The Gambia orchestrated a stunning comeback from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw with Congo in Morocco, earning their place in next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals. Gambia needed just a draw to qualify, while Congo was determined to win the Group G encounter.
The match took place in Morocco as Gambia is currently banned from hosting international matches by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) until their stadiums meet the required standards. The game’s fate was uncertain following a powerful earthquake near Marrakech, where the match was held, claiming the lives of around 2,100 people.
Both teams were affected by the earthquake, which forced them to evacuate their hotel rooms and sleep next to their respective hotel pools. Coaches reported that the players were traumatized by the quake, but CAF insisted that the match proceed, even though Morocco’s scheduled qualifier on Saturday had been postponed.
Congo took the lead with a goal from Gaius Makouta in the 30th minute, followed by a fortunate penalty converted by Silvere Ganvoula after Gambia’s captain, Omar Colley, was deemed to have handled the ball. Television replays showed that the ball had struck Colley on the shoulder blade, but there was no VAR (Video Assistant Referee) in operation for the match.
In an improbable turnaround, Gambia mounted a comeback, with teenager Yankuba Minteh scoring in the 79th minute and Muhamed Badamossi finding the net at the stroke of time. This result secured Gambia’s second successive qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations, despite being one of Africa’s smallest countries. In the previous tournament in Cameroon, Gambia made a memorable run to the quarter-finals.
With Gambia’s qualification, only two more places remain to be determined for the 24-team tournament in Ivory Coast, scheduled from January 13 to February 11. A crucial match in Group C between Cameroon and Burundi on Tuesday will determine which two teams out of Burundi, Cameroon, and Namibia will advance to the finals.
The list of already qualified teams includes Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, the Cape Verde Islands, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, and Zambia.
In earlier Sunday matches, Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick as Nigeria completed their qualifying campaign with a resounding 6-0 home victory over Sao Tome e Principe in Uyo. Togo also staged a comeback, overcoming a two-goal deficit to beat the Cape Verde Islands 3-2 in Lome, with Kevin Denkey scoring a double.
