Mohamed Bayo's late header secured a stunning 1-0 victory for Guinea against Equatorial Guinea at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Ebimpe in a dramatic 2023 AFCON Cote d'Ivoire Round of 16 clash on Sunday,

The highly anticipated Guinea derby lived up to expectations, with both teams fiercely competing from the start. Equatorial Guinea, riding high on their top finish in Group A, faced Guinea, who advanced as one of the best third-place teams.

Equatorial Guinea had a golden opportunity in the 60th minute, earning a penalty after Ivan Salvador was fouled. However, Emilio Nsue's effort hit the woodwork, leaving the game level. Equatorial Guinea faced additional challenges when Frederico Nchama received a red card, reducing them to 10 men.

As the clock ticked down, Guinea seized their chance. In the dying seconds of the match, Ibrahim Diakite delivered a precise cross into the box, met by Mohamed Bayo's skilful header into the near post, securing Guinea's spot in the quarterfinals.

Kaba Diawara – Guinea coach

“This victory means a lot. We knew the historic nature of the match. We knew that since 1976, Guinea had not won a knockout match. It's a feeling of pride. There was a lot of criticism, but I knew this group had quality and we proved it today. Everyone prepared well. It's a group that we built piece by piece and it's a reward for them and us also the coaches. We now look ahead. We want to go as far as possible. We will wait for the next opponent and we will prepare better.”

Juan Micha – Equatorial Guinea coach

“I think our team was at a good level. We played until the end. We fought until the end but that's also football. I congratulate the opposing opponent. I think we had control at the start of the match but when you have a key player sent off, it becomes difficult, especially if you have an opponent who is putting pressure on you. They scored a goal in the last minute, which demoralized us but I congratulate my players, they were good in the match.”