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Mauritania records most shocking AFCON upset

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Mauritania records most shocking AFCON upset

Mauritania shocks Algeria to record historic win.

 

Algeria finished bottom of their AFCON group (AFP via Getty Images)

 

Mauritania has recorded the most shocking result of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 after beating Algeria at the Stade de la Paixin Bouake.

 

All the odds favored Algeria to pick their first win in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023, but Mauritania came to the party, sending their North African opponents packing.

 

Yali Dellahi controlled a rebound to produce a great strike, which deflected to put Mauritania ahead.

 

After taking the lead in the 37th minute, Amir Abdou managed situations and defended his lead throughout the game.

 

Goalkeeper Babacar Niasse made heroic saves to keep the Lions of Chinguetti in the game. The win is Mauritania’s first in the history of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.

 

Mauritania is through to the knockout stage of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON with three points.

 

Djamel Belmadi – Algeria coach 

 

“The observation right here is that we have conceded a goal. We can come back here and look at the goals that we conceded. There are some things that I cannot explain; we haven’t been able to score even though we had good plans and tactics. “This is the mystery of football. If we do not create chances, if chances created by the opponent teams dominate us, if we miss a lot of opportunities, then we could say there is a sector that is not good, but that was not the case in the matches we played, so these are things I can’t explain. “We are out of the AFCON for the second time, and that’s football. That’s how it is. “We have not been able to score, and we have not been able to make the difference.

 

As I said in the beginning, we don’t have any small team in this AFCON, and you can be punished anytime with a set piece or a penalty, so we cannot finish our chances and create more.”

 

Amir Abdou – Mauritania coach 

 

“What we are feeling and going through is extraordinary. I told my players not to leave anything out to believe until the final whistle. We saw all the scenarios we had in those conversations, and we had seen other teams, and we could win against this Algerian team.

 

“Individually and as a team, we showed a lot of determination for this qualification, so we will start from here.

 

“It is a tough win. You find yourself in a country where you don’t know many people and have this result, and people will hit you in the middle.

 

“The players had a historic game. I told them today that they need to write their names in the history books of Mauritanian football, and they have done that.”

 

Statistics 

 

The win against Algeria is Mauritania’s first TotalEnergies CAF AFCON win and a knockout stage qualification.

 

‘Our experience will make the difference’

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‘Our experience will make the difference’

Trezeguet bullish after progression

 

Soccer Football – Africa Cup of Nations – Group B – Cape Verde v Egypt – Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast – January 22, 2024 Cape Verde’s Jamiro Monteiro in action with Egypt’s Mohamed Hany REUTERS/Stringer Acquire Licensing Rights

 

A jubilant Mahmoud Trezeguet believes Egypt’s vast experience can power them to TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations glory after booking their last-16 spot on Monday.

 

The winger earned Man of the Match honors for a tireless display as Egypt dramatically drew 2-2 with Cape Verde to qualify from Group B.

 

Trezeguet, who grabbed Egypt’s second equaliser late on, remained bullish about their chances after reaching the knockouts.

 

“With 10 years in the national team for me, there is nothing above football,” declared Trezeguet post-match.

 

“If it pleases God, our generation will leave with the trophy because we want to make history.”

 

The player was keen to highlight Egypt’s fighting spirit and quality in the squad.

 

“We gave everything for this qualification with fantastic teammates. Now the real competition begins,” noted Trezeguet.

 

With Egypt frequent AFCON contenders, the winger feels past experience can be decisive.

 

“In the knockout matches, our experience will make the difference if God wills and we will go to the end,” Trezeguet insisted confidently.

 

After progressing as Group B runners-up behind Cape Verde, Egypt appear to have hit form at the right time.

 

With vast tournament know-how within the squad, Trezeguet clearly believes the Pharaohs can conjure another famous AFCON triumph.

 

‘It’s a big disappointment for us’

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‘It’s a big disappointment for us’

Mohammed Kudus gutted, despite player of match display

 

 

Ghana midfielder Mohammed Kudus could not hide his dismay after being named man of the match in Tuesday’s dramatic 2-2 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations draw with Mozambique.

