goalkeepers the outrageous come.
AFP
