MADRID LEGEND SHELL-SHOCKED: When non-verbal cues betrayed Gabonese coach Antonio Camacho

Gabon's Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho reacts during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations group A football match between Gabon and Guinea-Bissau at the Stade de l'Amitie Sino-Gabonaise in Libreville on January 14, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS

You can tell a lot through body language.

When Gabon head coach Jose Antonio Camacho walked into the conference room for post-match interview, his facial expression told it all.

White dry lips and a high blinking rate. An occasional gaze at the white ceiling or playing about with a water bottle. That was Camacho, minutes before journalists started firing questions from all corners. He was nervous. Panicky. Worried.

For sure, such small clues gave away a man of Camacho’s pedigree. Him that once played for Real Madrid and coached Spain national team for four years, from 1998 to 2002, was absolutely nervous.

After his team, hosts Gabon surrendered an early second half 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 in the last minute of the game against a lowly Guinea Bissau, Camacho must have started to feel the heat; or did he?

“It is always difficult to win the first match in a tournament and this is not any different,” Camacho said.

“We were leading, but conceded an easy goal in the last minute. We lost so many balls and our control was not at its best,” he added.

Quite unfortunate for Gabon, also known as The Panthers. The country’s poster boy, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, had put smiles on the gloomy faces of their fans with his 53rd minute tap-in, sending the partisan crowd prolonged delirium.

The Gabonese supporters were suddenly in good spirits, dancing and singing away. It was a dream start to the 31st Africa Cup of Nations, or so they thought.

Just when the locals were beginning to plan for their after party for a job well done, catastrophe struck.

Unlikely of them all, a defender, Guinea-Bissau’s Juary Soares brought celebrations inside the 40,000-seater Stade de l’Amitié to a grinding halt. Just like a house of cards, their hopes came tumbling down.

Football gods had found favour in Guinea Bissau. In all honesty, Gabon failed to turn on their turbines. For most of the time, they were galloping in the field, with little urgency, much to the chagrin of their fans.

But in all fairness, for Guinea-Bissau, it was fair dealing in their tournament opener.

“We are happy with the results, but we aim for better results in our next match,” said Guinea Bissau coach, Barico Cande.

He was stark opposite of his Gabonese equal. Calm and composed as he fielded questions with confidence and kingly composure.

He had completed a Herculean task. And it would have been an apt time to celebrate that hard-earned point. But to Cande, this is not the moment for merriment; not yet.

“This is not the end. We have two more group matches left. We still have got more to do.”

At the final whistle, Dortmund’s Aubameyang was all gloomy as he left the field. His teammates too, were equally in foul mood at the mixed zone.

They all whizzed past stretched microphones and off they went; humbled.