The knockout stages of the 2019 TOTAL Africa Cup of Nations gets underway today when Morocco takes on Benin in the first match at 4pm while one of the pre-tournament favourites Senegal and Uganda rub shoulders in the second and final match of the day.
The Atlas Lions and The Squirrels are also joined by the Syli Nationale of Guinea Conakry and the Desert Foxes of Algeria as one of the best 16 teams in this year’s expanded competition. Algeria with Morocco coached by the indefatigable Herve Renard are both bookmakers’ favourites to end their countries’ long waits of an AFCON success in the 24-team tournament in the land of the Pharaohs.
The Gambia under the tutelage of Belgian Tom Saintfiet was hoping to be among the top 23 countries in the continent to join the hosts for the football fiesta when the competition was expanded to accommodate 24 teams this summer but can look back at two decisive goals both coming in the last five minute of matches against the Togolese in the qualifiers as one of the main reasons for its failure to be participating in Egypt. Leading 1-0 in Lome, the Scorpions conceded with just two minutes of regulation time remaining to draw 1-1 and in the reverse fixture in Banjul, it dominated from start to finish and their profligacy in front of goal saw the visitors stunned a packed Independence Stadium with a 90th minute winner from a fortuitous goal. It was five valuable points lost and that coupled with the six points tally at the end of the qualifiers would ensure a finish joint top with Algeria on 11 points each, definitely guaranteeing a ticket to the tournament.
Impressed with his nine months in charge, The Gambia Government, through the recommendation of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) extended Mr. Saintfiet’s contract by a further two years and he has been tasked to ensure qualification to the 2021 AFCON in Cameroon. In anticipation of the resumption of the qualifiers in September this year, a 12-day training camp was organised in Marrakech, Morocco, to avail the coach the opportunity to test all his available players in real action with two test matches against Guinea Conakry and the hosts.
Having secured The Gambia’s first home win in more than five years and our highest competitive scoring record in eight years with a 3-1 mauling of Benin and two draws against Algeria in over two legs, the team showed that those results were no flukes as they defeated the Syli Nationale 1-0 and a similar scoreline defeat of a star-studded Moroccan team was secured in front of a partisan crowd at the 45,000-seater Stade de Marrakech. The twin wins were secured with the absence of several key players who pulled out of the camp for various reasons.
Looking at the performance of the four aforesaid teams in Egypt, they have all sailed through to the last 16 of the competition. Algeria even defeated our neighbours Senegal 1-0 as they booked a place in the knockout stages with maximum nine points and three clean sheets while Morocco have also topped their group with maximum points including a win over the Ivory Coast. Benin also sailed through without a defeat and the only side among the quartet to so far suffer a defeat is Guinea, losing 1-0 to Nigeria, but still managed to secure a place in the latter stages of the competition.
The lessons to be drawn from this is that The Gambia has never stood a better chance of qualifying for the AFCON finals than in Cameroon. If the performance from the last qualifiers and the aforesaid training camp is anything to go by, that tag would soon be a thing of the past. The GFF over the last four years have struggled seriously to bear the financial burden of the National Team, impacting on most of its programmes but with the new found partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports coupled with the right investment in the team by the Government, and the support from all corners, 2021 can become a reality. And with the introduction of the new telecom levy meant for sports development in the country, if judiciously spent, Gambians can dare to dream and fans can begin to book tickets and hotel rooms for an event coming in two years’ time.