Liberia defeated Togo 1-0 in their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier on Wednesday at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex after a fierce battle, which was won thanks to a late penalty from Mo Sangare.
The home crowd witnessed the Lone Stars’ first victory of the season as they battled for pride despite their remote chances of qualifying for the AFCON.
With four points, the win puts the Lone Star in third place in the group, while Togo drops to the bottom with two points.
Both sides had difficulty attacking the other’s defence in a game with few clear-cut opportunities.
Togo exerted early pressure since they needed a victory to maintain their faint hopes of qualifying, but Liberia’s defence held firm.
Togo’s attacks were spearheaded by Kodjo Laba and Kévin Denkey, but Liberia’s defence and custodian continuously stopped their attempts.
After Togo’s captain, Djené Dakonam, handballed in the penalty area in the 83rd minute, Liberia had their finest opportunity.
Sangare stepped up to calmly slot the ball into the bottom left corner after the incident was ruled a penalty, giving Liberia the lead in the closing seconds of the match.
Denkey’s strong drive was saved by the Liberian custodian in stoppage time as Togo surged forward in the last minutes in an attempt to tie the score.
The visitors were further frustrated when Kodjo Laba botched a late attempt, firing his shot high and wide. Under interim coach Thomas Kojo, Liberia’s first victory of the qualification campaign was a boost to the team’s spirits.
Togo, meanwhile, is five points behind second-place Equatorial Guinea and will play their last group game knowing they would not be able to qualify.
