Wow!Tunisia, after two hours plus of laboring, finally got their prize as they squeaked past a resilient Congo side 3-3 (5-4 on penalties) Friday night to push through to the semifinals of the ongoing AFCON U20 tournament.A couple of goals (and some disallowed) in either half – including extra time- saw both teams at some point trail and later mount a comeback in what was a thrilling quarter final match played at the Cairo International Stadium.##NAJAVA_MECA_7069648##Deogracias Bassinga put Congo in the lead early on in the 25th minute before Jibril Othman leveled matters for Tunisia with eight minutes left in the half.Tunisia then took the lead for the first time in the game through Samy Chouchane in the 76th minute only for Bassinga to add his second four minutes later, sending the game into extra-time with the scores at 2-2.As if that was not enough action, Bassinga nicked his hat trick in the first half of extra time from the penalty spot before Ali Saoudi headed in a corner in the last minute of the game to leave the game’s destiny into the nervous round of post-match penalties.Just as the game ordered, it took until the fourteenth penalty of the game for the winner to be known – substitute Mohamed Aziz Abid stepping up to score the winning penalty after Davarel Diambomba had blazed his effort way over the bar.The win sees Tunisia become the fourth African nation to qualify to the 2023 FIFA U20 World Cup in Indonesia after The Gambia, Senegal and Nigeria – all semifinalists in AFCON U20.Penalty Shootouts 🥅 🇨🇬: ✅✅❌✅✅❌❌🇹🇳: ✅✅❌✅✅❌✅#TotalEneergiesAFCONU20 pic.twitter.com/1gnK7EKjO7— #TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 (@CAF_Online) March 3, 2023 Game Recap.Both sides seemed cautious in the opening minutes of the game, and it was Tunisia who came close to getting to the lead inside the 23rd minute but Congo defender Djigo Saikou stood tall to clear a ball sent across goal.From one missed chance to a goal on the other end, CSM striker Deogracias Bassinga guided an expertly crossed ball from Exauce Nzaou on the left to the empty net, sparking huge celebrations for the side that was unbeaten in the entire tournament.Prince Soussou then came close to making it 2-0 for Congo when a looped ball fell for him on the right side but he missed the ball for a Tunisia goal kick.Tunisia finally got their equalizer after 37 minutes after Rayan Nasraoui fed Jibril Othman a lovely cross down the left – the latter cutely putting his right foot ahead to lift the ball past Maillon Makoundou in goal.JIBRIL OTHMAN 🇹🇳🇫🇷(2004) WITH A BACK-HEEL FINISH!!!RAYAN NASRAOUI 🇹🇳🇫🇷(2003) WITH THE GREAT PLAY FOR THE ASSIST!!!#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #CGOTUN pic.twitter.com/Q7V2nFz7oV— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 3, 2023 Congo thought they had taken the lead inside the second minute of first half added time when Prince Soussou Ilendo put his beautiful left-footed shot into the bottom left corner past Raed Gazzeh only for the center referee Clement Franklin to rule out the goal for a push in the build-up.Hergie Mossala was adjudged to have sent Ali Saoudi down before setting up Soussou for the tidy finish.The second half wasn’t devoid of its own trip to the VAR monitor as Ouahabi Ghaith’s 64th minute headed goal from a corner was ruled out for a push on a defender inside the box.The Young Carthage Eagles however went to lead for the first time in the game inside the 76th minute when Brighton and Hove Albion’s Samy Chouchane squeezed his right foot shot into the bottom corner setting up an interesting last quarter of the game to go.Deogratious Bassinga got the response for Congo minutes later, delightfully scooping his ball over the Tunisian goalkeeper to send the game into extra time.The first half of the extra time period had more VAR drama as Congo were awarded a penalty following what referee Franklin Kpan seemed to interpret as a deliberate handball inside the box by Tunisian defender and substitute Fredj Ben Njima.DÉO BASSINGA 🇨🇬(2005) WITH AN ABSOLUTELY PERFECT PENALTY KICK FOR HIS HAT-TRICK TO TAKE THE LEAD IN EXTRA TIME!!! NERVES OF STEEL FROM THE 17 YEAR OLD!!!#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #CGOTUN pic.twitter.com/63KXEDiESJ— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 3, 2023 The Essahel player was subsequently yellow carded and the star of the match Bassinga stood up to thread his right footed spot kick high up into the top right corner of Raed Gazzeh’s goal making it 3-2.Goal scorer Samy Chouchane carved out the best goal scoring chance for Tunisia in the second period of extra time – delivering a strong 109th minute freekick that was superbly saved by Makoundou with the ball headed for the top left corner.MAILLON MAKOUNDOU 🇨🇬(2004) WITH HIS THIRD SPECTACULAR SAVE OF THE MATCH!!! (Earlier)#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #CGOTUN pic.twitter.com/Cy1YfUjfhe— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 3, 2023 Arnauvy Mombouli had his chance to extend Congo’s lead three minutes later but his headed strike off a corner went just over the bar.There’s no way the game was going to end without anything crazy, and mayhem struck as substitute Ali Saoudi created some space inside the box before heading past the Congo goalkeeper off a corner from the left to make it 3-3, and off to the post-match penalties.ABSOLUTE SCENES!!! ALI SAOUDI 🇹🇳(2003) HEADS/SHOULDERS TUNISIA U20 LEVEL IN THE 2ND HALF OF EXTRA TIME!!! SAMY CHOUCHANE 🇹🇳🇫🇷(2003) WITH THE GREAT CORNER-KICK DELIVERY!!!#TotalEnergiesAFCONU20 #CGOTUN pic.twitter.com/O5bICctOTf— Football Report (@FootballReprt) March 3, 2023 The penalties themselves were nervy, as both sides missed one spot-kick each after the opening five rounds. The lottery went down till the fourteenth penalty – when substitute Mohamed Aziz Abid scored the last penalty to send Tunisia through to the AFCON U20 semifinals.With the quarter finals done, the stage is set for the semifinals. Tunisia play Senegal at the Suez Stadium on Tuesday, a day after Nigeria play The Gambia in Cairo.
