Equatorial Guinea beat Algeria on the way to the quarter-finals at the 2021 Afcon finals, and added Ivory Coast to their list of scalps at the finals
Host nation Ivory Coast will have to rely on other results to avoid a shock Africa Cup of Nations group-stage exit after Equatorial Guinea thrashed the Elephants in a huge upset in Abidjan.
Emilio Nsue’s double, Pablo Ganet’s 25-yard free-kick and Yannick Buyla’s late goal gave the National Thunder a famous win that sealed top spot in Group A.
The hosts must sweat on qualification after finishing third in Group A.
The four best third-placed sides across the six groups progress to the last 16.
Ibrahim Sangare twice had equalisers ruled out for the Ivorians when they were only a goal behind, but the Elephants wasted a host of chances and were made to pay by their clinical opposition.
Some Ivorian players were in tears at the final whistle as they were loudly booed off by an angry partisan crowd at Alassane Ouattara Stadium after one of the biggest surprises in Afcon history.
The Equatorial Guinea contingent, meanwhile, celebrated wildly after registering another seismic victory at the finals and they will face a third-placed side from Group C, D, or E in the last 16 on Sunday.
Their best performance at an Afcon tournament was reaching the semi-finals as hosts in 2015 but they finished above three-time champions Nigeria and the Ivorians, two-time winners, in an unexpected twist.
Ivory Coast will have to wait for the rest of the groups to finish to see if their three points and a goal difference of -3 is enough to sneak through to the knockout stages.
More to follow.
Line-ups
Equatorial Guinea
Formation 4-4-1-1
1Owono
15Akapo21Orozco16Coco11Ndong
6Salvador22Ganet4Bikoro17Miranda
7 Machine
10Nsue
- 1OwonoBooked at 45mins
- 15 Akapo
- 21Orozco
- 16Coco
- 11Ndong
- 6SalvadorSubstituted forAsuéat 78’minutes
- 22GanetSubstituted forBalboaat 85’minutes
- 4Bikoro
- 17MirandaBooked at 12minsSubstituted forBuylaat 56’minutes
- 7MachínSubstituted forEnemeat 85’minutesBooked at 88mins
- 10NsueSubstituted forSiafáat 78’minutes
Substitutes
- 2 Senra
- 5 Elo
- 8Buyla
- 12Ondo
- 13 Embela
- 14Balboa
- 19 Asué
- 20 Enema
- 23Sapunga
- 25Nguema
- 26Nabil
- 27Siafá
Ivory Coast
Formation 4-3-3
1 Breathing
5Singo12Boly21Ndicka3Konan
18Sangaré8Kessié6Fofana
14Diakité19Pépé20Kouamé
- 1 Breathing
- 5Singo
- 12BolyBooked at 72minsSubstituted forAdingraat 83’minutes
- 21Ndicka
- 3KonanSubstituted forKrassoat 64’minutes
- 18Sangaré
- 8Kessié
- 6 Breathing
- 14DiakitéSubstituted forGradelat 83’minutes
- 19PépéSubstituted forBogaat 65’minutes
- 20KouaméBooked at 45minsSubstituted forKonatéat 65’minutes
Substitutes
- 4 Series
- 7Kossounou
- 9 Hold on
- 10 Concluded
- 11Krasso
- 13 pages
- 15Gradel
- 17Aurier
- 23Sangaré
- 24Adingra
- 26Diallo
- 27Amani
Live Text
Match ends, Equatorial Guinea 4, Côte d’Ivoire 0.
Second Half ends, Equatorial Guinea 4, Côte d’Ivoire 0.
Attempt missed. Karim Konaté (Côte d’Ivoire) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Simon Adingra.
Attempt blocked. Simon Adingra (Côte d’Ivoire) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Seko Fofana.
Attempt missed. Luís Asué (Equatorial Guinea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Basilio Ndong.
Foul by Karim Konaté (Ivory Coast).
Féderico Bikoro (Equatorial Guinea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Seko Fofana (Ivory Coast).
Luís Asué (Equatorial Guinea) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Attempt missed. Karim Konaté (Côte d’Ivoire) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Ibrahim Sangaré.
Corner, Ivory Coast. Conceded by Óscar Siafá.
Attempt blocked. Max Gradel (Côte d’Ivoire) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is blocked.
Max Gradel (Côte d’Ivoire) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Carlos Akapo (Equatorial Guinea).
Corner, Ivory Coast. Conceded by Saúl Coco.
Simon Adingra (Côte d’Ivoire) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Luís Asué (Equatorial Guinea).
Goal! Equatorial Guinea 4, Côte d’Ivoire 0. Jannick Buyla (Equatorial Guinea) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner following a fast break.
Attempt saved. Luís Asué (Equatorial Guinea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Jesús Owono.
Santiago Eneme (Equatorial Guinea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
2024-01-22 19:04:11
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