Veteran striker Titi Camara saved Guinea from having their African Nations Cup fate decided by the drawing of lots on Sunday when he smashed home a late equaliser to give his side a 1-1 draw with Tunisia and a place in the quarter-finals.
The result gave Guinea the runners-up spot in Group A behind the hosts and killed off little Rwanda’ dreams of snatching the second qualifying spot.
Rwanda, playing in their first finals, beat Democratic Republic of Congo 1-0 in Bizerte but Camara’s goal six minutes from time at Rades gave Guinea breathing space as they finished a point ahead.
Had both games ended 1-0, then Guinea and Rwanda would have drawn lots because they would have finished level on points with identical goal difference and goals scored while their own game last week finished in a 1-1 draw.
Playmaker Slim Benachour had put Tunisia in front before 31-year-old Camara stepped up in the 84th minute to smash home his third goal in three games after a defensive slip-up on the edge of the box to put Guinea through.
”I am very, very happy,” said Camara who now plys his trade in Qatar after a rollercoaster career in Europe with Marseille, Liverpool and West Ham.
”It was very hard and we left it late but we have all been working very hard and we didn’t want our Nations Cup to finish here.”
Sunday’s result means Tunisia and Guinea will face either Senegal or Mali in the last eight but the outcome of Group B will not be decided until Monday when the two great west-African rivals clash head-on.
”I don’t mind who we play,” said Camara.
”Mali or Senegal, no problem. God willing, we will make the semi-finals.”
Tunisia coach Roger Lemerre was full of admiration for Camara.
”Titi Camara is a great African player. He saved his team and I congratulate him and his team,” said the Frenchman.
”Even though we had already qualified for the quarter-finals, this was a difficult match because Guinea had to make sure of their place in the next round. But we were very professional and the good thing is that we have made sure we will stay at Rades for our next game.”
In Bizerte, brave Rwanda bowed out of the tournament beaming with pride after a 1-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Belgium-based striker Said Makazsi struck the 74th-minute winner for the tiny Central African nation.
After losing narrowly to hosts Tunisia in the opening match of the tournament last weekend and snatching an injury-time draw against Guinea, the Wasps finished with four points in Group A — just one behind Guinea.
Substitute Henri Munyaneza set up the goal heading into the path of Makazsi, who scrambled the ball into the net.
Makazsi had a chance to score again with 10 minutes left, but his lob over the DRC goalkeeper trickled wide. – Sapa-AFP