Mauritania caused another surprise at the Africa Cup of Nations this year by defeating the 2019 champions Algeria 1-0 at the Stade de la Paix on Tuesday, securing a spot in the last 16 and making history.
Mauritania had not been in the lead in any of their last eight games at the continental championships, nor had they ever won a match. However, a goal from Yali Dellahi in the first half proved to be the downfall for Algeria, leading to their second consecutive disappointing elimination under coach Djamel Belmadi’s leadership following a similar outcome in 2021.
Algeria look a shadow of the side that lifted the trophy in Egypt in 2019. They dropped the captain, Riyad Mahrez, to the bench but brought him on at half-time in a desperate bid to reverse their fortunes which proved fruitless in the end. Mauritania will be among the four best third-placed sides and earn a knockout spot.
Mabululu’s goal in the first half and Zini’s last-minute goal helped Angola secure the top spot in Group D with a 2-0 victory against Burkina Faso.
Mabululu’s header in the 36th minute at Charles Konan Banny Stadium was the first goal scored, with Zini following up quickly after Jérémie Bela’s shot was deflected by Burkina goalkeeper Herve Koffi in stoppage time. Angola ended the match with seven points and Burkina Faso in second place with four points.
Cameroon made a comeback in Group C, scoring two goals in the final moments to defeat The Gambia 3-2 in an exciting match and secure their advancement, despite being on the brink of elimination.
Christopher Wooh, the defender, scored a thrilling last-minute goal to secure a victory for the Indomitable Lions, placing them in second place in the group behind Senegal. They beat out Guinea based on their goal count, while The Gambia was eliminated after losing for the third time in a row.
The Cameroon team made a substitution, replacing their goalkeeper André Onana. They had to fight hard to recover from a 2-1 deficit in a fast-paced and intense game, managing to stay in the competition with only five minutes remaining.
In a thrilling second half, Wooh scored a header in the first minute of stoppage time to help his team make a comeback. All five goals were scored in this exciting match.
Despite being 80 places lower in the Fifa rankings, The Gambia controlled the first half, but Cameroon emerged with strength in the second half. In the 50th minute, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou hit the crossbar and then assisted Karl Toko Ekambi’s goal six minutes later.
However, The Gambia’s sudden aggressive attack caused Cameroon’s defense to become anxious. It came as no shock when Ablie Jallow scored a clever volley in the 72nd minute, sneaking into the box at the last moment to equalize.
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In the 85th minute, The Gambia took the lead with a goal from substitute Ebrima Colley, who executed a skillful one-two with Assan Ceesay.
Cameroon had to make two goals before time ran out, and they were tied when James Gomez accidentally scored on his own team while trying to clear the ball. Wooh then scored the winning goal in an exciting finish, setting up a match against Nigeria in Abidjan on Saturday.
Abdoulaye Seck and Iliman Ndiaye each scored in the second half, leading the defending champions Senegal to a 2-0 victory over Guinea in Yamoussoukro. This win gives Senegal a perfect record of three wins out of three in Group C, securing their spot in the last 16 alongside Guinea.
Senegal leads the group with nine points, while Cameroon has four points and narrowly defeated Guinea based on goal difference. Guinea will also progress as one of the top third-placed teams.
Senegal, who reached the finals in the last two tournaments and emerged victorious in 2021, welcomed back their coach Aliou Cissé on the sidelines. Cissé had spent the night in the hospital due to an infection after their win against Cameroon in their previous game.
Source: theguardian.com
