AFCON2023:Resurgent Cote d’Ivoire Knock Out Defending Champions Senegal In a dramatic round of 16 encounter, Cote d’Ivoire have knocked defending champions Senegal out of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 4-5 penalty shootout victory on Monday January 29, 2024.

The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Cote d’Ivoire securing a 4-5 victory in the ensuing penalty shootout.

Senegal took an early lead with a goal from Habib Diallo in the 4th minute, putting them in a favorable position.

However, Cote d’Ivoire fought back, and in the 86th minute, substitute Franck Kessie scored from the penalty spot to level the scores at 1-1.

The game proceeded to extra time, but neither team could find a decisive goal. The fate of the match was then determined by a penalty shootout, where Cote d’Ivoire emerged victorious with a 4-5 score.

Ivorien midfielder, Franck Kessie, played a crucial role in the game, both scoring a penalty in regulation time and the decisive spokick, contributing to the host nation’s triumph over the defending champions. The result sparked wild celebrations in the stands and across the country, as the hosts advanced to the next stage of the tournament.

Cape Verde secured a dramatic late-victory over Mauritania to secure a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals for just the second time.

A late penalty from Captain Ryan Mendes proved decisive, setting up a quarter-final clash against either Morocco or South Africa.

The closely contested match seemed destined for extra time until Cheick Elwely’s defensive lapse allowed Benchimol to capitalize, resulting in a foul by goalkeeper Babacar Niasse. In the 88th minute, Captain Mendes confidently converted the penalty, smashing it down the middle to break the deadlock.

The victory marked Cape Verde’s third win in four matches at the 2023 AFCON finals, and they will now face a formidable opponent in the quarter-finals on Saturday at 20:00 GMT.

The encounter between Cape Verde and Mauritania was characterized by energy and commitment from both teams. Despite chances on both ends, the match lacked quality, particularly in the final third.

Mauritania, playing in their first-ever Nations Cup knockout game, displayed early energy with dynamic runs from deep positions. Mendes had a chance to open the scoring after nine minutes with a delicate lob over Niasse, but it went wide.

As the first half progressed, the game became scrappy, with Lions of Chinguetti head coach Amir Abdou drawing attention with his animated presence on the sidelines. The second half saw Mauritania dominate early stages, with Aboubakary Koita and Souleymane Anne having notable chances.

As the match approached extra time, Cape Verde intensified their push for a winner. Garry Rodrigues’ powerful drive tested Niasse, and Jovane Cabral’s follow-up was blocked. Mendes, the all-time appearance holder for Cape Verde, eventually secured the victory with a calmly taken penalty, further solidifying his status as the country’s leading goalscorer.

Despite ten additional minutes, Mauritania failed to find an equalizer, allowing Cape Verde to claim their first knockout win at an AFCON tournament. The Blue Sharks will now eagerly await their opponent in the quarter-finals, prepared to continue their quest for AFCON glory.

There were no real surprises in the first four quarterfinal matches, though Egypt could have done better against DR Congo.

The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) now has four quarterfinalists. On Saturday, Nigeria’s Super Eagles emerged victorious against five-time champions Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions, while Angola’s Palancas Negras overcame the loss of their goalkeeper to secure a 3-0 victory against Namibia, setting the stage for a clash on Friday.

Sunday witnessed a 1-1 draw between seven-time champions Egypt and DR Congo. Both teams advanced from their groups with three draws, and their encounter went into extra time. The 1-1 result after 90 minutes and extra time was not a surprise.

Nigeria 2-0 Cameroon

History repeated itself at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan as the Super Eagles defeated the Indomitable Lions 2-0, both goals scored by Ademola Lookman. In six previous meetings in AFCON tournaments, the Lions have beaten the Eagles three times—all in finals. In their other three contests, Nigeria had triumphed twice and eked a draw.

On Saturday, the Lions were toothless as the Eagles soared out of their reach. Victor Osimhen ran as if he were chasing cars in Lagos traffic to transact business while the key to the Eagles’ defence was unavailable. The Lions had no shot on target and were physically worn down by Jose Peseiro’s 3-4-3 formation.

