Zambia stun Senegal, late goal gives Equatorial Guinea win

By DB Peters Jan 21, 2012, 23:21 GMT

Bata, Equatorial Guinea - Zambia and co-hosts Equatorial Guinea got their Africa Cup of Nations campaign off to winning starts on Saturday.

Javier Balboa's late goal against Libya gave the hosts a 1-0 victory in the tournament's opening game, while Zambia stunned one of the pre-tournament favorites Senegal 2-1 in the other group A match.

The southern African country scored twice in the first half through Emmanuel Mayuka and Rainford Kalaba, while substitute Dame Ndoye pulled one back for the west Africans late in the game.

Mayuka opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a well-taken header, before Kalaba added a second just seven minutes later after beating the Senegal offside trap.

Ndoye gave Senegal a life-line in the 74th minute, but it was too little, too late as the 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists failed to find an equalizer.

In the earlier game, Spanish-born Balboa, who played for Real Madrid for two seasons from 2006, scored with a well-taken goal after being set-up by Daniel Ekedo two minutes from time to give the home side victory.

The win ensured a huge pay-day for the home players as the son of the long-standing president Teodoro Obiang Nguema earlier in the week promised them a one million dollar bonus to share if they won the game.

The winning coach Gilson Paulo, who only took over the team a few weeks ago after Frenchman Henri Michel resigned, said the side had played a good game.

'We hadn't trained a lot together but nevertheless we still won. The team made the most of the tactics. Despite the win, we were still short in some areas and we have to work on that.'

A colorful opening ceremony, involving cultural dancers, singers and a fireworks display, started proceedings in the Estadio de Bata, in which both matches were played.

Libya had, just hours before the planned kick-off, threatened to boycott the match after tournament organizers used the old Libyan flag on their website. But after assurances that the issue would be addressed, players took to the field.

The home side, which began their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations game with several naturalized players, had the best chance of the first half when Juvenal Owono hit the upright in the 16th minute.

The ball came to Ivan Bolado, whose shot trickled through goalkeeper Samir Aboud's legs and crossed the line before being knocked out of the goal by a Libyan defender, before being pushed back into goal by an Equatorial Guinea player.

Controversially, Ivorian referee Desire Doue Noumandiez ruled the goal offside.

Libya, who played the match in all-white, having discarded the all-green they played in under the Gaddafi regime, during which Muammar Gaddafi's son Al-Saadi was at times captain of the national team and president of the football federation, then got back into the game, without creating any real chances.

Balboa's late goal two minutes from time was the start of a tumultuous ending to the game during which substitute Djamal Mahamat forced a good save by the Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Danilo and Narcisse Ekanga hit the cross-bar for the hosts.

Libyan coach Marcos Paqueta, who like Paulo is Brazilian, tried to console his players after the game. 'Nothing is decided as far as qualifying for the next round is concerned. This is not the end of our story.'