September 11, (THEWILL) – Teenager Franculino Dju was the hero as Guinea-Bissau completed their most successful Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with a 2-1 home victory over Sierra Leone on Monday.
The Denmark-based striker netted the winner in the 48th minute, holding off defenders before firing across goal into the far corner. Sierra Leone had gone ahead after 6 minutes through Amadou Bakayoko’s header from a cross, following a corner kick. However, Guinea-Bissau equalised in the 35th minute when Fernando ‘Nito’ Gomes powerfully headed in a free kick.
With Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau having already sealed qualification, only pride was left to play for. But the win saw Guinea-Bissau finish with 13 points – their best-ever tally. Local coach Baciro Cande properly masterminded their qualification for a fourth straight AFCON ticket.
In January they will look to achieve a first-ever finals victory. But for now, they can celebrate completing a successful campaign. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence honoured victims of the Moroccan earthquake.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
