Congo DR and Tunisia faced off in Bata Stadium with their Africa Cup of Nations hopes resting in the balance.
Georges Leekens's side needed only a point to advance to the quarter-finals of the competition, while Congo DR needed to avoid defeat and hope that Cape Verde and Zambia failed to record a victory for them to reach the last eight.
Both teams got the outcome they wanted despite missing a host of chances each. Tunisia took the lead in the first half through Ahmed Akaichi, but Jeremy Bokila brought his side level in the second half to earn a point.
It was enough to put Florent Ibenge's men through to the next round on goals scored as Cape Verde and Zambia played out a goalless draw.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Africa Cup of Nations clash between Congo DR and Tunisia.
It's a big game for both teams as Tunisia will be looking to seal their place in the next round of the competition, as a point will be enough to take them through after recording a victory and a draw in their first two matches. Congo DR on the other hand need to record a victory as they currently lie third in Group B behind Cape Verde, while Zambia could also pass them in the table tonight.
There is a lot at stake for both teams, so let's find out who Florent Ibenge and Georges Leekens have chose to get their job done for their countries this evening.
CONGO DR STARTING XI: Kidiaba, Mongongou, Kasusula, Kimwaki, Mbemba, Issama, Makiadi, Bolasie, Mabwati, Mbokani, Mubele
Subs: Oualembo, Munganga, Kage, Kebano, Mabele, Kabananga, Zakuani, Kudimbana, Bokila, Mabidi, Mandanda.
Subs: Oualembo, Munganga, Kage, Kebano, Mabele, Kabananga, Zakuani, Kudimbana, Bokila, Mabidi, Mandanda.
West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu has not been fit to play due to a hamstring injury for Ibenge's side, but Yannick Bolasie will start on the wing as he will be looking to take his form from the first game of the competition into tonight's clash.
TUNISIA STARTING XI: A Mathlouthi, Abdennour, Ben Youssef, Maaloul, Yacoubi, Chikhaoui, Ragued, Khazri, Sassi, Akaichi, H Mathlouthi.
Subs: Ben Mustapha, Mohsni, Bedoui, Msakni, Rejaibi, Younes, Chermiti, Nater, Manser, Saihi, Ben Cherifia, Ben Djemia.
Subs: Ben Mustapha, Mohsni, Bedoui, Msakni, Rejaibi, Younes, Chermiti, Nater, Manser, Saihi, Ben Cherifia, Ben Djemia.
Tunisia boast Bordeaux's Wahbi Khazri in their starting lineup this evening. The forward has yet to get off the mark in the competition, but provides a distinct threat to Congo DR tonight. Ahmed Akaichi starts up front for Leekens's men and will be looking to find the net again after his decisive strike against Zambia helped guide his team to the three points last time out.
Tunisia boss Georges Leekens admits that there is a lot of stake for both teams tonight, and just because they only need a point to qualify does not mean that they will be taking their foot off the gas pedal.
He told reporters: "It will be a tough game, but DR Congo have to win and we want to win and we won't risk it.
Congo DR keeper Robert Kidiaba is adamant that his side face a tough task against Leekens's men this evening, but has warned Tunisia they should not take his team lightly.
He told reporters: "Tunisia are a formidable side, but they dare not underestimate us."
The players are out on the pitch and the national anthems have been sung, so we should be underway shortly.
KICKOFF! We're underway in this Group B match.
An injury concern already for Congo DR as Mubele has hit the ground in agony after a collision with Ragued in the centre circle. The winger is helped off the field, but appears ok to continue.
Tunisia threaten from their first attack as the ball is whipped into the box from a corner from the left. Chikhaoui rises highest in the box to head the cross at goal, but his effort is blocked and the Congo DR defence hack the ball behind for another set piece.
Congo DR win a free kick just outside the box on the left wing. Three players converge around the ball and attempt what looks to be a training ground move, but they get their communication all wrong as neither one of the three players can decide who is kicking the ball. The cross eventually does come in from the left, but is cleared with ease. They've had a bit of a shocker there!
OFF THE LINE! Tunisia should take the lead as Chikhaoui races down the right wing and gets the better of his marker before attempting to round Kidiaba. The striker sees Sassi in a better position for the shot and tees him up, but the forward scuffs his effort and Kimwaki clears the ball off the line.
CHANCE! Congo DR fail to clear their lines from the first chance as the ball bounces around the box, and Khazri strikes at goal. His effort is heading wide but falls to Chikhaoui at the back post, but he also fails to make good contact with the ball as it flashes past him at the back post, spurning an excellent opportunity.
Congo DR are struggling to make their mark in this game as they are yet to have a steady period of possession which will be a worry to Ibenge even in these early stages.
