If Ivory Coast was saved from a humiliating elimination at home in the first round, other favorites failed at the African Cup, such as Algeria and Tunisia, before the round of 16 with two shocks at program: Cameroon-Nigeria and the Senegalese holder against the organizing country. Nothing to brag about, Ivory Coast moves to 16th and last qualifier, thanks to Morocco’s victory against Zambia (1-0).
The “Elephants” drafted at the last minute, the most spectacular failure remains that of Algeria, eliminated in the first round for the second time in a row. The 2019 African champions offered Mauritania the first victory (1-0) in its history and a qualification for the round of 16. Algerian coach Djamel Belmadi, hero four and a half years ago, was dismissed after this fiasco.
Its Tunisian neighbor also missed its CAN, finishing last in a group in which it was seeded by scoring only one goal in the tournament, against Mali (1-1), which will play an African derby. West against Burkina Faso in the round of 16. Finally Ghana, four times African champion in the past, like Algeria, suffered a second consecutive elimination. The “Black Stars” can have many regrets, they conceded four goals in added time… Their captain André Ayew equaled the record for matches played at the CAN, 36, like the Cameroonian Rigobert Song, but he does not will not beat. At least not in 2024.
There were also good surprises, particularly Portuguese-speaking, with the first group places obtained by Cape Verde and its striker Bebé, a good scorer, and Angola. The Cape Verde Blue Sharks will play their round of 16 against Amir Abdou’s Mourabitounes, personally in the round of 16 for the second in a row after the Comoros two years ago. Angola will face Namibia, which like Mauritania will discover the round of 16.
In a CAN which has developed very good football, some big names have still assumed their status, starting with the holder, Senegal, who defeated their old Cameroonian complex by beating the “Indomitable Lions” (3-1) and the he other big favorite, Morocco, which saw its coach Walid Regragui suspended two matches for his altercation with Chancel Mbemba after the match against Congo. The “Lions of the Atlas” will play against South Africa.
Egypt went through the back door, and lost its leader Mohamed Salah, injured, it will challenge Mbemba’s DRC. Nigeria also took responsibility, and will meet Cameroon for the best poster of the 8th finals. Super Eagles and Indomitable Lions have faced each other three times in the CAN final in the past, and Cameroon has always won (1984, 1988 and 2000). This year the five-time African champions were not convincing in the game, but they still have this warrior mentality which allowed them to overthrow Gambia (3-2) in the last minutes. Finally, Equatorial Guinea confirmed its excellent CAN in Cameroon by winning its group and will try against Guinea to return to the quarter-final.
Saturday January 27Angola-Namibia (6 p.m.)Nigeria-Cameroon (9 p.m.)
Sunday January 28Equatorial Guinea-Guinea (6 p.m.)Egypt-DR Congo (9 p.m.)
Monday January 29 Cape Verde-Mauritania (6 p.m.)Senegal-Ivory Coast (9 p.m.)
Tuesday January 30Mali-Burkina Faso (6 p.m.)Morocco-South Africa (9 p.m.)
