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 about 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 assert 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 closing and was billed as the very best striker Victor Osimhen vs the very best goalkeeper Andre Onana. Because it was, Onana was benched once more by coach Rigobert Tune whereas Ademola Lookman bagged each objectives to ship Nigeria by means of. Osimhen was praised for his “fantastic” efficiency, nevertheless, and it was his tireless working that arrange the primary purpose. Nevertheless, it’s only one purpose 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 might be the stability between success or failure for the Tremendous Eagles.
In the meantime, Angola are solely the minnows rapidly changing into a power. 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 fantastic a run as Angola have had, something aside from a victory for Nigeria can be the largest shock of a event that has already sprung loads of surprises.
Hovering Eagle @victorosimhen9 within the midst of Lions. Add your personal 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 12 months’s version. Their second spot within the group, behind event favourites Morocco, was secured by way of three attracts. Nevertheless, the 2012 winners Zambia have been pushed into the third spot. Ending between these sides is just not an achievement to be sniffed at, irrespective of the way it was achieved.
The mighty Egypt, document AFCON winners and defeated finalists within the final version, awaited within the spherical 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 course 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 remaining, very like the Egyptians, was historical past.
Guinea overcame The Gambia, one in every of solely two groups to fail to register some extent within the group phases, to safe a greatest third-place end in Group C, having additionally taken some extent 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 seemed to be heading to penalties till Mohamed Bayo scored the most recent purpose in regular time in AFCON historical past as he headed residence within the 98th minute to ship Guinea on their approach.
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 loss of life. 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 residence and safe the highest spot regardless of resting half their staff 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 probably the greatest third-place finishers. The keep of execution appeared as if it could be short-lived with sizzling favourites and defending champions Senegal ready within the spherical of 16.
The Elephants, conscious of the duty at hand, tried to “loan” former supervisor Herve Renard from his function as France Ladies’s supervisor however the French federation rejected the transfer. Over to former worldwide Emerse Fae to step up from the backroom workers and lead his facet to a victory on penalties, made all of the extra outstanding 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 bunch 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 anticipate 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 checklist of outstanding tales as Bafana Bafana downed World Cup semifinalists and clear AFCON favourites, Morocco, to succeed in 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 approach residence and blow the competitors vast open.