 

Kudus impressed throughout but his individual display was overshadowed by Mozambique’s incredible late fightback to salvage a point.

 

“I’m very disappointed, we really wanted this victory but it wasn’t to be,” a dejected Kudus told reporters.

 

“It’s a big disappointment for us.”

 

The West Ham sensation felt Ghana’s failure to hold onto their two-goal lead was down to a lack of concentration.

 

“We lost the game by losing concentration in the last minutes, like against Egypt too,” lamented the 22-year-old.

 

Nonetheless, Kudus believes Ghana demonstrated their undeniable quality at the tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.

 

“We showed lots of qualities here but losing focus at the end cost us,” he reflected philosophically.

 

Kudus’ standout individual performances were one of the bright spots in an otherwise painful AFCON campaign for Ghana.

 

But not even being named man of the match could lift the spirits of the crestfallen rising star on Tuesday night.

 

Along with coach Chris Hughton, he will now turn attention to processing a crushing setback before Ghana embark on rebuilding for the future.

 

Moses Simon delighted with performance

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As Nigeria secures victory

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen scores a goal against Guinea-Bissau which is then ruled out for handball

Victor Osimhen endured a frustrating time in front of goal and failed to add to his strike against Equatorial Guinea in Nigeria’s opener

 

In a standout display that earned him the prestigious TotalEnergies Man of the Match accolade, Moses Simon expressed contentment with Nigeria’s narrow triumph over Guinea Bissau in the final group stage match of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023.

 

Simon played a pivotal role in Opa Sangate’s goal, ultimately proving decisive for Nigeria.

 

Satisfied with his current form, Simon believes he has reached the expected level of performance for the Super Eagles.

 

“In good shape, both physically and mentally, I attempt many things, even if the outcomes don’t always align with my intentions,” he shared.

 

“I position myself where I am needed. Our primary goal was to secure a victory, ensuring our qualification for the knockout stage and avoiding complicated calculations,” he chuckled.

 

Having clinched second place in Group A with 7 points, Nigeria is set to face the second-placed team in Group C on January 27 at the Stade Félix Houphouët Boigny stadium in Abidjan.

 

Moses Simon acknowledges the potential threats posed by all teams in the competition.

 

“Every team is dangerous; we need to rest well and start anew,” he concluded.

 

‘No element of surprise against Joshua’

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‘No element of surprise against Joshua’

Francis Ngannou makes “exposed” Anthony Joshua admission ahead of super-fight

 

Joshua-Ngannou
Joshua-Ngannou

 

Ngannou will take on Joshua in March, less than five months after dropping and almost stopping Tyson Fury on his professional boxing debut, Martin Domin reports for the Mirror.

 

Francis Ngannou has admitted he has lost the element of surprise ahead of his clash with Anthony Joshua.

 

Ngannou made his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury last October, dropping the heavyweight world champion in the third round before losing a controversial split decision. Ngannou has agreed to fight former two-time champion Joshua in Saudi Arabia – but knows his rival will have an advantage over Fury.

 

“The most complex now is AJ because I haven’t fought him,” he told Mail Online. “I watched the fight, and he looked good. He showed all the right signs even though Wallin wasn’t threatening anything. AJ did his job and did great. Right after the fight, I started to think about what could be next.

 

“I realized next time, there won’t be the surprise element. Now I’m exposed, and everyone will be very prepared. Tyson didn’t know exactly what he was getting into. That will make my life more difficult. I don’t think the hardest puncher means anything. Anybody can knock anybody out in the heavyweight division. The most important thing is to find your spot and know your punch.”

 

Ngannou insists he was denied victory against Fury and has taken a dislike to boxing politics. “I’ve been saying this from that night, but I was robbed,” he added. “But I think I also brought a lot from that fight. The Top 10 and all that stuff, to be honest, I’m skeptical about getting involved in boxing politics. I’m just here to figure out the good fights and to get them. What happens a lot is boxing politics control some fights and stop great fights from happening because everyone is concerned about the rankings or positions.

