Equatorial Guinea secured a spot in the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockouts as Group A winners by defeating Ivory Coast 4-0.
Despite Ivory Coast initially appearing stronger and having opportunities to score, former Arsenal player Nicolas Pepe failed to capitalize on these chances.
Equatorial Guinea eventually broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute when their captain, Emilio Nsue, scored a goal. Carlos Akapo made an impressive solo run into the penalty area and passed the ball to Nsue, who successfully slotted it into the net.
The hosts had two goals disallowed due to offside positions, one before halftime and one after, following VAR checks. Ibrahim Sangare and Jean-Philippe Krasso were the unfortunate scorers in these instances.
As Ivory Coast tried to score a goal to equalize, the National Thunder team quickly scored two goals in a row, securing their victory. In the 73rd minute, Pablo Ganet made an impressive curling free-kick from about 20 yards away from the goal. Just two minutes later, Nsue scored his second goal of the game.
In the 88th minute, Jannick Buyla, who came in as a substitute in the second half, scored the fourth and final goal, completing the overwhelming victory against the Elephants. This unexpected outcome will surely be remembered as one of the biggest surprises in the history of the tournament.
The star of the game in Equatorial Guinea’s historic win was undoubtedly Nsue, the team’s captain. He scored two memorable goals and led the team from behind. Nsue was constantly active in the opposition’s box until he was substituted in the 78th minute.
Willy Boly, a defender for Nottingham Forest, had a forgettable night in the Ivory Coast defense. His team conceded four goals, and Boly was caught off guard multiple times during the match. He gave the opponents’ attackers too much space in their box and often struggled to clear the ball. Boly’s performance exemplified the nervousness that seemed to affect the hosts, leading to their complete collapse and the shattering of their hopes for qualification to the next round.
Juan Michas’ team secured their place in the knockout stage as Group A winners with an impressive victory on Monday. They are scheduled to play their round of 16 match on January 28. Meanwhile, the hosts are on the verge of elimination from the competition. In order to advance, they must be one of the top four third-placed teams. However, with only three points and a goal difference of minus three, it seems highly unlikely that they will achieve this.
