The pressure is now on Zambia to perform later on Saturday and in their subsequent matches. At the end of a wide-open match that looked like it would inexplicably end in a 0-0 draw, Equatorial Guinea finally found a late winner in front of their home fans in Bata, with Javier Balboa netting in the 87th minute to give his side a 1-0 victory. Libya will now need a miracle to advance as their strongest games lie ahead of them, while the hosts are in a great position to make the quarterfinals.
Equatorial Guinea had a goal incorrectly disallowed in the first half, when Libya goalkeeper and captain Samir Aboud committed a terrible howler, letting a shot go between his legs. Kily was flagged for offside even though he wasn't interfering with play and the goal was ruled out.
Balboa's finish on the eventual goal was great, but the assist from Daniel Ekedo -- a through-ball from the middle of the pitch to put Balboa one-on-one with Aboud -- was absolutely brilliant. Ekedo incredibly entered the game just one minute before providing the assist, coming on for injured captain Bodipo. After being released into a one-on-one situation, Balboa finished emphatically with a hard shot into the back of the net, giving his team the lead.
Libya had a couple of desperation chances late, as well as a penalty shout, but Abdallah Sharif was correctly booked for a dive in that instance. The game actually featured a fair bit of diving and shenanigans from Libya, all of which was to no avail. Equatorial Guinea hit the post twice in addition to their winner and their wrongly disallowed goal, so their victory was well deserved.
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