T&T go down to 10-man Gabon despite Garcia brace

TASHKENT, Uzbekistan (CMC):

Levi Garcia found the back of the net twice, but it could not prevent Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) from going down 3-2 to Gabon in a penalty shoot-out in their FIFA Series encounter on Monday.

Playing at the Pakhtakor Central Stadium, the contest had to be decided by penalties after the score ended 2-2 at the end of regulation and extra time.

With the loss, T&T team ended at the bottom of the four-team standings with a point in their two matches.

T&T looked comfortable at the start against the 81st-ranked Gabon, and they should have gone ahead in the 21st minute, but Real Gill could not convert after being played through one-on-one with goalkeeper Francois Bekale.

Gabon drew first blood against the run of play in the 32nd minute when captain Guelor Kanga picked up a loose ball on top of the T&T penalty area and struck it nicely past an outstretched Jabari Brice for the opener.

T&T then levelled the score in the second half when Rio Cardines delivered a pinpoint cross for Garcia to climb high and head home the equaliser in the 52nd minute.

However, their celebrations were cut short one minute later when Edin Matouti released a thunderous left-footed drive from some 30 yards out that beat Brice in goal to restore their one-goal advantage at 2-1.

Two minutes later, Gabon were reduced to 10 men when Samake Bagnama was given marching orders for his second bookable offence.

With T&T seemingly heading for defeat, Cardines’ cross from a free kick on the right was met with a diving header at the far post by Dantaye Gilbert that put it in the path of Garcia to tie the score in the dying minutes.

With neither team able to score in extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out.

And while Brice made two saves to deny Noah Lemina and Johan Obiang in the shoot-out, Garcia missed the final spot kick that saw Gabon clinch the win.