Angola 3-0 Namibia

Namibia had an advantage from the 17th minute when Angola’s goalkeeper was sent off for a deliberate handball outside his box. But this Angolan team, coached by Soares Goncalves, is anything but a resilient bunch. They defended stoutly and then took the lead on a breakaway in the 38th minute.

Namibia then shot themselves in the foot as they chased the equaliser as Lubeni Haukongo was sent off for two yellow cards, just two minutes after Angola scored.

Cue, a second Angola goal, two minutes later. Their third goal in the second half was a perfectly executed shot by Cristovao Mabululu. In four matches, the Palancas Negras have scored nine goals and conceded three. Super Eagles, beware!

Sunday’s matches were very tetchy affairs.

Equatorial Guinea 0-1 Guinea

The surprise of the tournament, Equatorial Guinea, went through a mill of emotions on Sunday in their round of 16 clash against Guinea at the Stade Alassane Ouattara. The first half was a largely forgettable affair as both teams cancelled themselves out.

The second half had all the drama. First, Federico Bikoro was sent off in the 55th minute. Thirteen minutes later, AFCON’s top goal scorer, Emiliano Nsue, had the opportunity to score his sixth from the penalty spot. His nerves did not hold as his kick went off the foot of the post. And then, with everybody preparing for the first extra time at this 2023 AFCON, Mohamed Bayo stooped at the near post to head in the winner.

The Syli National are into their sixth AFCON quarterfinal, where they will meet DR Congo.

DR Congo 1-1 [8–7 pens] Egypt

This was the dullest encounter of the first four quarterfinals. The Leopards were content to sit and wait to catch the Pharaohs on the counter through Mechak Elia, on the right flank.

Quick thinking brought the first goal as a quick throw caught out the Egyptians, and Yoane Wissa’s cross was diverted towards Elia, who headed in at close range.

Egypt were level before halftime. VAR caught a fortuitous foul, and Egypt were awarded a penalty. Mostafa Mohamed sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. Although substitute Mohamed Hamdi was sent off in the first half of the extra time, Egypt held on for penalties.

And here the drama is exacerbated. The second penalty kick saw Mostafa Mohamed send his kick wide off the right post, and then Arthur Masuaku ballooned his kick over the bar. Everybody scored their kick until Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Gabaski whacked his kick against the crossbar and out. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi then stepped up to send his country into their 10th quarterfinal.

The drama continues to unfold on Monday when Cape Verde tackles Mauritania and the hosts face defending champions Senegal.

Cape Verde and Mauritania will chase history when they face-off in a 2023 Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 clash on Monday, January 29, 2024. 

In the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023, Cape Verde and Mauritania are poised for a captivating round of 16 clash at Abidjan’s Félix Houphouët Boigny stadium.

Both teams have defied the underdog tag, securing knockout spots with impressive performances in the tournament.

Mauritania achieved its first-ever AFCON win, a historic moment that propelled them into the knockout stage. The team, displaying cohesion and quality, earned a well-deserved victory against Algeria. Now, they face Cape Verde, a team that finished on top of Group B, overcoming football powerhouses Ghana and Egypt.

Cape Verde’s coach, Bubista, acknowledged the difficulty of facing Mauritania, emphasizing their solid defense. He anticipates a tactical encounter and stressed the importance of playing their cards well to secure victory in the knockout stage.

Tiago Correia, Cape Verde’s striker, expressed the team’s awareness of the match’s significance, considering it a unique opportunity. The squad is focused on the common goal of achieving victory and advancing in the tournament.

Mauritania’s coach, Amir Abdou, sees Cape Verde as an attractive team that both scores and concedes goals. He identified potential loopholes to exploit and expressed confidence in his competitive group, believing they are capable of achieving success in the competition.

Lamine Ba, Mauritania’s defender, acknowledged the team’s challenging start but emphasized the beginning of a new competition in the knockout stage. He highlighted the support from Mauritanian authorities to ensure the presence of their supporters during the match, indicating the team’s reliance on their backing.

The clash between Cape Verde and Mauritania promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams aiming to continue their impressive runs in the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023.

It’s all set. Defending champions, Senegal will come up against host, Côte d’Ivoire on Monday, 29 January at the Charles Konan Bani Stadium, Yamoussoukro for the Round of 16 clash of the Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

The game promises to be a tough encounter based on the ambitions of the two sides in the ongoing AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023. With the Elephants looking to correct the wrongs of the group stage, they will go all in.

