When it rains, it pours. For the second time in three days, former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul and Group A favorites Senegal were stunned 2-1 in the Africa Cup of Nations, this time by co-hosts Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday night at a rain-soaked Bata Stadium in Bata, Equatorial Guinea.
With one match remaining in group play, the loss ousted the Teranga Lions from the tournament, while the home side will advance to the quarterfinal stage.
Coundoul, who saw contract option declined by the Red Bulls at the end of 2011 and wasn’t selected in the Expansion Draft, played the full 90 minutes. However, he could do nothing to stop Equatorial Guinea, who jumped ahead in the score line in the 62nd minute when Iban Iyanga buried a header to give his team a 1-0 lead.
With time running out, Senegal threw numbers forward and the move paid off, as substitute Moussa Sow leveled the score with a minute left in reguation to give Senegal a glimmer of hope of qualifying to the knockout stages.
But those hopes were dashed soon after. Adamantly looking for the win and still in attack mode, Senegal left themselves wide open and paid when Equatoguinean-naturalized right back David Álvarez "Kily" drove the ball home from distance in second-half injury time.
Senegal's last chance to avoid going home empty-handed will come against Libya, who sit in third place after tying Zambia.
Coundoul, 29, has made 97 career starts in MLS. He started 11 games for New York in 2011, allowing 13 goals and compiling a 3-2-6 record, after becoming manager Hans Backe’s first-choice goalkeeper in 2010 (27 starts)
