The AFCON 2023 has had a recurring theme of upsets since the group stages, and it’s still alive and well to start the knockout rounds.
Four of the first eight Round of 16 games have already transpired, and they have already brought both dominant wins and stunning upsets.
Angola, the winner of Group D, thrashed Namibia with a demanding 3-0 score line, while Osimhen’s Nigeria cruised past Cameroon to advance to the quarterfinal.
Meanwhile, Group A winners, Equatorial Guinea fall in the hands of their rivals across the Atlantic, Guinea, thanks to a controversial goal by Momahed Bayo in minute 90+8. But the biggest AFCON 2023 news story thus far is the premature exit of Egypt from the tournament.
Read more below to get acquainted with the latest news and updates in the AFCON 2023, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Nigeria stay spotless
The Super Eagles, who finished the group stage with two wins and one draw, continued their strong campaign and knocked Cameroon out of the tournament.
Drama immediately loomed over the match between Nigeria and Cameroon when West Brom defender Semi Ajayi appeared to have given the Super Eagles the early lead after a hectic occurrence found the ball neatly placed in front of Ajayi for a short-range goal.
The ball went to the back of the net, but after a VAR, the goal was deemed out for offside.
A little less than 30 minutes later, Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman managed to score the undisputed opening goal from an Osimhen assist.
The score remained 1-0 from the most part of the match, but Lookman once found the back of the net in the 90th minute, scoring his brace, which was enough to advance the Super Eagles to the quarterfinals.
It’s official: Nigeria are one of the best teams in the AFCON. And after cruising past a tough Cameroon outfit, the Super Eagles are definitely one of the AFCON 2023 betting odds favourites to win.
Crazy as it may sound, it seems like Nigeria don’t need to lean on Osimhen to dominate in order to succeed in the tournament.
The Napoli striker has definitely been involved in Nigeria’s success thus far, but the Super Eagles keep on producing strong results even though Osimhen has only been able to tally one goal and one draw heading to the quarterfinal.
They are set to face Angola in the next stage of the tournament.
Angola making strides
Speaking of Angola, the Palancas Negras are having a breakthrough campaign and will be looking to keep the ball rolling as they advance effortlessly to the final eight.
They were unchallenged in Group D, scoring the most goals and conceding the least—the perfect formula for success in these competitive group stages.
Angola were faced by Namibia, a group that finished third in their cluster but managed to qualify for the knockout stages due to their ranking. Angola quickly thumped Namibia thanks to the resiliency of their defence, Gelson Dala’s brace, and Mabululu’s dagger in minute 66.
This team caught everyone by surprise, but can they continue their Cinderella run against a scorching and proven Nigerian squad?
Syli National win Guinea Derby
Equatorial Guinea’s Emilio Nsue came into their match against Guinea as the hottest player in the tournament, leading the Golden Boot race with five goals in the group stages. But his magic quickly disappeared as Guinea’s defence managed to beat the National Thunder with a clean sheet.
Despite Equatorial Guinea’s struggles in the offencive end, this Round of 16 bouts was one of the most competitive ones thus far. The victory was only known after Mohamed Bayo headed a 98th-minute winner to keep Guinea’s AFCON dreams alive.
Mohamed Bayo and the rest of Guinea will face off against DR Congo, who eliminated Egypt via penalties.
The Pharaohs fall short
Is it fair to say that Egypt’s disheartened form has been evident ever since they lost their leader, Mo Salah, in the group stages?
Egypt failed to win a single match in the group stage but were still able to qualify in the Round of 16 thanks to underwhelming performances from fellow Group B outfits, Ghana and Mozambique.
After their bout with DR Congo to start the knockout stages, it seemed that the Pharaohs were still uninspired, ending the game in a 1-1 draw. The match ultimately went to a penalty shootout, where the Leopards edged out their African rivals 7-8.
Egypt’s loss would mean that Mohamed Salah’s hope for AFCON glory has been yet again knocked down. The Premier League star was not with his Pharaohs during their loss to DR Congo, as he’s currently continuing his rehab in Liverpool in hopes of returning for the AFCON final.
Salah would have to wait until 2025 to get another chance to bring AFCON glory back to Egypt, an accolade that remains absent from his already impressive resume.
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