Tunisia and Guinea got Group C at the 2016 African Nations Championship off to an entertaining start as they played to a 2-2 draw in Kigali on Monday afternoon.
Ahmed Akaichi and Alseny Camara Agogo were the heroes of the day, scoring a brace apiece for the Carthage Eagles and Syli Nationale respectively.
The North Africans will feel they have let two point slip out of their hands, having twice held the lead while also hitting the woodwork on two separate occasions, while Guinea will be satisfied with the result on their CHAN debut.
After a quiet opening period in which no clear chances were created by either team, Tunisia opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when Ahmed Akaichi cleverly flicked home Hamza Mathlouthi’s low cross from the right flank.
Just a minute later the North Africans had a chance to double their advantage, slicing through the defence to give Akaichi a one-one-one chance with goalkeeper Abdoul Aziz Keita, but the attacker’s effort hit the crossbar.
Guinea struck back in the 40th minute, with a well-worked move allowing Ibrahima Sory Bangoura to put a ball across the face of goal which Zied Derbali inexplicably failed to clear, leaving Alseny Camara Agogo an easy finish for 1-1.
The West Africans almost took the lead in the first minute of injury time before the interval, with Ibrahima Sory Sankhon shooting on target from a free kick only to be denied by a fine diving save from Rami Jeridi.
The Carthage Eagles reclaimed the lead six minutes into the second half and Akaichi was again the man who found the back of the net, this time running onto a long ball out of defence before beating the ‘keeper at his near post to make it 2-1.
Tunisia hit the crossbar for second time in the 81st minute, with Zied Derbali getting on the end of a corner kick and sending a header onto the woodwork, but just two minutes later they were pegged back for a second time. A Guinean corner kick picked out substitute Jean Mouste, whose clever header back into the danger zone allowed Camara Agogo to fire home a sharp volley and make it 2-2.
The teams will be in action again on Friday in the second round of Group C matches: Tunisia will tackle Nigeria, while Guinea face Niger.
Tunisia, Guinea Play To Entertaining 2-2 Draw In CHAN 2016 Group C Opener
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