Senegal 1 Tunisia 0 (aet): Dylan Bronn’s own goal sends Senegal into the 2019 AFCON final.
The Teranga Lions of Senegal battled hard for place in the final of the 2019 AFCON as Tunisia pushed them all the way into extra time.
– Senegal have won their last four AFCON games, their best streak in the competition.
– Senegal have kept a clean sheet in eight of their last 10 games in the AFCON (3 goals conceded overall), after failing to do in each of their previous 14.
– Six out of 13 penalties have been missed in the 2019 AFCON, the in single edition since 2010. It was also the first time that two penalties have been saved in the same AFCON game since 2010.
– Tunisia have lost four of their six AFCON semi-finals. They qualified for the finals twice, against Zambia in 1996 and against Nigeria in 2004
– It was the sixth meeting between Senegal and Tunisia in the AFCON, but their first in the semi-final.
Algeria 2 Nigeria 1:
A 95th Mahrez free kick booked Algeria a place in the final of the 2019 tournament for their first final in 29 years, after a highly entertaining game against Nigeria.
– The Desert Foxes of Algeria and the Super Eagles of Nigeria were facing each other for the ninth time in the AFCON, becoming the most regular encounter in the competition for both teams. Algeria has now won four times against three for Nigeria with the other games finishing in draws.
– Algeria will be in their third final of an AFCON, after losing 3-0 to Nigeria in 1980 and beating them ten years later 1-0 to lift the trophy on home soil.
-The Desert Foxes were in their seventh AFCON semi-final, their first since 2010, three of their AFCON semi-final ties gone to penalties (winning ones in 1980 and losing in 1984 and 1988)
– The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been eliminated in five of their last six semi-finals at the AFCON, after progressing in six of their previous seven.
– Nigeria were in the 14th AFCON semi-final, more than any other team. They have qualified for the final only ones in their past six semi-finals that was a 4-1 win against Mali in 2013.
– Nigeria’s 30 year old forward Odion Jude Ighalo is now the top scorer of the 2019 AFCON with 4 goals. The Shanghai Shenhua forward has been involved in five of Nigeria’s eight goals in this edition of the tournament (4 goals and 1 assist).
Muambo Edward.
