The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations has been a event of upsets with favourites Morocco, defending champions Senegal and record-winners Egypt all out of the competitors earlier than the quarterfinals.
Right here’s our run down of the event’s last-eight stage, which is ready to happen throughout Friday and Saturday:
1. Nigeria vs Angola: Friday, February 2 at 17:00 GMT
After the scything down of African footballing giants within the group stage and spherical of 16, Nigeria stand as clear favourites to say a fourth AFCON title.
It’s been removed from plain crusing for the Tremendous Eagles after a draw of their opening match with Equatorial Guinea arrange a tense second match with host Ivory Coast. Nigeria’s 1-0 win set them on the way in which to second spot within the group, which was later confirmed by a 1-0 win in opposition to Guinea-Bissau within the third sport.
The last-16 encounter with Cameroon was a repeat of the 1984 last and was billed as the perfect striker Victor Osimhen vs the perfect goalkeeper Andre Onana. Because it was, Onana was benched once more by coach Rigobert Music whereas Ademola Lookman bagged each objectives to ship Nigeria by way of. Osimhen was praised for his “improbable” efficiency, nonetheless, and it was his tireless operating that arrange the primary aim. Nonetheless, it’s only one aim in 4 matches because the event for the African Footballer of the Yr, and whether or not he finds his goalscoring contact in tighter video games could possibly be the steadiness between success or failure for the Tremendous Eagles.
In the meantime, Angola are solely the minnows rapidly turning into a pressure. The 2019 champions Algeria have been the Southern African nation’s largest check within the group stage. A 1-1 draw with them served the Angolans higher as they topped the group with victories in opposition to Burkina Faso and Mauritania, whereas the Algerians completed backside. As tremendous a run as Angola have had, something aside from a victory for Nigeria could be the most important shock of a event that has already sprung loads of surprises.
Hovering Eagle @victorosimhen9 within the midst of Lions. Add your individual caption#SoarSuperEagles #letsDoItAgain #ourAfcon #africanfootball #afcon2023 pic.twitter.com/RF0ROoXraA
— 🇳🇬 Tremendous Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 29, 2024
2. DRC vs Guinea: Friday, February 2 at 20:00 GMT
Though former winners in 1968 and 1974, DRC have been, and to some extent nonetheless are, removed from anticipated challengers. Certainly, the Central African nation have but to win a sport in regular time at this yr’s version. Their second spot within the group, behind event favourites Morocco, was secured through three attracts. Nonetheless, the 2012 winners Zambia have been pushed into the third spot. Ending between these sides just isn’t an achievement to be sniffed at, irrespective of the way it was achieved.
The mighty Egypt, record AFCON winners and defeated finalists in the last edition, awaited in the round of 16. The Pharaohs equally have been looking for their first win and have been with out the injured Mohamed Salah. The Congolese mustered just one shot on track in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, whereas the Pharaohs had Hamdy Mahmoud Shefedin despatched off within the first half of additional time. The match nonetheless was headed to penalties and the remainder, very similar to the Egyptians, was historical past.
Guinea overcame The Gambia, certainly one of solely two groups to fail to register a degree within the group phases, to safe a greatest third-place end in Group C, having additionally taken a degree off Cameroon whereas additionally succumbing as each different groups did to Senegal. It arrange a West African derby within the final 16 with Equatorial Guinea, who had topped their group from Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The sport gave the impression to be heading to penalties till Mohamed Bayo scored the newest aim in regular time in AFCON historical past as he headed house within the 98th minute to ship Guinea on their manner.
𝟴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀. 𝟭 𝗖𝘂𝗽. 🏆
Who goes all the way in which? 👀#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/2Z4kuirC1B
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 30, 2024
3. Mali vs Ivory Coast: Saturday, February 3 at 17:00 GMT
In what has been a event of underdogs, Mali can fairly rightly dismiss the notion that they’re one of many shock packages given their pole place within the group of dying. South Africa completed second and Nambia third, as Tunisia, the group favourites, have been despatched packing. Mali, whose greatest end was as runners-up in 1972, opened with a 2-0 win in opposition to the Bafana Bafana earlier than drawing with Namibia and Tunisia to ship the North Africans house and safe the highest spot regardless of resting half their crew for the ultimate sport.
The celebrities returned for his or her 2-1 win in opposition to Burkina Faso within the final 16 though they did endure a nervy finale which included a late disallowed equaliser. Ivory Coast meantime, survived the closest of culls on the group stage – one which noticed their supervisor Jean-Louis Gasset’s contract terminated even with qualification nonetheless a risk. The Elephants opened the event with a 2-0 win in opposition to Guinea-Bissau however the defeat by Nigeria was adopted by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea. That was sufficient to see off Gasset regardless of the potential reprieve of development as top-of-the-line third-place finishers. The keep of execution appeared as if it might be short-lived with hot favourites and defending champions Senegal waiting in the round of 16.
The Elephants, conscious of the duty at hand, tried to “mortgage” former supervisor Herve Renard from his function as France Girls’s supervisor however the French federation rejected the transfer. Over to former worldwide Emerse Fae to step up from the backroom employees and lead his aspect to a victory on penalties, made all of the extra exceptional by the Elephants’ resurgence within the match itself not to mention all that had gone earlier than. The best of sporting redemptions is now on.
These spherical of 16 video games introduced the whole package deal. 📦🤩#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/vsEiVC8ycs
— CAF (@CAF_Online) January 31, 2024
4. Cape Verde vs South Africa: Saturday, February 3 at 20:00 GMT
Cape Verde have been the speak of the event since topping a gaggle that included each Egypt and Ghana, who boast 11 AFCON trophies between them. Their 2-1 win in opposition to Ghana within the second match of the competitors was the spark that lit the hope for all of the shocks that adopted. They did have a horrible defensive mix-up by the Black Stars to thank for the injury-time winner by Mendes Rodrigues. A 3-0 win in opposition to Mozambique secured their qualification earlier than a 2-2 draw with Ghana rounded issues up.
Their second AFCON quarterfinal look, having reached this stage in 2013, was not so simply secured although, as they needed to watch for an 88th-minute penalty from Ryan Mendes to safe their passage. Conversely, South Africa’s round-of-16 tie was one other the event’s now lengthy record of exceptional tales as Bafana Bafana downed World Cup semifinalists and clear AFCON favourites, Morocco, to achieve the final eight.
Having already thumped neighbours Nambia 4-0 within the group stage to complete second to Mali, South Africa produced a scintillating second half to overturn the percentages in opposition to their opponents from the other finish of the continent. Proof Magkopa and Teboho Mokoena scored the objectives to ship the Atlas Lions on their manner house and blow the competitors extensive open.
