When CAF President Patrice Motsepe stood in front of dignitaries and millions of people watching the AFCON opening ceremony, the South African tycoon boldly stated that the first AFCON he will oversee will be the best AFCON ever seen. With major sponsorship deals and TV rights secured, the quality displayed on the pitch is also matching up to Motsepe’s promise!
The 2024 edition of the African Cup of Nations has been nothing short of fireworks! A tournament that has been overlooked by many in the realms of football has come to life in Cote D’Ivoire with end-to-end action that has seen over 80 goals scored thus far in the group stages.
Last night, Group A & B were concluded with hosts, Cote D’Ivoire dealt a heavy blow as they were thrashed 4-0 by minnows, Equatorial-Guinea. The only Spanish speaking country in Africa with a population of approximately 1.5 million.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE IVORIANS?
Having had an unconvincing 2-0 win against Guinea to start off their AFCON campaign, the Elephants were faced with a tough task against Nigeria as the Super Eagles managed to force a 1-0 win. With 3 points already secured in their first game, a win against Equatorial-Guinea would’ve solidified the Ivorians’ spot in the knockout phases, however, nobody gave Equatorial-Guinea the script.
Having scored 4 goals in their previous game against Guinea, Equatorial-Guinea became the highest scoring team in the tournament as they put 4 more goals past the hosts to stage the biggest loss for a host nation at the AFCON.
However, the unacceptable results come without the lack of trying. The Ivorians had a few looks at goal, including a one-on-one opportunity for wonderkid, Christian Kouame, which was saved by an inspired Jesus Owono in goals for Equatorial-Guinea. Two goals in both halves of the game were disallowed for the Elephants due to offside calls being taken to VAR.
ARE THE HOSTS OUT ALREADY?
No, the hosts are not out of the competition yet. With the tournament now having 24 teams, the top 2 teams of each group progress to the knockout phase while 4 teams that finish third will be chosen amongst the 6 teams that finish 3rd in their respective groups.
So Ivory Coast will have to wait for Wednesday night to know if their points tally will qualify them as part of the 4 out of 6 teams that finish 3rd.