 

“They need to win, be at 20-0, even if it means they haven’t fought anybody. That’s certainly something I don’t care about. In combat sports, it’s always risky to take a fight. There’s a risk you can lose – of course, you want to win. When you want to be a world champion, you must face the most ferocious fighters, elite fighters with the same dream as you. To keep your dream alive, you have to kill somebody.”

 

 

Cape Verde, Egypt through to next round

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Cape Verde, Egypt through to next round

After drama filled encounter

 

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah watches on from the stands as the Pharaohs face Cape Verde at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium

 

Cape Verde and Egypt secured their places in the Round of 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire on Monday evening after playing out to a drama-filled 2-2 draw at the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

 

A dramatic equalizer by Bryan Teixeira in the dying minutes of stoppage time levelled what looked to be a hard-fought victory for the Pharaohs.

 

After initially taking the lead in the 45th minute, the Blue Sharks were in the driving seat of what could have been an historic full haul of points in Group B.

 

However, the score was levelled five minutes into the second half after Mahmoud Trezeguet showed composure in the box to execute a tidy finish.

 

With the match set to end with a goal apiece, the in-form Mostafa Mohamed artistically chested down a difficult ball to lob it over the oncoming keeper with a goal that sent the Egyptian supporters into a frenzy.

 

As the former champions prepared to wrap up the victory, Bryan Teixeira spoilt the celebrations after capitalizing on a defensive error to fire the ball into the back of the net and salvage a point for the Blue Sharks who finish top of Group B, followed by the Egyptians as they both seal a place in the next round.

Post-match reactions:

Bubista – Cape Verde Coach

 

“We are no longer going to move in disguise. The objective is clear. We are aiming for the last four of this competition. We are showing the world that we will have to count Cape Verde in this AFCON as one of the best performing teams. No matter who our opponent is, we are not afraid of anyone, and we will do everything to achieve this goal”.

 

Rui Vitoria – Egypt Coach

 

“We just saw a great game tonight. From the actions on both sides, the spectators got their money’s worth. We have qualified and that is a good thing. Now we will have to concentrate on erasing our shortcomings and work hard in preparation for the next round”.

 

Mozambique stun Ghana with late double

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Mozambique stun Ghana with late double

To show the Black Stars AFCON 2023 exit door

 

Mozambique 2-2 Ghana: History repeats itself as Black Stars stunned by AFCON minnows

 

On Tuesday, Mozambique scored two stoppage-time penalties to sensationally salvage a 2-2 draw against Ghana at the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.

 

The Black Stars looked set to pick up their first Group B win after Jordan Ayew netted two first-half spot kicks following fouls on Joseph Painstil and Mohammed Kudus.

 

But Mozambique launched a remarkable late fightback after Andre Ayew gave away a penalty converted by Geny Catamo in the 90th minute.

 

With the final action of a dramatic match, Reinildo Mandava slammed in a second penalty to steal a point amid unbelievable scenes.

 

The astonishing comeback leaves the Black Stars still searching for their first victory at AFCON 2023 after three matches.

 

Mozambique claimed their first point at least, but both sides exited at the group stage along with Gabon.

 

The Black Stars needed a win to progress but were undone by an incredible 23-minute Mozambican barrage in the dying moments.

 

The Ghanaian side had impressed for long spells but crumbled under pressure right at the death to put them on the brink of an early exit from the tournament in miserable fashion.

 

After dominating much of the match, careless defending proved Ghana’s undoing as Mozambique snatched a thrilling point.

 

With two points, Ghana now has a slim chance to progress to the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON Côte d’Ivoire 2023 knockout round.

 

POST-MATCH REACTIONS

 

Chiquinho Conde, Mozambique coach

 

My players have very good qualities, we must congratulate them, also congratulate the people of Mozambique, we played for the people. We did not have victory, but we were impressive.

 

In the future, we will consider all aspects of the preparation. It is a pain not to continue, but I was able to transmit strength to my players.

