AFCON
Why Group A Could Go Down The Wire –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The last matches of Group A are scheduled for this evening at the two stadiums in Abidjan.
While group leaders, Equatorial Guinea take on hosts, and third placed Cote d’Ivoire at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face the already-eliminated Guinea Bissau at the Félix Houphouët Boigny Stadium.
What is only certain ahead of the two matches is the elimination of Guinea Bissau. But the final order of the other three teams is still swinging and the decider may go down the wire.
Possibility exists for two teams to finish at four-point appease should Nigeria lose to Guinea Bissau and the possible low margin win of Cote d’Ivoire over Equatorial Guinea. That takes the hosts to the top while Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea get stocked at four points and requiring goal difference to decide the order. Both teams may however still scale the group stage as the third placed side with four points will qualify.
But the Greek puzzle can only be avoided if Nigeria win their match against Guinea Bissau. They will spare followers the resort to calculators headache inducing arithmetic.
The hopes of Libya securing a 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ticket seem to have gone up in smoke. This is the sequel to the 2-1 defeat that Rwanda inflicted on the Benin Republic on Tuesday evening.
With the result, Libya’s position is further cemented at the bottom of the table. Nigeria, even with an outstanding match, still leads with seven points.
They are followed by Benin Republic who have six points. Rwanda followed with five points.
The star men were Innocent Nshuti and Djihad Bizimana who scored in the space of two minutes as Rwanda came from behind to defeat Benin 2-1 at Amahoro Stadium on Tuesday, October 15.
Rwanda’s defeat of Benin Republic is not just their first win in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, the victory terminates a 12-year winless streak against the Cheetah of Benin.
It is also a renewal of their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. But they still have two more games to play.
The German made two changes from the side that started against Benin last week as Samuel Gueulette and Emmanuel Imanishimwe came in for Kevin Muhire and Claude Niyomugabo respectively.
The press release on Tuesday by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) may have lifted a burden off Nigeria as the match with Libya is considered postponed rather than the Super Eagles refusing to play.
The continental body remarked that the matter would be referred to the competent CAF bodies.
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