CHANCE! Chikhaoui receives the ball with his back to goal and turns his man. He tries to shoot at goal from distance with his left foot, but he mishits his strike and the ball travels harmlessly wide.
Sassi does well to win a free kick in the final third of the pitch to threaten the Congo DR goal once more. The cross comes into the box for the head of Ben Youssef, but Mongongu manages to make the interception in the box before any white shirts converge on the ball.
SAVE! Kidiaba keeps Congo DR level as he produces an excellent stop to keep a powerful strike from Chikhaoui from finding the net. The striker weaved his way between two defenders down the left before launching a curling effort at goal, which the keeper palmed past the post.
Congo DR have a chance to put the Tunisian goal under pressure as they win a corner down the right. Bolasie stands over the ball looking for the head of Mbokani, but the forward can't direct his header at goal, allowing Leekens's men to clear.
Bolasie is starting to see more of the ball for Congo DR and as a result he's starting to have a real impact on the game. The winger beats the offside trap down the right and squares the ball into the middle for Mabwati, but he misses his strike completely on the edge of the box.
Another threatening situation for Ibenge's men as they win a free kick outside the box as Mubele is fouled.
SAVE! Kasusula stands over the ball and drills a left-footed strike towards the bottom corner, but Mathlouthi gets down well to his left to tip the strike wide of the post.
From the resulting corner Tunisia clear and have a real chance of hitting Congo DR on the counter, but Akaichi is dispossessed by Issama as he tried to break further downfield. A chance spurned for Leekens's men.
GOAL! Congo DR 0-1 Tunisia (Akaichi)
Tunisia take the lead and it's a well taken goal by Akaichi as he manages to divert Chikhaoui's attempted shot past Kidiaba into the net from close range. The shot from his teammate was going wide, but the striker showed excellent awareness to glance his effort towards goal where it flew past the keeper. Congo DR have it all to do now.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Chikhaoui's miserable game continues as he latches onto a cross at the back post and rifles the ball with his right foot, showing incredible technique, into the top corner leaving Kidiaba no chance. However, the flag is up for offside and the striker can't believe it.
Khazri is fouled right on the edge of the box for Tunisia and Maaloul stands over the free kick to launch an effort at goal. The midfielder's shot has power, but it goes just the wrong side of the post as Kidiaba look concerned as he leaped to his left.
Tunisia have taken control of this game and Congo DR don't know what to do about it. They've lacked ideas pushing forward and will now be very susceptible on the break as they need to commit numbers forward.
Congo DR almost catch Leekens's men by surprise as they take a quick free quick and launch it deep into the box. Mbokani wins the ball in the air and flicks it into the path of Mabwati, who fires a first-time strike at goal, but Ben Youssef is there to make a crucial block.
Mabwati raids down the right and he manages to beat the challenge of Maaloul to reach the byline where he knocks a cross into the box. Bolasie and Mbokani both make runs into the middle, but the ball is far too high for them as Mathlouthi races of his line to clear the ball.
Again more space from Mabwati down the right and he has plenty of support, but he once more fails to pick out a teammate with a cross, wasting the good attacking platform his team had built.
There will be one minute of added time.
HALF-TIME: Congo DR 0-1 Tunisia
Tunisia have not been at their best in the first half but they take a 1-0 lead into half time thanks to a strike from Ahmed Akaichi as he diverted Yassine Chikhaoui's attempted shot past Robert Kidiaba. Never side has shown fluency with their passing in the opening 45 minutes, but Georges Leekens will not care too much as his team are on course to advance to the next round of the competition.
Florent Ibenge will want to see more quality from his team in the final third of the pitch. They started to work themsevles into some promising positions at the end of the half, but Cedric Mabwati failed to produce when needed. The Leopards also need to get Yannick Bolasie involved on the ball a lot more than he was in the first if they are to avoid crashing out of the tournament.
UPDATE! The score in the other game being played in Group B tonight is 0-0 between Cape Verde and Zambia, which means Tunisia and Cape Verde will advance if the scores stay the same.
KICKOFF! We're back underway in the Group B match.
DISALLOWED GOAL! Tunisia believe that they have doubled their lead as Akaichi latches onto a flick on from Chikhaoui and fires the ball under Kidiaba into the net, but the flag is up for offside. Replays show that it is most certainly the correct decision.
Mbokani finds space and time on the edge of the box to fire a shot at goal, but his strike is tame and is easy to gather for Mathlouthi. Congo DR are going to have to do better than that to get an equaliser.
Another offside decision goes against Akaichi as he tries to raid upfield. He has to start watching his runs more carefully, the last one looks very lazy from the striker as he didn't even look across the defensive line.
CHANCE! A long ball over the top sees Mbokani through on goal as there is no flag for offside despite the appeals of the Tunisian defence. Mathlouthi comes racing off his line to save the day as he gets enough contact on the ball to divert it to safety before the striker get poke it past him. Great keeping!
