Zimbabwe v Guinea – Confidence and honor
With one leg already in the Round of 16, Guinea will tackle Group B bottom side Zimbabwe at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo on Tuesday, in a decisive game for Syli Nationale.
Guinea is joint top of the group with Senegal on four points each. On the other side, Zimbabwe trails the pack pointless after back-to-back defeats to Senegal and Malawi.
Match Card
Date: 18 January 2022
Time: 17:00 local time (16:00 GMT)
Venue: Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaounde
Group: B
Match: Zimbabawe v Guinea
Zimbabwe – Nothing to lose
Zimbabwe had been once again left empty-handed as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Malawi, that meant the Warriors have lost their hopes of a place in the second place.
The Southern African representatives have now failed to go past the group stage in all their five AFCON appearances and will just play fir honor and avoid losing all their group games.
What they said
Norman Mapeza (Coach, Zimbabwe)
“The players we missed were a huge blow for us. They are players who have been a great help to us during the playoffs. We played very well against Senegal, holding them down until twenty seconds from the end. We had chances to win against Malawi, especially in the first half. So, we will try to retain the positive to get a good result against Guinea.”
Jordan Zemura (Defender, Zimbabwe)
“We are a bit sad by the absence of our colleagues. They bring confidence and experience to the group. We are ready to face Guinea and our main objective is to win. It is being a good experience, and personally I will leave this country with a lot of learning."
Guinea – One more step
Syli Nationale started the tournament well. A win over Malawi and holding favorites Senegal to a barren stalemate meant that Guinea are on four points and almost secured their place in the next round.
Nabi Keita colleagues have shown courage and entertaining football that they would like to repeat against Zimbabwe to guarantee their qualification, and why not top the group.
What they said
Kaba Diawara (Coach, Guinea)
“Winning would be important for us. There is determination and motivation among the team to move forward. We have tried to keep the high levels of concentration in the players to win the game. We are not in next round yet, so we should work hard to get the three points and, if possible, get the first position. We are building a strong team with many promising players."
Mohamed Ali Camara (Defender, Guinea)
“We have a young team and we have tried to keep our spirits strong. We will go into the game with a positive attitude and of course with maximum concentration. Our team is full of confidence before this game.”