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YAOUNDE. — The African Cup of Nations round of 16 begins tomorrow, following a group stage which provided two major shocks, history on the field and several off-pitch talking points.
The tournament has come to life following a slow start, which saw nine 1-0s and two goalless draws in the first round of group matches. Here BBC Sport Africa assesses the opening 12 days of action in Cameroon.
Favourites emerge?
Two teams have stood out so far: the hosts and Nigeria. The Super Eagles are the only side with a 100% record, a statistic made all the more surprising by the fact they dismissed long-serving boss Gernot Rohr just four weeks before the tournament. Yet the side have gelled well under interim coach Augustine Eguavoen, dominating seven-time champions Egypt in their opening game and going on to beat Sudan and Guinea-Bissau comfortably.
After an underwhelming World Cup qualifying campaign so far, the West Africans are a side to watch. Cameroon, meanwhile, enjoyed fine wins over Burkina Faso and Ethiopia to top Group A, with skipper Vincent Aboubakar netting five goals to equal a tournament scoring record for the Indomitable Lions.
The biggest storyline on the pitch has been the unceremonious exit of defending champions Algeria.
The North Africans drew 0-0 with Sierra Leone in their opener, then lost against Equatorial Guinea before being soundly beaten by Ivory Coast.
Four-time champions Ghana were also dumped out, finishing bottom of Group B after a stunning 3-2 defeat by debutants Comoros. — BBC Sport Africa.
Online Reporter