The Teranga Lions qualified from their group unbeaten and will be hoping to continue with the same energy in the knockout stage.

Côte d’Ivoire wants to make up for their poor showing in the group stage, which they progressed with only 3 points as one of the best third-placed teams.

The Elephants will want to compensate their home fans for the poor showing in their last two games against Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea by eliminating Senegal and qualifying for the quarter finals.

Aliou Cisse – Senegal coach

 “Our team is going through a good period after three matches, where we achieved good results in the group stage, and I am satisfied with it.  We are in a good state to focus. The statistics are there and I cannot change the past and the results. We are in the present, and we will remain focused. We are now in the eighth final, against a good Côte d’Ivoire team. We will play a very difficult match. If we win, we will continue the adventure, and if we lose, we will return home.

“We qualified with 9 points and the opponent with 3 points, this does not matter. Now a new competition has begun. Côte d’Ivoire remains a major team in Africa, they have good players. The defeat in their last two matches remain just an accident, they will show another performance in front of their fans.”

Moussa Nyakhate – Senegal defender 

“We worked well this week. We must remain focused on the way we play in defense and attack. We will remain focused on ourselves in the match, and our goal remains to win. The Côte d’Ivoire national team is good, and they have players with good potential, and we respect them a lot. The atmosphere is great within the Senegalese team. Everyone is in good condition. We have a wonderful group of veterans who are mentoring the young players.”

Faye Emers – Côte d’Ivoire coach

“We prepared well for the Senegal match, and we will enter the match with confidence a lot of confidence. The players are motivated. I know the group well, and I have been with them for a year and a half. The players know what to expect from them in the Senegal match. We will enter the match with good confidence. We have worked well since I came to head the national team.  Côte d’Ivoire will remain Côte d’Ivoire even though we did not perform well in the group stage. If we ask Senegal which team, they want to face in the last 16, they will choose another team that occupied the best third place other than Côte d’Ivoire.

Jean-Michael Seri – Côte d’Ivoire midfielder 

“When you are competitive, you want to win the continental title, especially when you host the competition. In this competition, anything can happen. Things have now passed, and we must look into the future, where the match against Senegal awaits us. I do not want to talk about what happened. There will be a new competition within this competition in the knockout round, and we want to progress with the new coach, who is also a big brother to us.”

Record seven-time champions Egypt, lacking injured talisman Mohamed Salah, were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday after losing a penalty shootout 8-7 against DR Congo.

Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi converted the winning spot-kick in San-Pedro after fellow shot-stopper Mohamed Abou Gabal had seen his kick strike the bar and fly over.

A tense last-16 clash finished 1-1 after extra time with Meschack Elia scoring on 37 minutes for DR Congo and Mostafa Mohamed equalising in first-half added time from a penalty.

Liverpool star Salah was injured in a group match against Ghana and returned to his club, who said he would probably only be able to return to the tournament if Egypt reached the final.

DR Congo will face Guinea, last-gasp 1-0 winners over Equatorial Guinea earlier on Sunday, next Friday in Abidjan for a place in the semi-finals.

Egypt and DR Congo may between them have won nine of the previous 33 Cup of Nations tournaments, but neither country managed even one victory in the group stage in the Ivory Coast this month.

They finished runners-up to Cape Verde and Morocco respectively in mini-leagues with identical records of three draws and three points.

Where they differed was in the number of goals scored with Egypt netting six times, including three from France-based Mohamed, and DR Congo only twice.

This was the fifth AFCON clash between the countries from 1970 with the Pharaohs defeating the Leopards three times and losing once ahead of the showdown in the west Ivorian coastal city.

Notable absentees through injuries were Egyptian Mohamed el Shenawy, widely regarded as the best Africa-based goalkeeper and DR Congo playmaker Gael Kakuta.

Egypt dominated possession in a cagey opening half until DR Congo snatched the lead with a controversial Elia goal.

DR Congo took a throw-in that Egypt claimed should have been theirs and, while the North Africans protested, Yoane Wissa crossed for Elia to nod into the net at the far post.