 

Chris Hughton – Ghana coach

 

In three matches, we had two points with much energy spent. We were in a position where you had to score three goals to be safe. We lost concentration. It’s complicated to hold a two-goal lead and get caught up in a few minutes.

 

We haven’t been as good as we would have hoped. We lost a lot of points. We put ourselves in an excellent position to win but were caught. I take the responsibility.

 

 

With humility we can compete-Micah

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With humility we can compete-Micah

Equatorial Guinea coach revels in seismic Cote d’Ivoire upset

Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue scored twice in his side's 4-0 rout of hosts Cote d'Ivoire which gave them top spot in Group A and a place in the last-16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue scored twice in his side’s 4-0 rout of hosts Cote d’Ivoire which gave them top spot in Group A and a place in the last-16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. AP – Sunday Alamba

 

Equatorial Guinea coach Juan Micha described Monday’s seismic 4-0 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations win over tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire as the result of carefully executed tactics and belief within his unfancied squad.

 

The minnows produced one of the most significant shocks in AFCON history by demolishing the star-studded Ivorians in Abidjan to remarkably top Group A.

 

A brilliant Emilio Nsue double and sensational goals from Pablo Ganet and Jannick Buyla earned Micha’s men a historic triumph.

The comprehensively outfoxed Ivorians crashed to their heaviest-ever home defeat at the AFCON finals.

 

Micha felt executing the perfect game plan enabled his team to pull off an upset for the ages.

 

“We knew the opponent had a lot of pressure on them, which we took into account in our strategy,” explained the Equatoguinean coach after the match.

 

Micha added: “With our humility, we made the effort to reach as far as possible against the big teams.”

 

Despite the remarkable result, Micha insisted his upstarts remain grounded and focused only on continual improvement.

 

“We are working to reach the level of the big guys. We want to believe in ourselves and try to win every time,” he stated.

 

Micha did spare a thought for crestfallen hosts Cote d’Ivoire, saying: “I am hurt because they are the organizing country, but it is football.”

 

With the top spot clinched, the manager stressed the need to move on from their landmark triumph quickly.

 

“We must forget this match and plan for the rest of the competition,” Micha noted matter-of-factly.

 

The shock Group A winners will fancy their chances of continuing their giant-killing run when they meet one of the third-placed sides in the last 16 on Sunday.

 

On this evidence, Micha has constructed a tactically astute, defensively sound unit capable of testing Africa’s elite.

 

While few observers gave them hope before the tournament began, Equatorial Guinea has emerged as the unlikely star of AFCON 2023 so far.

 

Equatorial Guinea shocks world football

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Equatorial Guinea shocks world football

Stuns AFCON 2023 hosts Cote d’Ivoire with 4-0 win

 

Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue scored twice in his side's 4-0 rout of hosts Cote d'Ivoire which gave them top spot in Group A and a place in the last-16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.Equatorial Guinea striker Emilio Nsue scored twice in his side’s 4-0 rout of hosts Cote d’Ivoire, which gave them the top spot in Group A and a place in the last-16 at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. AP – Sunday Alamba

 

Equatorial Guinea caused one of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023’s upsets with a 4-0 demolition of tournament hosts in their Group A match on Monday.

 

Nzalang Nacional produced a seismic shock in world football by thrashing the Elephants in the game played at Ebimpe’s Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium.

 

In one of the competition’s greatest upsets, the minnows ripped apart the fancied Ivorians thanks to an Emilio Nsue double and goals from Pablo Ganet and Jannick Buyla.

 

Nsue’s brace extended his lead on the goalscoring charts to five, along with further strikes by Pablo Ganet and Jannick Bulya that saw Equatorial Guinea stun the football world.

 

The Nzalang Nacional advanced to the tournament’s knockout stage as they finished at the top of the group even though they were level on seven points with second-place Nigeria.

 

The result leaves the home side’s chances of progressing to the knockout phase hanging by a thread as they finish third place in Group A.

 

As expected, with the crowd’s backing, the Elephants got off to a better start. Still, a lack of accuracy in front of the goal saw them miss several clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, which they later regretted.

