Ten-man Guinea hold off Morocco

Guinea captain Pascal Feindouno scores two goals and is then sent off in a 3-2 win.

Ismael Bangoura
Ismael Bangoura, front, and his Guinea teammates celebrate their 3-2 victory over Morocco [Reuters]
“Pascal is a key player and we will have to find a solution,” said Robert Nouzaret, Guinea coach.
 
In a must win game for Guinea, after losing their opening match to Ghana, Feindouno’s brace combined with an Ismael Bangoura strike were enough to put them in a strong position to qualify for the knock-out phase.
 

“Pascal is a key player and we will have to find a solution.” 

Robert Nouzaret,
Guinea coach

Henri Michel, Morocco coach, made three changes from the team that thrashed Namibia 5-1 in their opening match with hat-trick hero Soufiane Alloudi out injured and Abderrahmane Kabous and Marouane Chamakh moving to the bench.

 
Guinea also made three changes from the side that lost to Ghana, with Mohamed Sacko, Alseny Camara and Victor Correa also starting from the sideline.
 
Guinea took an 11th minute lead after Feindouno curled in a lovely free kick from the left, with Morocco’s keeper Khalid Fouhami caught cold as the ball sneaked in at the near post.
 
The Lions lacked bite against a very different Guinea to the subdued version that had lost to Ghana, as they caused the Moroccan defence all kinds of trouble with Fouhami at full stretch to tip a 35th minute Fode Mansare freekick over the bar.
 
Three goals in three minutes
 

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Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Michel made a tactical switch on 55 minutes, bringing on striker Aboucherouane in place of midfielder Houssine Kharja as he looked for ways to break down the Guinea defence. Pure pandemonium ensued.

 
First Guinea increased their lead with a neat three-player move culminating in Bangoura slamming the ball past Fouhami on the hour mark, but from the re-start, and with his first touch of the ball, Aboucherouane scored down the other end with a smashing left-foot shot from the edge of the area.
 
The drama though was only just beginning as Guinea were then awarded a penalty when Souleymane Youla was pulled down in the box, with Feindouno steppping up to convert the spot kick for a 3-1 lead.
 
The Guinea captain then saw red after he stomped on al-Erbate, with South African referee Damon Jerome having no hesitation in giving the Saint Etienne striker his marching orders.
 
Morocco pulled a goal back in the 90th minute when Abdeslam Ouaddou headed past Camara but time had run out leaving the group wide open and Morocco facing a stiff task to survive with hosts Ghana waiting for them in their final game.
 
“We lost the game at the crucial moments. Now we have to battle to beat Ghana to go through,” said Morocco coach Michel.
Source: News Agencies