The result means both sides are on four points after winning their Afcon curtain-raisers and are well placed to progress to the knockout stages
Senegal and Guinea shared points after a 0-0 Group B draw in an Africa Cup of Nations encounter on Friday at the Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam.
Guinea had opened the campaign with a 1-0 win over Malawi while Teranga Lions had to wait until late in the game to win against Zimbabwe through a penalty.
Sily Nationale almost grabbed an opener in the second minute when Naby Keita’s corner ball went across the goalmouth untouched as Mohamed Bayo failed to apply the last touch to tap the free-rolling ball home.
Another fabulous chance for the Guinean side to break the deadlock came in the fourth minute when they won a set-piece, but Ibrahima Konte’s free header from Morgan Guilavogui’s free-kick went wide as Senegal looked disjointed in the opening minutes.
Teranga Lions grew into the game, pressed their West African rivals and won a free-kick just outside the box when Sadio Mane was brought down, but Bouna Sarr’s delivery hit the wall before Guinea hastily cleared the danger from their area in the 14th minute.
Keita had to be attended to by the medics in the 20th minute after he collided with Pape Cisse while tussling for an aerial ball that was put into the box by Issiaga Sylla.
Senegal will thank Seny Dieng for his superb save in the 31st minute to deny Guinea a very open chance that could have ended up breaking the deadlock. Dieng dived to his left-hand side and managed to parry away a low drive by Guilavogui after Guinea’s quick counter-attack along the left wing.
As Guinea started the second half at a high tempo, Guilavogui thought he had won his side a 46th-minute penalty when he looked to have been fouled by Ibrahima Mbaye. The Ethiopian referee, however, indicated no penalty was forthcoming for him as he awarded Senegal a goal-kick instead.
Unmarked Abdou Diallo failed to redirect the ball into the net from Sarr’s free-kick in the 53rd minute when Senegal began asserting their authority on the game. Guinea goalkeeper Ally Keita did well to parry Ciss’ free-header away in the 54th minute as the 2019 finalists came close to breaking the deadlock once more.
Keita was yellow-carded just after the hour mark after he brought down his Liverpool teammate Mane, who was on a run towards goal. Konte conceded a corner when he attempted to clear Sarr’s free-kick but Senegal could not get much from the short corner taken.
Sarr shockingly failed to score in the 67th minute when he out-manoeuvred two Guinean players after he was set through on goal by Mane. The Bayern Munich man shot wide from close range.
Boulaye Dia, after being silent for the better part of an hour, could not find an opener in the 68th minute when his low shot went wide in a largely deserted Guinean penalty box.
Aliou Cisse’s first change saw Habib Diallo come on for Mame Thiam – who had little impact in the game after making his first start in the tournament – in the 74th minute, before Joseph Lopy came on for Dia in the 80th minute.
For Guinea, Ibrahima Conte replaced Moriba Kourouma while Mory Konate came on for Amadou Diawara, but the changes had no impact as the sides shared spoils in the end in the group’s second matchday.
From goal.com