MX23RW : Wednesday, November 6 00:15:51| >> :600:488258:488258:

Portugal held by Gabon

Portugal held by Gabon
© PA Photos
Portugal struggle to a 2-2 draw against Gabon in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

Portugal failed to beat Gabon in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani on a frustrating night in West Africa.

Paulo Bento's side fell behind after 33 minutes when Levy Madinda scored a penalty after Silvio conceded the spot kick with a clumsy challenge.

Deportivo La Coruna striker Pizzi responded almost instantly for the visitors when he buried a spot kick of his own just two minutes later.

Gabon thought they had re-taken the lead before the break when Pepe tried to clear a shot off the line.

After initially awarding the goal the referee consulted his linesman and reversed his decision, much to the annoyance of the home crowd.

Portugal went ahead on the hour when Hugo Almeida turned home from close range after a strong run from Silvestre Varela.

Ill discipline came back to haunt Portugal again in the closing stages when Custodio was penalised for blocking a shot with his hand.

Madinda stepped up to convert for the second time and Gabon were able to hold on to claim a famous draw.

ID:54694: cacheID:54694:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2447:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Niall McGinn scores for Northern Ireland
Read Next:
Postiga denies NI famous win
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool108111961325
2Manchester CityMan City1072121111023
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest10541147719
4Chelsea105322012818
5Arsenal105321711618
6Aston Villa105321715218
7Tottenham HotspurSpurs1051422111116
8Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton104421714316
9Fulham104331413115
10Bournemouth104331312115
11Newcastle UnitedNewcastle104331010015
12Brentford104151920-113
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd10334912-312
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham103251319-611
15Leicester CityLeicester102441418-410
16Everton102351017-79
17Crystal Palace10145813-57
18Ipswich TownIpswich100551021-115
19Southampton10118719-124
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves100371427-133


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!