A VAR review confirmed the goal and the off-field officials were also involved in the Egyptian equaliser a minute into added time at the end of the first half.

The South African referee initially waved play on after Dylan Batubinsika elbowed Egypt captain Ahmed Hegazy in the face, but was awarded a penalty after reviewing the incident on the monitor.

Mohamed maintained his goal-a-game record in the Ivory Coast by sending Mpasi the wrong way as he slammed the spot-kick into the roof of the net.

DR Congo won more of the ball as the second half progressed, but even half-chances for both sides remained scarce with defences marshalled by Hegazy and Chancel Mbemba on top.

In an attempt to bolster their attack, the Congolese replaced veteran forward Cedric Bakambu with Simon Banza, the 14-goal leading scorer in the Portuguese league this season.

With Egypt a man short after Mohamed Hamdy was sent off, DR Congo applied constant extra-time pressure, but could not score a winning goal.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face Angola in the next round of the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire.

Nigeria will play the Giant Sable Antelope in the AFCON 2023 Quarterfinals by 6pm, at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, on Friday, February 2, 2024.

Decisively, Ademola Lookman’s brace gave Nigeria the win over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a hard-fought game.

Moreover, the Super Eagles remain unbeaten in the tournament.

According to CAF Online, Angolan forward, Jacinto Dala says they deserve to qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament.

The team defeated Namibia on Friday 3-0, with Jacinto Dala involved in all three goals.

Worthy of note, Angola have reached the last eight of the tournament for the first time since their run to the semi-finals in 2008.

“We had a good performance today. The team deserved this qualification, and I’m very happy we made it happen.

“I will say the commitment and the involvement of all the players helped me win this man of the match,” he said.

Nigeria at Egypt 2019

In the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations hosted by Egypt, the Super Eagles knocked out Cameroon in the Round of 16.

They came from behind and secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

Meanwhile, Ighalo’s brace in the 19th and 63rd minutes, combined with Iwobi’s 66th-minute winner, overcame Bahoken and N’Jia’s goals.

The Cameroonians scored in the 41st and 44th minutes.

Also, William Troost-Ekong sealed the deal with a last-minute winner (89th minute) against South Africa in the quarterfinals after a tense 1-1 draw.

In the semifinals, Nigeria faced Algeria in a nail-biting contest.

Despite Ighalo’s 72nd-minute penalty, Ekong’s unfortunate own-goal and Riyadh Mahrez’s goal in the 90+5 minutes secured Algeria’s spot in the final.

They won 2-1.

Nigeria beat Tunisia 1-0 in the third-place playoff. Odion Ighalo’s 3rd-minute goal was enough to secure victory for the Eagles.

Mohamed Bayo headed in a dramatic winner in the eighth minute of injury time as Guinea beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 1-0 on Sunday to advance to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

The last-16 tie at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan was heading for extra time when Bayo, of French Ligue 1 side Le Havre, struck right at the death to spark frenzied scenes of celebration among the Guinea team and their large support.

It was a historic moment for the Syli National, who had never previously won a Cup of Nations knockout tie — they were runners-up in 1976, in an era when the final four played a round-robin format to decide the winner of the trophy.

They will now face either Egypt or the Democratic Republic of Congo in the last eight in Abidjan on Friday.

But Equatorial Guinea, who had midfielder Federico Bikoro sent off in the 55th minute, will wonder what might have been had captain Emilio Nsue not squandered a penalty midway through the second half.

Their players slumped to the turf at the end while Guinea celebrated with their noisy support in a crowd of 36,340, as Abidjan’s sizeable Guinean community turned out in force for the occasion.

Guinea had appeared to be handicapped by coach Kaba Diawara’s decision to leave prolific VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy -– scorer of 17 goals in the German Bundesliga this season -– on the bench at kick-off, with ex-Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita also dropping out.

Guirassy had missed Guinea’s first two group games and was replaced again here by Bayo.

The tie only came to life in the second half, with Guinea midfielder Mory Konate heading in a free-kick in the 53rd minute only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

Moments later came the red card, with Tunisia-based Bikoro being dismissed for a reckless follow-through that saw him plant his studs into Bayo’s abdomen.

