A round-up from Monday’s Africa Cup of Nations matches with Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Egypt and Ghana all in action on day 10 of the tournament.
Equatorial Guinea 4-0 Ivory Coast
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Africa Cup of Nations hosts Ivory Coast are on the brink of a humiliating exit from their own tournament after a shock 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea.
Two more goals from Emilio Nsue, the hat-trick hero from the win against Guinea-Bissau, and strikes from Pablo Ganet and substitute Jannick Buyla left the Elephants with only a slim chance of qualifying after finishing third in Group A.
Three points means they are unlikely to be one of the four third-placed teams to get through, although agonisingly they might not know their fate until Wednesday evening when the group stage is completed.
Equatorial Guinea, meanwhile, were confirmed as surprise group winners ahead of Nigeria in second. Ivory Coast had two goals disallowed for offside and snatched at a host of presentable chances, and they were made to pay.
They could have had a penalty when Nicolas Pepe burst into the area after a long ball over the top fell at his feet and was clearly fouled by Saul Coco.
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Pepe opted to stay on his feet, however, but he was unable to round Equatorial Guinea keeper Jesus Owono and the opportunity went begging.
And Ivory Coast were stunned three minutes before half-time when Akapo surged past four non-existent tackles into the area and squared the ball for Nsue.
The former Birmingham and Middlesbrough full-back, now 34 and captaining his country, swept the ball home first time.
The host nation thought they had hit back immediately when Ibrahim Sangare bundled the ball into the net from Pepe’s cross but VAR confirmed the Nottingham Forest midfielder was offside.
Sangare should have equalised moments into the second half only to blaze wastefully over at the far post and Owono somehow denied Christian Kouame from point-blank range.
In the 67th minute Jean-Philippe Krasso took Seko Fofana’s pass in his stride and curled the ball past Owono, but once again VAR stepped in where an offside flag had not and the goal was chalked off.
Instead, six minutes later Ganet silenced the Alassane Ouattara Stadium with a curling free-kick which flew into the top corner.
The hosts’ fate was all but sealed when, in the 75th minute, Jose Machin led a counter-attack and teed up Nsue for a simple finish.
And arguably the biggest upset in AFCON history was complete two minutes from time when Buyla lashed home the fourth.
Guinea-Bissau 0-1 Nigeria
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Opa Sangante’s own goal earned Nigeria a 1-0 win over Guinea-Bissau as they sealed their spot in the Africa Cup of Nations last 16.
The Super Eagles went ahead after 36 minutes when Sangante put through his own net but were unable to capitalise on a series of good chances to extend their lead, with Victor Osimhen going close multiple times.
With Equatorial Guinea thumping Ivory Coast in the other game in the group, Nigeria finished second in Group A to set up a meeting with the runners-up in Group C on Saturday.
The loss capped off a miserable campaign for already-eliminated Guinea-Bissau, who threatened Nigeria in the final stages but finished with three defeats.
Nigeria’s Stanley Nwabali made the first save of the game from Nito Gomes’ ambitious long-range effort, but the Super Eagles grew into the game, Joe Aribo’s powerful strike taking a deflection and giving Jonas Mendes a routine stop.
Nigeria went in front when Moses Simon whipped in a dangerous cross intended for Osimhen and Sangante smashed the ball into the roof of his own net.
They had a great chance to double the lead just before half-time as an unmarked Osimhen headed wide and threatened again two minutes into the second half when Mendes smothered Simon’s shot.
An action-packed start saw Osimhen’s headed effort loop wide and Dalcio had his low strike saved at the other end before Osimhen had an effort ruled out for offside.
Guinea-Bissau threatened in the final 10 minutes when Fali Cande’s free-kick took an awkward bounce, but Nwabali managed to push it wide before Gomes headed wide from the resulting corner.
The late pressure almost paid off as a ferocious strike from Franculino Dju was ruled out for offside and Nigeria managed to see the game out.
Egypt 2-2 Cape Verde
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Mohamed Salah was in the stands to watch Egypt scrape into the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations with a breathless 2-2 draw with Cape Verde.
The striker stayed on to watch his countrymen in their crucial final Group B match before flying back to Liverpool for treatment on a muscle injury.
He will have feared the worst with the Pharaohs staring at an early exit after falling behind to a goal from Gilson Tavares for the surprise group winners.
But substitute Trezeguet hauled them level and Mostafa Mohamed fired them ahead at the start of stoppage time.
The Blue Sharks then rocked Egypt by equalising through Bryan Teixeira, but Ghana being pegged back 2-2 by Mozambique meant the Pharaohs clung on to second place.
With Cape Verde having already topped the group, Egypt were hoping they might not play with the same intensity that brought them two wins out of two.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha saved from Mohamed and Omar Marmoush while Zizo fired narrowly wide.
But in first-half stoppage time and with Cape Verde’s first real opportunity, the surprise package took the lead.
Ryan Mendes headed the ball into the path of Tavares, who turned sharply before crashing his shot low into the net.
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Trezeguet should have equalised moments after coming on as a half-time substitute but he blazed his shot over the crossbar.
But the Trabzonspor midfielder made his mark three minutes later when he played a brilliant one-two with Ahmed Hegazy before lashing an angled shot past Vozinha.
Trezeguet almost immediately put Egypt ahead but drilled his shot across Vozinha and wide.
Mohamed had a golden chance from Trezeguet’s cross but agonisingly lifted his effort over the top.
But two minutes into stoppage time Mohamed chased on to a ball over the top and lifted it over Vozinha.
A dramatic victory seemed to have been secured but there was still time for Teixeira to fire an equaliser in the ninth minute of added time, although somehow Egypt could still celebrate qualification in the most nail-biting circumstances.
Ghana 2-2 Mozambique
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Ghana conceded twice in stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Mozambique as a place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations slipped through their fingers.
Jordan Ayew scored a pair of penalties which looked to be sending Ghana through, but a thrilling finale saw Geny Catamo pull one back from the spot before Reinildo Mandava equalised at the death.
The two dropped points meant Egypt pipped Ghana to second place in Group B, despite also conceding a last-gasp leveller in a 2-2 draw with Cape Verde, and Chris Hughton’s side are highly unlikely to qualify as one of best third-placed teams.
Antoine Semenyo went close for Ghana just seconds into the game, unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but goalkeeper Ivane Carminio managed to tip the ball over the bar.
Ghana were awarded a penalty when Joseph Paintsil twisted his way into the box and was fouled by Nanani and Jordan Ayew coolly rolled the resulting spot-kick into the bottom right corner to open the scoring after 15 minutes.
The Black Stars were dealt a blow when Majeed Ashimeru was taken off on a stretcher and Mozambique continued to threaten straight after the break as Richard Ofori punched a dangerous cross away before Lau King headed wide.
They had a flurry of opportunities as Bruno Langa forced Ofori into a save and another chance went begging when the Ghana keeper palmed a corner into the path of Nene, who headed well wide of a post.
Following a rare foray into the opposition area Ghana earned another penalty after Mandava handled the ball and Jordan Ayew stepped up again to double his side’s lead in the 70th minute.
Mozambique pulled one back a minute into stoppage time when they were given a penalty after an Andre Ayew handball and Catamo fired his effort into the bottom corner.
Their dramatic comeback was complete four minutes into added time when Mandava nodded the ball home from a corner to all but end Ghana’s hopes of making the next round.
