AFCON Round of 16: Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea preview
After Angola and Nigeria booked their places in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals yesterday, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea will now look to follow suit.
With this high-stakes clash set for 17:00 GMT, we’re reviewing their performances so far and identifying possible areas of vulnerability to answer the ultimate question: which Guinea goes forth?
The case for Equatorial Guinea
Equatorial Guinea were one of the standout teams of the group stages, emerging undefeated in Group A’s top-spot.
Juan Micha’s side rarely dominate the ball, but they more than compensate for that fact with their ruthlessness in front of goal.
As well as arguably having the best nickname at AFCON, the National Thunder were its leading goalscorers during the group-stages.
Nigeria held them to a 1-1 draw on matchday one but they netted four in each of their next two fixtures – storming past Guinea-Bissau with a 4-2 victory before utterly humiliating host nation Ivory Coast 4-0.
Ivory Coast’s elimination looked certain after the defeat, but they have since progressed
They had just 32 percent possession in that final game, showcasing the lethal power of their counter-attacking style.
No one has embodied that merciless ethos more than front-man Emilio Nsue, who leads the tournament’s scoring charts with five goals.
Nsue scored a hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau
Even more astonishing is his conversion rate — their talisman has needed just seven shots to hit that mark.
The Equatoguineans may have been underestimated in the group stages, but few teams will relish the opportunity to face them now.
They will be brimming with confidence, but Micha is demanding a healthy dose of humility.
“We are not favorites. We always respect the opponent. We take tomorrow’s match as a normal game, and we will work hard in our preparation.
“We are a humble family who work every day to improve. The results we have achieved do not mean that we are the best. We work every day and take things step by step,” he said.
This is the first time these sides will meet at an AFCON, but this is a familiar obstacle for the Equatoguineans who had their first AFCON encounters with Nigeria and Ivory Coast during the group stages.
Jesus Owono’s heroics left Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen frustrated
With no new injuries to report, it would be a surprise if Micha changed the starting 11 that roared to victory against Guinea-Bissau and Ivory Coast.
They have shown their pedigree as giant-killers, but now they must contend with the pressure of ranking amongst the favourites.
The case for Guinea
Guinea progressed from third-place in Group C, commanding a respectable four points from games against Cameroon, Gambia, and Senegal.
More impressively, they gained those points while missing star striker Serhou Guirassy – who is only trailing Harry Kane in the race for the Bundesliga’s golden boot.
Guirassy is touted as one of the best strikers in Europe
The Stuttgart striker returned for 63 minutes of action in the 2-0 defeat against Senegal, and he is ready to make an impact today.
He said: “We came into this competition to reach a new milestone and we will have to show it tomorrow.
“Today I feel better. It’s never easy to get back to 100% after a muscle injury.”
While their returning talisman offers encouragement for the National Elephants, their record in the knockout stages does not.
They have reached this stage in the previous two tournaments, but were eliminated by victors Algeria in 2019 and then by Gambia in 2021.
Manager Kaba Diawara is giving little weight to the past, though, stressing a game-by-game approach now that the winner takes all.
He said: “In the round of 16, there are no favourites. We are much better than in 2021 and know each other better.
“All we want is to win tomorrow. We know that the group stage has nothing to do with the knockout stage. It’s another AFCON which is direct elimination. We just have to win, and I insist on that.”
Ex-Liverpool midfielder and Guinea captain Naby Keïta is also set for a second start of the tournament, having returned to the fold against Senegal after missing the opening fixtures with injury.
Keïta has struggled for fitness since joining Werder Bremen
Operating as an attacking midfielder in Diawara’s 4-2-3-1, captain Keïta will be essential in delivering Guirassy the service he needs.
Equatorial Guinea may have had the stronger group stage campaign, but there is no doubting the quality of this Guinean side.
Can Guirassy make his mark? Will the Equatoguinean defence halt Nsue?
The answers to these questions may well determine Guinea’s chances.