Guirassy was then introduced, but it was the 10 men of Equatorial Guinea who won a penalty on 67 minutes.

The Somalian referee was summoned to the pitchside monitor after Iban Edu went down under Sekou Sylla’s challenge as he tried to connect with a Pablo Ganet free-kick.

A spot-kick was duly awarded, but the competition’s top scorer Nsue could not take the chance to net his sixth goal of this AFCON, sending his penalty against the post and wide.

It was to prove crucial, as Guinea instead made the extra man count by scoring right at the end of injury time when Bayo strained his neck to head in a cross by the impressive Ibrahim Diakite.

Coach of DR Congo, Sébastien Desabre could be playing mind games when he dubbed his team as challengers while painting their opponents, Egypt as favourites. He made the asserting at pre-match press briefing.

Hear him: “Clearly, Egypt is the favourite in this match. We will be challengers and this position suits us too. The match will be difficult because we know the potential of Egypt. But we also know that we have a good margin for improvement. We know what we need to improve.

“Until then, we have shown interesting things but not necessarily validated by victories. My players are motivated. We are going to use the ball, and play our game. We want to show everyone that DR Congo is back.”

In response, the Portuguese coach of Egypt, Rui Vitoria remarked: “Coming here, we knew that we would only settle for the finals so it will be another final against the DRC. They are a good team and will be difficult to beat. We are ready but not 100% due to our numerous injuries. But we have to deal with it.

“We’ve had a bit of bad luck following us from the start but that’s football. We are ambitious. We are going to put our qualities into play. All the teams in this competition are equal”.

A Guinean derby looms in the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 as Equatorial Guinea prepare to face off with Guinea in the round of 16 on Sunday, 28 January at Ebimpe’s Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium at 17h00 GMT.

After defying all odds in a tough Group A, Equatorial Guinea finished top of the group ahead of tournament hosts, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria as well as Guinea-Bissau. The standout performance of their group campaign certainly was their 4-0 thrashing of the hosts at a packed Alassane Ouattara Olympic stadium that sent shockwaves in the football world.

With nine goals scored in three matches, they have the best attack at this stage of the competition, with striker and captain Emilio Nsue Lopez leading the tournament’s scoring charts with 5 goals.

Equatorial Guinea are participating in their fourth AFCON following (2012, 2015, 2021). Their best showing was in the 2015 edition where they reached the semi-finals of the competition.

Their opponent, Guinea qualified as one of the four best third placed finishers after finishing on 4 points in Group C behind leaders Senegal (9 points) and Cameroon who were level on points but with a better goal difference.

Their best showing dates back to 1976 when they lost to Morocco in the final played in Ethiopia.

The team coached by Kaba Diawara was eliminated in the round of 16 during the two previous editions. The country was also a quarter-finalist in 2006, 2008 and 2015.

This will be the first  AFCON meeting between the two homonymous nations.

Pre-match comments from the head coaches and key players:

Juan Micha – Equatorial Guinea coach

“I think we are here to tackle match by match. We are already in the round of 16 which will be a difficult match. We are not favorites. We always respect the opponent. We take tomorrow’s match as a normal game, and we will work hard in our preparation.

“We are a humble family who work every day to improve. The results we have achieved do not mean that we are the best. We work every day and take things step by step”.

Saul Coco – Equatorial Guinea player

“Guinea are a complicated opponent and it will be a very difficult match. We will make more effort because so far, we have demonstrated that when we have the ball, we know how to use it well”.

Kaba Diawara – Guinea coach

“We prepared for this match as usual. At this stage, we can no longer work on the physical aspect. We work on tactics; we insisted on working on what we want to put in place tomorrow. In the round of 16, there are no favorites. We are much better than in 2021 and know each other better. All we want is to win tomorrow. We know that the group stage has nothing to do with the knockout stage. It’s another AFCON which is direct elimination. We just have to win, and I insist on that”.

Serhou Guirassy – ​​Guinea striker

“The state of mind is good, it has always been good, we are all focused on tomorrow’s objective, which is to go beyond this round. We came into this competition to reach a new milestone and we will have to show it tomorrow. Today I feel better. It’s never easy to get back to 100% after a muscle injury.”