AFCON 2021: Fair Play? I think Not –Gabon’s Coach Supports Controversial Goal Against Ghana

Gabon coach Patrice Neveu says he has no problem with his players ignoring the unwritten rules of fair play to score a late equaliser against Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.

AFCON 2021: Fair Play? I think Not –Gabon’s Coach Supports Controversial Goal Against Ghana

By Metohuey Michael Adoglo

Ghana players and staff were livid when Gabon did not return the ball to them after they had put the ball into touch with a Black Stars player on the ground in the 87th minute.

From the throw-in, Gabon’s Jim Allevinah scored an equaliser to cancel out Andre Ayew’s 18th-minute opener and ensure Friday’s Group C game ended at 1-1.

Neveu believes that Ghana deserve little sympathy, claiming they had been wasting time before the incident.

“The Ghanaian players were starting to slow down and their action could be construed negatively but there is a referee who is there to manage the game.

“Fifteen minutes earlier, they kicked the ball out of play and you all saw that the goalkeeper took a really long time to restart play and so he got a yellow card.

Ghana go into their final game against Comoros on Tuesday knowing that a win could be enough to see them progress to the second round, either as Group B runners-up (depending on the result between Morocco and Gabon) or as one of the best third-placed teams.