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Douala. — Cote d’Ivoire beat Algeria 3-1 to finish top of Group E and eliminate the title holders from the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon 2021.
The Elephants produced a dominant performance in Douala to sink the reigning champions with goals from Franck Yannick Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare and Nicolas Pepe.
The Desert Foxes reduced the deficit 17 minutes from through substitute Soufiane Bendebkab while captain Riyad Mahrez saw his penalty came of Badra Ali Sangare’s post.
Cote d’Ivoire dominated possession with AC Milan midfielder Kessi, Jean Micheal Seri and young Ibrahima Sangare pulling the strings for Patrice Beaumelle’s side.
The Elephants marauding left back Chislain Konan twice found space inside the Algeria box. Konan beat Algeria’s Atal on the right to play in Pepe whose first time effort missed the target on 7 minutes.
Aissa Mandi latched on to a quickly taken Ismael Bennacer free kick only for Simon Desire to clear for a corner.
The Elephants continue to counter the Desert Foxes with their wide players giving them width as they pushed for the breakthrough.
Kessie broke the deadlock with a clinical strike after an exchange of passes with Pepe to beat Rais Mbolhi and give Cote d’Ivoire the lead on 22 minutes.
Djamel Belmadi’s side responded with chances of their own as they push for the equaliser.
Bennacer had a shot flashed the Elephants goal while Belaili failed to connect to Atal’s inviting diagonal pass into the area.
Ibrahim Sangare doubled the lead for the Elephants with a thumping header past Mbolhi five minutes before the break.
Cote d’Ivoire continued to dominate the second half and they found the third goal on 53 minutes through Pepe.
The winger drifted inside from the right to curled his left footed strike past Mbolhi to make it 3-0.
Algeria were awarded a penalty following a foul on Belaili on 57 minutes. Captain Riyad Mahrez struck the post as Cote d’Ivoire hang on to their three goal advantage.
Substitute Soufiane Bendebkab pulled a goal back for the Desert Foxes but it was too late for the 2019 African champions.
The victory confirmed top spot for Cote d’Ivoire ahead of Equatorial Guinea who beat Sierra Leone 1-0 in Limbé to finish second. The Leone Stars finish third with two points and Algeria bottom with a point.
Meanwhile, Seven-time champions Egypt clinched a place in the African Cup of Nations last 16 on Wednesday night by defeating neighbours Sudan 1-0, a result which sent five other countries including Ivory Coast through as well.
Nigeria finished Group D with a third successive win as they beat Guinea-Bissau 2-0, leaving runners-up Egypt to face the winners of Group E in the next round, and a potential clash with the Ivorians.
Mohamed Abdelmonem’s header at a corner 10 minutes before half-time in Yaounde sent the Pharaohs through and eliminated Sudan, and also saw Ivory Coast, Mali, Gambia, Malawi and Cape Verde qualify without kicking a ball.
“I think Egypt deserved to win this game without any doubt given the opportunities we created and the football we played,” said Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz.
“Our sin was not to score the second goal. If you score the second goal the game is finished. I will say it very clear, if I’ll be able to win all the games 1-0 till the end I will be happy.”
Egypt’s victory guaranteed Cape Verde and Malawi will qualify as two of the four best third-placed sides.
Ivory Coast lead Group E with four points and can finish no lower than third regardless of their result Thursday against reigning champions Algeria.
The same applies to Gambia and Mali in Group F. Both nations have four points from two games.
Three-time former winners Nigeria continued their fine start to the competition by sweeping aside Guinea-Bissau courtesy of second-half goals from Umar Sadiq and captain William Troost-Ekong.
Nigeria caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen made eight changes to his team with top spot already secure, but it was Kelechi Iheanacho — the match-winner against Egypt — who supplied the cross for Sadiq to tap in on 56 minutes.
Moses Simon came off the bench and played the main role in Nigeria’s second goal, twisting past two defenders in the box before hammering a shot against the crossbar.
Troost-Ekong turned in the rebound from close range, with an initial offside decision against the defender overturned by VAR.
The Super Eagles will stay in Garoua to play a third-placed team in the last 16 on Sunday.
Cape Verde will take on Sadio Mane’s Senegal in Bafoussam on January 25, while Malawi will meet Morocco on the same day in Yaounde after reaching the knockout rounds for the first time.
In Limbe, Equatorial Guinea reached the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations after beating Sierra Leone 1-0 – a result which eliminated the Leone Stars.
Midfielder Pablo Ganet curled in from the edge of the area to net the only goal seven minutes before the break.
Sierra Leone had needed a point to progress, but veteran striker Kei Kamara saw an 84th-minute penalty saved by Jesus Owono.
The Equatoguineans finish second in Group E behind Ivory Coast.
Juan Micha’s side will now face the winner of Group F — any one of The Gambia, Mali and Tunisia — on Wednesday, 26 January.
The late missed penalty was harsh on Kamara, the 37-year-old who had scored the winner against Sierra Leone last June which had Sierra Leone’s qualification for the tournament.
The former Norwich City and Middlesbrough man had been handed the responsibility after Ganet had brought down Issa Kallon, but Owonu launched himself to his left to claw Kamara’s attempt past the post.
The Leone Stars, making their first appearance at the Nations Cup since 1996, had drawn their first two games against defending champions Algeria and two-time winners Ivory Coast to give themselves a chance of going through.
Yet they struggled to create meaningful chances in Limbe, although Steven Caulker headed across goal and wide just after the hour mark as they sought an equaliser.
Sierra Leone had Kwame Quee sent off late on for a second bookable offence and their result, coupled with Algeria’s 3-1 defeat by Ivory Coast, means Tunisia and debutants Comoros are guaranteed their own spots in the knock-out stages.— CAFonline.
Online Reporter