‘Air’ you go, loser!
Ghana is eliminated following their 2-2 draw with Mozambique
By Ed Emeanua
As the Sages foretold, everything with a beginning would have an ending. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations began with group plays, which, true to the Wisemen’s agelong dictum, has also screeched to their peculiar conclusions. All focus is now directed to the Round of 16, which commences on January 27.
Permit an opportunity for a pristine analysis of who still stands at the ongoing Cote d’Ivoire 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament and who has fallen to the sword.
Hosts Cote d’Ivoire were left facing a precarious fate for the tournament’s exit door and the ignominy of not making it to the knockout stages.
Having been mercilessly humiliated as host nation in a 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea to leave them condemned to third spot in the Group A standings, the Elephants were spared further blushes by managing to scrape through as one of the best third-place finishers in the opening phase. Nigeria is the other nation still standing from the Group.
Unfortunately, after losing all three Group A games, Guinea Bissau officially overstayed their welcome in Cote d’Ivoire and must leave for home, and depart they did.
In Group B, Cape Verde, and Egypt, by placing second, booked their tickets to stay in Cote d’Ivoire, while the pair of Ghana (third) and Mozambique (fourth place) had to go home.
Cameroon made it to the knockout stages despite their poor performance in their first three Group C matches by their second-place finish. Senegal would not leave anything to chance in their defense of the title they won two years ago in Cameroon by winning all their Group C matches. Guinea finished third in Group C to qualify for the event’s next stage as one of the best third-placed teams in all the Groups, but the Gambia was not all that lucky and must head back home.
Angola, Burkina Faso, and (wait for it) Mauritania made the knockout stage in that order from Group D, conniving in the process to oust pre-tournament favorites Algeria, who must now head back home. Minnows Mauritania also snatched the lucky third-place finish in Group D by beating mighty Algeria in one of the tournament’s biggest upset wins.
While in Group E, Mali, South Africa, and Namibia qualified for the knockout rounds by placing first, second, and third, respectively, mighty Tunisia, a pre-tournament favorite, crashed out of the group and had to fly a one-way ticket back home.
Group F featured Morocco (1st place), DR Congo (2nd place), Zambia (3rd place), and Tanzania (4th place). While Morocco and DR Congo progressed to the next round, Zambia and Tanzania must head home.
