African Nations Championship
Result: Congo 2-2 Libya
Date: 21 January 2014
Venue: Peter Mokaba Stadium
A goal in the 94th minute of the match courtesy of Abdelrahman Fetori saved Libya from an early exit in the 2014 CAF African Nations Championship as they played to a 2-2 draw in their final Group C match at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on Tuesday night.
The result coupled with Ghana's 1-0 win over Ethiopia at the same time in the group's other game means Libya finish second in Group C with five points while Congo head home.
Ghana finished at the top of the group on seven points.
The opening 45 minutes was an evenly contested affair as both teams kept it tight at the back early on, both aware that a loss would end their stay in South Africa and at the CHAN tournament.
Consequently, decent chances on goal were few and far between, with both sides restricted to efforts from distance.
The first shot on goal came in the seventh minute as Bersyl Obassi picked up the ball in the middle of the park and drove towards goal before unleashing a 35-yard thunderbolt that sailed narrowly over the crossbar.
Libya's first attempt on goal came two minutes later from a 30-yard free-kick, but Mohamed Ghanudi shot inches wide of the goal.
In the 14th minute Congo's Lorry Nkolo also attempted a long range effort, but much like his compatriots on the night it went wide of the target.
Ten minutes later Libya created their best chance of the half as Ahmed Kamal El Trbi met a free-kick from the left, but his 12-yard header skimmed the wrong side of the post.
In the 28th minute Congo had the ball in the back of the net courtesy of Bersyl Obassi, but it was not given as he was adjudged to have fouled the goalkeeper.
Eight minutes later, though, and Congo did find the back of the net. A cross from the right wing was poorly cleared by Libya with the loose ball falling to Moise Nkounkou who volleyed into the bottom right corner from 16-yards out, 1-0.
Congo took the ascendancy after that and began controlling the flow of the game, but they could not add to their lead before the break.
The start of the second 45 saw Congo continue where they left off and they soon doubled their lead.
The goal came in the 54th minute thanks to a wonder strike from Hardy Binguila as he fired a rocket into the top right corner from 35-yards out, 2-0.
Libya tried to find their way back into the match and Abdelsalam Omar managed to pull a goal back for them in the 75th minute.
Omar showed a great first touch to control a cross from the right before firing home from 14-yards out, 2-1.
That set-up a frantic final ten minutes as Libya threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, and just as all seemed lost Abdelrahman Fetori found the back of the net with a powerfully struck shot from 25-yards out, 2-2.