 

They informed Nsue that he found the back of the net with a neat finish from close range in the 41st minute to send his side into the lead ahead of the recess.

 

In the second stanza, the Elephants pressed for the lead but were denied by Equatorial Guinea, with two of their goals also denied by VAR.

 

The Elephants’ momentum was broken by a wonder strike in the 72nd minute by Pablo Ganet, whose well-taken free-kick found the top corner of the net to double the lead.

 

The lead was further stretched immediately after the restart after Nsue finished a quick counterattack to make it three.

 

The final nail in the coffin was hammered by Jannick Buyla, who finished off a rebounded effort to seal an emphatic win for his side.

 

The humiliating defeat means the Elephants must now wait to discover if they have progressed to the tournament’s knockout phase.

 

But for Equatorial Guinea, this famous four-goal demolition topped Group A ahead of their highly fancied opponents, Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire.

 

Having lowered the boast of one of Africa’s strongest sides, the minnows from central Africa have suddenly emerged as giant killers.

 

Post-match reactions:

 

Juan Micha – Equatorial Guinea Coach

 

“We knew that the opponent had a lot of pressure. We took that into account when putting our strategy in place. We made the effort to reach as far as possible with our humility. We are working to reach the level of the big guys. We want to do our job, believe in ourselves, and try to win every time”.

 

“Regarding Cote d’Ivoire, I am hurt because it is the organizing country, but it is football. The objective is to go through the different stages until the end. We must forget this match and plan for the rest of the competition.

 

Jean-Louis Gasset – Cote d’Ivoire Coach

 

“There are sometimes nightmare matches where everything seems to be against you. We conceded a goal in the first half on the opponent’s only opportunity. We score goals that are disallowed, and we have witnessed a perfect disaster. We have three points, we won a match, the four best third places are qualified, we will hope.

 

“We have an efficiency problem. In 180 minutes, we didn’t score a goal and made substitutes to have more attackers. Today, the result was catastrophic; I know I am responsible”.

 

Nigeria through to knockout stages

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Nigeria through to knockout stages

Super Eagles emerge, Group A runners-up behind leaders Equatorial Guinea

 

<a class="link " href="https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/teams/nigeria-women/" data-i13n="sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link" data-ylk="slk:Nigeria;sec:content-canvas;subsec:anchor_text;elm:context_link;itc:0">Nigeria</a> booked their place in the last 16 (FRANCK FIFE)

Nigeria booked their place in the last 16 (FRANCK FIFE)

 

The Super Eagles completed their qualification to the knockout stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Côte d’Ivoire 2023 following their slim 1-0 win over Guinea Bissau.

 

Victor Osimhen was presented with a great opportunity, and he fired a shot with his right foot, but it went past the goalpost in the early minutes.

 

With some great chances, Nigeria continued to be more dangerous up front but kept missing them.

 

However, by attacking, José Peseiro’s men ended up being rewarded with a counterattack led by Ola Aina, who found Moses Simon before his cross landed on Opa Sanganté, who put the ball in his net.

 

Nigeria kept pressing even after going up by a goal to nil in the second half in search of more goals.

 

Twice, Samuel Chukwueze missed his one-on-one meeting with Jonas Mendes.  In the 59th minute, Osimhen’s effort ended up in the net but was flagged offside.

 

It ended 1-0, and the results mean Nigeria, with 7 points, has progressed to the round of 16, where they will face the team that finishes second in Group C on Saturday, 27 January.

 

Post-Match Reactions  

 

Baciro Condé – Guinea Bissau coach 

“Three outings which all ended in defeats are not the results we were hoping for. We did not show the true colors of Guinea Bissau; we were eliminated; that’s the game. Now we will get back to work and come back stronger”.

 

José Peseiro –  Nigeria coach 

 

“It’s a new competition that’s starting for us. The knockout matches are the most important part of this TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations competition.  We will have to be more clinical in front of the goal because the slightest mistake will be fatal for us”

 

The statistics:

 

For the 17th time in their history, the Super Eagles are in the round of 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON.

 

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