Guinea were crowned the Plate champions of the 2019 WAFU Cup of Nations after beating Cape Verde 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out after the match ended 0-0 at the Stade Lat Dior in Thies, Senegal on Saturday.
There was a nice flow to the game following the opening whistle with the first chance on goal going the way of Guinea in the 15th minute, but Mory Kante saw his long-range strike go just wide.
Ten minutes later Cape Verde broke out of defence with blistering speed that Erikson Soares through on goal, but his powerful shot from the edge of the box was spectacularly saved by the keeper.
Guinea’s gloveman Sokouba Camara was at his best again in the 35th minute, this time turning a stinging 20-yard shot from Helnani Cardoso around the post.
In the 42nd minute, the Syli Nationale had the last decent scoring chance of the half, but Cape Verde’s keeper came up tops with a great save to deny Kante from 20-yards out as the half ended goalless.
Five minutes into the second half the Blue Sharks found the back of the net courtesy of a strike from Nono Rocha, but the goal was disallowed after an incorrect off-sides call by the assistant referee.
Cardoso should really have put Cape Verde in the lead in the 69th minute when he met a right-sided free-kick with a strong header, but his ten-yard effort went wide under no pressure.
Three minutes later Cardoso was in the thick of the action again when he worked himself into space just inside the box, but he fired agonisingly wide with just the keeper to beat.
Neither side could find the winner in regulation time and the match went into the mandatory 30 minutes of extra time.