DOUALA, Cameroon – Côte d’Ivoire defeated defending champion Algeria 3-1 to finish top of Group E and joined Equatorial Guinea in reaching the African Cup of Nations knockout stages from Group E.
Côte d’Ivoire thrashed Algeria 3-1 in their final AFCON 2021 Group E match at the Stade Omnisport de Douala in Cameroon.
The result saw the Elephants will face Egypt on January 26 in the last 16.
The Elephants produced a dominant performance in Douala to sink the reigning champions with goals from Franck Yannick Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare and Nicolas Pepe.
The Desert Foxes reduced the deficit 17 minutes from through substitute Soufiane Bendebka while captain Riyad Mahrez saw his penalty came of Badra Ali Sangare’s post.
Cote d’Ivoire dominated possession with AC Milan midfielder Kessi, Jean Micheal Seri and young Ibrahima Sangare pulling the strings for Patrice Beaumelle’s side.
“I am very, very satisfied about what my team has done tonight,” said Cote d’Ivoire’s French coach, Patrice Beaumelle, who has twice won the AFCON as an assistant coach and had some sympathy for Algeria and their failed attempt to retain the title.
“It is always difficult because it is a coveted trophy and when we won it with Zambia in 2012 that inspired a lot of teams as well.”
The Elephants marauding left back Chislain Konan twice found space inside the Algeria box. Konan beat Algeria’s Atal on the right to play in Pepe whose first time effort missed the target in the 7th minute.
Aissa Mandi latched on to a quickly taken Ismael Bennacer free kick only for Simon Desire to clear for a corner.
The Elephants continue to counter the Desert Foxes with their wide players giving them width as they pushed for the breakthrough.
Kessie broke the deadlock with a clinical strike after an exchange of passes with Pepe to beat Rais Mbolhi and give Côte d’Ivoire the lead on the 22nd minute.
Djamel Belmadi’s side responded with chances of their own as they push for the equaliser.
Bennacer had a shot flashed the Elephants goal while Belaili failed to connect to Atal’s inviting diagonal pass into the area.
Ibrahim Sangare doubled the lead for the Elephants with a thumping header past Mbolhi five minutes before the break.
Côte d’Ivoire continued to dominate the second half and they found the third goal on the 53rd minute through Pepe.
The winger drifted inside from the right to curled his left footed strike past Mbolhi to make it 3-0.
Algeria was awarded a penalty following a foul on Belaili on 57 minutes. Captain Riyad Mahrez struck the post as Côte d’Ivoire hang on to their three goal advantage.
Substitute Soufiane Bendebka pulled a goal back for the Desert Foxes but it was too late for the 2019 African champions.
The victory confirmed top spot for Côte d’Ivoire ahead of Equatorial Guinea who beat Sierra Leone 1-0 in Limbe to finish second. The Leone Stars finished third with two points and Algeria is bottom with a point.
Belmadi defends Mahrez
Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi hit back at criticism of star man Riyad Mahrez but admitted his team would need to improve drastically to qualify for the World Cup after the reigning African champions were dumped out of the AFCON.
The 2019 champions needed to beat the Ivory Coast in their final group game to qualify for the last 16 but slumped to a 3-1 loss in Douala to finish bottom of their section.
“This is something we have to swallow. It is hard for us because we are not used to losing. It is a bitter taste. It is horrible,” said Belmadi as Algeria head home after collecting just a single point in three group matches.
The 2019 champions came to Cameroon on a 34-game unbeaten run but were held to a 0-0 draw by minnows Sierra Leone in their first match and then lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea.
They were then outclassed by the 2015 champions in Douala as Mahrez missed a penalty.
Belmadi was deflated but still hit back at one question criticising the performance of Mahrez and suggesting the Manchester City star had been allowed to take a holiday before the tournament rather than join up with the squad at their training camp.
“Don’t go and point the finger at players who have given you so much happiness,” he slammed according to AFP.
“When things are not going well you start to point the finger at him or me.
“Did you want me to drop him to the bench? I didn’t change things. I left him in the team. When you talk about holidays you are at the very least ill-informed and at worst dishonest.”
Algeria must now turn their thoughts to trying to reach the World Cup with the draw for the final play-off round of African qualifying taking place this weekend.
“We will have to pick ourselves up, digest this, analyse it and lift our heads up. The World Cup awaits and we will need to do better,” Belmadi said.
Equatorial Guinea through
Equatorial Guinea went through in second place in Group E after defeating Sierra Leone 1-0 in Limbe thanks to a superb first-half strike from Pablo Ganet.
Kei Kamara missed a penalty for Sierra Leone as they go out while Equatorial Guinea will stay in Limbe for a last-16 tie against whoever wins Group F between Gambia, Tunisia and Mali.
The Ivorians had conceded a stoppage-time equaliser in their last game to draw 2-2 with Sierra Leone following a comical mistake by goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare.
He then learned of the death of his father later that night, but he kept his place in an Elephants team missing Premier League pair Eric Bailly and Wilfried Zaha due to fitness problems.
They went ahead midway through the first half at the end of a great move as Pepe cut the ball back for Kessie to finish low into the corner.
It was 2-0 six minutes before the interval as the unmarked Sangare headed in a Serge Aurier free-kick.
Algeria did not come out fighting after the restart and they might have fallen further behind before Pepe finished superbly in the 54th minute to make it 3-0.
Mahrez then hit the upright on the hour mark from a spot-kick awarded for a soft foul on Youcef Belaili.
They did get a first goal in over four hours of football when Aissa Mandi turned the ball back across goal for substitute Bendebka to score in the 73rd minute, before Haller headed home at the death to compound their misery.
AFCON’s round of 16 matches
Sunday January 23, 2022
Burkina Faso vs Gabon (Limbe Stadium, Limbe)
Nigeria vs Tunisia (Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua)
Monday January 24, 2022
Guinea vs Gambia (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam)
Cameroon vs Comoros (Olembe Stadium, Yaounde)
Tuesday January 25, 2022
Senegal vs Cape Verde (Kouekong Stadium, Bafoussam)
Morocco vs Malawi (Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium, Yaounde)
Wednesday January 26, 2022
Côte d’Ivoire vs Egypt (Japoma Stadium, Douala)
Mali vs Equatorial Guinea (Limbe Stadium, Limbe)
