Senegal, Algeria for AFCON final

Senegal and Algeria have set up a West versus North Africa clash in the final of this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after they won their respective semi-final matches in a dramatic manner yesterday.

Senegal’s final berth ticket was delivered by a 100th minute own goal against Tunisia, while Algeria were put through by a magnificent strike by captain Riyad Mahrez’s injury time from a 20-yarder freekick to beat Nigeria 2-1.

Significantly, it will be the first time the finalists have achieved this feat in over a decade.

While the Teranga Lions are set to play their first final in 17 years, the Desert Foxes of Algeria are also playing their first final in 29 years.

Intriguingly, both sides gained from own goals and survived a scare from a VAR decisions.

Senegal narrowly escaped a VAR-confirmed penalty awarded Tunisia in the 68th minute which was wasted.

Algeria, on the other hand, were not that lucky.

When they were up by 1-0, Nigeria were awarded a penalty after the VAR confirmed a handball, which was converted.

However, Man City’s Mahrez saved his side the agony of extra time and penalty shootout when he took a freekick just outside the penalty box with such boldness, accurracy and intensity to ditch the Super Eagles.

Senegal 1, Tunisia 0

Having held off the Teranga Lions in the first half, the Tunisians resumed the second half with a bit more aggression and began to also push forward.

The drama also began to unfold as the urge to find that goal became more intensive.

The Carthage Eagles, however, had the chance to get the first goal after they were awarded a penalty when the referee, Bamlak Tessema, ruled that an effort from Tunisia had been blocked by Koulibably’s arm.

Ferjani Sassi, through whom that foul was won, stepped out to take the spot kick, but it was a feeble shot that was saved by goalkeeper Amigo Gomes with just a little effort.

Five minutes later, the Teranga Lions had their chance with a penalty too, when substitute Ismaila Sarr was brought down, but Henri Saivet’s kick was saved by goalkeeper Mouez who stretched to his elastic limit.

More drama was to follow in the final six minutes of the game, when another penalty awarded the Tunisians for a handball was overturned by the VAR after Referee Tessema personally went to the screen to check.

It was the first time that there had been a physical check since the VAR was introduced in the competition at the quarter-finals stage.

Unrelenting, Senegalese pressed on and skipper Cheikou Kouyate’s freekick bounced off Bronn’s head into the net, similar to how they conceded the late equaliser from Ghana in their Round of 16 tie encounter.

This time around, however, there was no second chance for the Tunisians as the Senegalese held on to that lead till the final whistle.

This gave Coach Aliou Cisse the opportunity to right the wrong when as the captain of Senegal, his infamous penalty miss cost his side the chance to lift the trophy for the first time against Cameroun at the AFCON 2002 final.

Algeria 2, Nigeria 1

Algeria deservedly took the lead from a William Troost-Ekong own goal on the 40th minute, but a VAR handed Nigeria the equaliser with a penalty which was converted by Idion Ighalo on the 72nd minute.

From then, both sides came close to taking the lead but it was the Algerians who made it count, their resilient play rewarded with a freekick just in 90 + five minutes.

Captain Mahrez took his chance and the result was the winning goal which could also pass for one of the best freekicks at this competition.

This crucial goal ended the North Africans long wait for a final berth since 1990, when they last hosted and won their only AFCON title.