February 4, 2006	Saturday	Muharram 5, 1427

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ALEXANDRIA (Egypt), Feb 3: A storming second-half show gave Senegal a 3-2 victory over Guinea Friday in the first African Nations Cup quarterfinal.

The Teranga Lions, lucky to reach the last eight after losing two of three group games, overcame the absence of injured star striker El Hadji Diouf and will tackle hosts Egypt or DR Congo in Cairo Tuesday for a place in the final.

Kaba Diawara gave surprise Group C table toppers Guinea a first-half lead only for goals by Pape Bouba Diop, Mamadou Niang and Henri Camara to put Senegal on top before Pascal Feindouno reduced arrears deep in stoppage time.

Guinea were first to make an impression in the north-east Mediterranean city and Senegal goalkeeper Tony Sylva made an unconvincing clearance after a mix-up with a team-mate.

Diawara cursed his poor finishing as he headed wide a deep cross that eluded several Senegalese defenders, and when the tall Guinean did get the ball in the net he was correctly ruled offside.

Surprise packets Guinea, who went into the first match of the knockout phase with a 100 percent record after victories over South Africa, Zambia and defending champions Tunisia, broke the deadlock with 24 minutes gone.

The goal came gift wrapped by Sylva, a survivor of the 2002 World Cup team, who dwelt too long on a back pass from Lamine Diatta and his clearance was blocked by Diawara, who ran in from an acute angle and tapped the ball home.

Although his team were ahead and winning the territorial battle, Guinea looked vulnerable under pressure with goalkepeer Naby Diarso regularly raising the blood pressure level of team-mates.

Diarso, the only Guinea-based player in the starting line-up, was grateful for a generous free kick from Benin referee Coffi Codja after he dropped the ball during a scramble.

Guinea coach Patrice Neveu looked nervous as he stood, arms folded, on the touchline and his emotions turned to frustration when Fode Mansare cut in from the touchline only to blaze wide.

As if being a goal behind was not sufficient trouble, Senegal lost veteran defender and captain Ferdinand Coly with a hamstring strain as half-time approached and Pape Diakhate took his place.

Diomansy Kamara was always a threat to Guinea with his pace and power and he came close, dribbling past several seemingly mesmerised defenders and striking the ball wide of Diarso and, unfortunately, a post.

Sensing Guinea were suspect in the air, Senegal opted for an aerial route to goal and came close twice as Diarso continued to look out of his depth at this level.

France-based Sylva was also capable of inducing palpitations and dropped an apparently harmless cross on the stroke of the interval, but no Guinean was close enough to take advantage.

In their haste to level in the second half, two Senegalese collided as they moved into the Guinean half while Balde went close at the other end, heading a corner just wide.

Diarso had another lucky escape when he flapped in the goalmouth and a shot rebounded to him off the leg of a defender, but Senegal finally levelled with 61 minutes gone.

Substitute Mamadou Niang lost possession but the ball broke to another Teranga Lion and the cross was headed into the net by Diop, the Fulham midfielder known as the ‘Wardrobe’ because of his massive physique.

And seven minutes from full-time, Senegal edged ahead through a powerful close-range shot from Niang after a Balde blunder set Henri Camara free and his cross rolled invitingly into the path of the big Marseille striker.

Camara from English Premiership outfit Wigan added a crucial third goal three minutes into stoppage time after two attempts by Niang to score his second goal were blocked.

Former Guinea captain Feindouno, one of the stars of the two-week-old tournament, grabbed a consolation goal two minutes later by driving a free kick past Sylva.—AFP