AFCON: Champions Algeria knocked out; Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Comoros advance

Franck
Kessie,
Ibrahim
Sangare
and
Arsenal’s
Nicolas
Pepe
all
scored
to
put
the
Ivory
Coast
3-0
up
against
Algeria
in
Douala,
before
Manchester
City
star
Riyad
Mahrez
missed
a
penalty
for
the
2019
champions.

Sofiane
Bendebka
eventually
pulled
one
back
with
their
first
goal
in
over
four
hours
of
football
at
this
year’s
tournament,
but
it
was
too
little,
too
late
for
Djamel
Belmadi’s
team.

AFCON
matchday
preview:
Holders
Algeria
on
the
brink,
Tunisia
with
work
to
do
as
COVID-19
cases
pile
up

It
is
the
fifth
time
in
the
last
six
editions
that
the
reigning
champions
have
failed
to
make
the
AFCON
knockout
phase,
but
there
has
arguably
never
been
a
worse
title
defence.

Algeria
came
to
the
tournament
on
an
unbeaten
run
stretching
back
over
three
years
but
they
were
held
by
Sierra
Leone
in
their
opening
match
and
then
lost
to
Equatorial
Guinea
to
suffer
a
first
defeat
in
36
games.

African
Cup
of
Nations
(AFCON)
2021:
Full
schedule,
timing
in
IST,
venues,
teams,
groups
and
telecast
details

They
finish
bottom
of
their
group
with
a
single
point.

Their
demise
was
lapped
up
by
the
fans
at
the
Japoma
Stadium,
with
the
50,000-capacity
ground
filling
up
as
the
game
went
on.
The
crowd
was
given
as
just
over
30,000,
the
maximum
that
could
be
allowed
in
due
to
the
60
per
cent
capacity
limit
imposed
as
part
of
the
coronavirus
(COVID-19)
restrictions,
but
it
looked
like
more
than
that.

The
Ivory
Coast,
the
2015
champions,
clearly
had
the
backing
of
the
crowd
and
they
will
stay
in
Douala
for
a
heavyweight
last-16
tie
against
Mohamed
Salah’s
Egypt
next
Wednesday.

Equatorial
Guinea
advanced
as
the
second-placed
team
in
Group
E
after
defeating
Sierra
Leone
1-0
in
Limbe
thanks
to
a
superb
first-half
strike
from
Pablo
Ganet.

Kei
Kamara
missed
a
penalty
for
Sierra
Leone
as
they
go
out,
while
Equatorial
Guinea
stay
in
Limbe
for
a
last-16
tie
against
Mali
on
January
26.

Mali
finished
top
of
Group
F
after
a
2-0
win
over
west
African
neighbours
Mauritania
in
the
late
game
in
Douala,
with
Massadio
Haidara
giving
them
a
second-minute
lead
before
Ibrahima
Kone
added
a
penalty
early
in
the
second
half.

It
was
a
third
successful
penalty
in
as
many
games
for
Norway-based
striker
Kone,
as
Mauritania
go
home
without
a
point
or
a
goal.

Tournament
debutants
Gambia
had
already
sealed
a
place
in
the
knockout
phase
before
claiming
a
remarkable
1-0
win
over
Tunisia
in
their
last
group
match
in
Limbe.

Ablie
Jallow’s
goal
deep
in
injury
time
gave
Gambia
the
victory
and
they
will
now
play
Guinea
in
the
last
16
in
Bafoussam
on
Monday.

Tunisia
were
deprived
of
12
players
who
tested
positive
for
COVID-19
on
the
eve
of
the
game
and
they
have
to
settle
for
advancing
as
one
of
the
four
best
third-placed
teams.

That
means
the
2004
champions
have
a
quick
turnaround
and
must
head
north
to
play
Nigeria
in
Garoua
on
Sunday
(January
23).

Comoros,
the
small
Indian
Ocean
island
nation,
also
progressed
to
the
last
16
in
their
first
appearance
at
the
tournament.
They
will
face
hosts
Cameroon
in
the
pre-quarterfinals.

(With
inputs
from
Agencies)