Anicet Abel scored Madagascar’s first ever AFCON goal (Video)

Madagascar qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in history this year, and Anicet Abel scored their first goal in AFCON history.

Facing a 1-0 deficit against Guinea in their first ever Africa Cup of Nations game, Madagascar needed to reach down deep in the second half to find some magic to tie the game up.

Guinea first scored via a slick spinning goal from Sory Kaba, who latched onto a long through ball and spun around Madagascar’s keeper after expertly beating the back four’s offside trap.

In the 49th minute, Anicet Abel scored his team’s first ever AFCON goal, heading home wonderfully from a corner kick. Just six minutes later, Madagascar took the lead behind a goal from Carolus Andriamatsinoro.

Abel is a midfielder who plays in Bulgaria’s first league, and he’s played in the country since 2011. His team Ludogorets Razgrad have competed in the Champions League in every season since 2012. The goal is the second of Abel’s international career in nine appearances for Madagascar.

Madagascar’s second goal came off of a long ball, which Andriamatsinoro kept down perfectly with his first touch.

The finish itself was also classy, as the 29-year-old midfielder did well to keep his composure with the keeper bearing down on him. Finishing in this fashion after needing to keep a difficult ball down is never easy, but the Al-Adalah forward in the Saudi Professional League made it look simple.

Guinea subbed in their star player Naby Keita, who is a standout for Champions League winners Liverpool, in the second half and equalized with a penalty goal 11 minutes after Madagascar took a surprising lead. But Madagascar have shown that they can be dangerous in their first ever AFCON appearance, and hopefully there will be more goals to come.