Afcon: Guinea Thump Botswana 6-1

Sadio Diallo scored twice as Guinea thumped 10-man Botswana 6-1 in their African Cup of Nations Group D clash at the Stade de Franceville.

Diallo opened the scoring for Guinea before Dipsy Selolwane levelled from the penalty spot to score Botswana’s first ever African Cup of Nations goal.

Diallo bagged his second to put Guinea back in front before Abdoul Razzagui Camara made it three. Botswana substitute Patrick Motsepe then saw red in first half stoppage time, with Ibrahim Traore scoring from the resulting free-kick.

Mamadou Dioulde Bah and Oumar Kalabane completed the rout after the break to all but end Botswana's hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals in what is their first appearance at the African finals.

Both sides lost their opening game 1-0 but Diallo made the breakthrough for Guinea after 15 minutes, converting from six yards after Botswana failed to clear Traore’s corner.

Guinea keeper Naby Yattara then brought down Jerome Ramatlhakwana after an awful back pass from Dianbodo Balde, but Selolwane needed two bites of the cherry to convert the spot-kick.

Yattara saved the veteran’s first effort but the linesman ruled the Guinea stopper had strayed off his line and Selolwane, who is Botswana’s all-time leading scorer, stepped up again to fire into the top corner.

Guinea were soon back in front, however, when Diallo struck from close range after an excellent move down the left flank.

Guinea, quarter-finalists in 2002, 2004 and 2006, began to assert their dominance and extended their lead when a quick free-kick put Camara in, the 21-year-old dispatching a fierce finish past Modiri Marumo at the near post.

Botswana’s afternoon went from bad to worse after Motsepe, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes, was shown a straight red card after a horrendous studs-up challenge on Pascal Feindouno. Traore stepped up to thump the free-kick in off the post to put Guinea 4-1 ahead at the break.

Down to 10 men and with no chance to getting back into the game, beleaguered Botswana struggled to get out of their own half after the break.

Feindouno’s fierce side-footed shot looked to have crossed the line after hitting the underside of the crossbar but the officials waved play on, while Ismael Bangoura saw his shot hit the outside of the post after escaping his man with a smart turn.

Bangoura then had an effort clip the top of the bar and fall onto the roof of the net before Bah struck with a deflected shot from distance with four minutes remaining.

And Soumah made it six just two minutes later, making a clever run to latch onto a neat through ball before dispatching a pin-point finish past Marumo.

Source: eurosport