By Fredrick Nadulli aka Razor,Tunisia 1-2 Equatorial Guinea
Hosts Equatorial Guinea had to use every trick in their bag to turn tables on pre-match favourites Tunisia and make history by qualifying for the semi finals,albeit in controversial circumstances.Javier Balboa produced a class act,the dreadlocked midfielder covering every blade of grass and signing off with two goals on a humid night in Bata.
It was the Carthage Eagles who went ahead,Ahmed Akaichi getting infront of his marker to tap home on sixty nine minutes off a fine cross from Esperance teammate Ali Yaacoubi.The Tunisians subsequently passed the ball around to run down the clock as well as frustrate the hosts.
Toni Bolado appeared to go down softly in the area on ninety minutes from a Ben Youssef tackle.Javier Balboa kept a cool head to send Aymen Mathlouthi the wrong way and the stadium into rupture,to push the game into extra time.
Tunisia,perhaps infuriated at the referee,lost their heads and gave away many fouls.It was from one such,thirty yards out,that Javier Balboa found the top corner to give Equatorial Guinea the edge.
Felipe Ovono kept out Sayed Maaloul’s freekick at the other end and Tunisia were on their way home
The victory means the hosts have gone a step further from their last feat,when they were eliminated in the quarters.