Akaichi does keep himself onside this time on the breakaway. He raids down the left wing before cutting back onto his right foot over the middle, but his strike is deflected past the post. From the resulting corner, Congo DR clear their lines and Ibenge can breathe again.
CHANCE! Akaichi should have wrapped up this game for Tunisia as he somehow misses the target from inside the box with a left-footed strike. Chikhaoui does extremely well down the right to beat two men and cut the ball back to his teammate, Akaichi has Sassi unmarked five feet from him, but decides to strike the ball himself and put his effort wide. Sassi is furious and the rest of the team don't look happy, that should have been the game.
CHANCE! Bolasie raids down the flank and is able to dig out a cross into the box. Mbokani rises highest in the area and directs a header towards the top corner, which has Mathlouthi scrambling across his line, but the ball lands on the roof of the net.
WHAT A MISS! Tunisia should be out of sight in this game as Khazri collects a pass on the edge of the six-yard box turns and somehow smashes his effort over the bar. It's awful! It was harder to miss the target than score there and he will hope he doesn't come to rue that opportunity. That miss followed a good chance for Congo DR as Bolasie whipped in a low cross that several red and blue shirts failed to convert as he ball flashed across the face of goal.
GOAL! Congo DR 1-1 Tunisia (Bokila)
Tunisia have paid for those missed opportunities as Congo DR have found their equaliser as substitute Bokila pokes the ball past Mathlouthi from close range. The ball was pumped long into the box and Mbokani made a nuisance of himself to head the ball into his teammate's path and the striker did the rest as he found the bottom corner.
Congo DR have really got their tails up now and they have Tunisia well and truly on the back foot. You could tell that Tunisia would come to rue those missed chances, and they have to hope now they can regroup and hold out for the draw.
SHOT! Mbemba tries his luck from distance for Congo DR and his effort as Mathlouthi worried as it dips on its way to the net, but his strike lands on the roof of the goal. A decent effort from the midfielder.
CHANCE! Substitute Younes sees his close-range effort incredibly saved by Kidiaba as he latches onto Maaloul's cross at the near post, but the keeper incredibly manages to get enough on the ball to divert his shot over the bar. A huge moment in the game.
The rhythm of the game has been disrupted by the substitutions in the past few minutes, but we could be set for a grandstand finish if both teams manage to find their best form again.
Hamza Mathlouthi is down in apparent agony on the ground after being tackled Mongongu as he raided forward. The collision didn't seem to be that bad on first glance, but the midfielder is being stretchered off.
CHANCE! Bolasie hits another dangerous cross into the box, which cause havoc in the penalty area as Tunisia fail to clear the ball in the first two attempts. Fortunately for Leekens's men it doesn't fall to the feet of anyone in red and blue shirt, so they have time to compose themselves to rid the danger.
Bolasie tries the spectacular to fire his team in front as he collects a cross from the right and flicks it up before trying an overhead kick, which is saved comfortably by Mathlouthi.
Dangerous situation for Tunisia as Bokila is fouled right on the edge of the box by Yaacoubi. Congo DR have an excellent chance to put themselves in front here.
Bolasie takes the free kick, but he slams his effort straight into the wall and Tunisia launch the ball downfield. A waste from the Crystal Palace winger.
CHANCE! Congo DR push forward and the ball falls to Mbemba on the edge of the area, who decides to take on a first-time effort. However, the ball takes a horrible bobble as he strikes it and his strikes goes harmlessly over the bar. Not much the midfielder could do about that.
There will be four minutes of added time.
As we enter stoppage time, incredibly all four teams in Group B can still advance. A goal in this game or the match between Cape Verde and Zambia can change everything, but at the moment it's these two sides that will advance.
The tempo of the game has dropped significantly as both teams appear to be out of gas in this game.
FULL-TIME: Congo DR 1-1 Tunisia
TUNISIA AND CONGO DR QUALIFY! Yes, both teams from this match have reached the last eight of the competition. Tunisia knew coming into this game that they only needed a point to advance and they did just that, despite wasting several golden opportunities to take all three points from the match. Congo DR will be elated to get through as they advance on goals scored as Jeremy Bokila's equaliser proves to be vital for Florent Ibenge's side after Cape Verde and Zambia could only play out a goalless draw in their encounter.
Both teams will need to improve in the quarter-finals if they are to keep advancing in the competition, but I doubt either will care about that right now! A draw was probably a fair result based on the balance of play this evening, but you get the feeling there is more to come from these sides, especially Tunisia.
Thanks for joining our commentary this evening. Be sure to stay with Sports Mole for our continued coverage of the Africa Cup of Nations for the rest of the month. But from me, it's goodbye.
Written by
Simon Sinclair
Simon Sinclair
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