Eight teams have so far booked their places in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals as of Tuesday.
Angola were the first to qualify after the Parancas Negras (Black Sable Antelopes) thrashed Namibia on Saturday evening. The attacking-sided team will now face the Super Eagles of Nigeria, believed to be one of the favourites of the competition, after beating the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
The surprise of the tournament was the Round 16 match between the hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, and the defending champions, Senegal, as the hosts advanced to the last eight, thanks to Frank Kessie’s penalty that kept them in the game to penalty shoot-outs in the Elephant’s favour.
Meanwhile, a late Ryan Mendes penalty sealed the win for Cape Verde, sending them through to the quarter-finals for the second time in their history.
Cape Verde boss Bubista, who was delighted with his side’s performance, said, “We are carving our path; we know there are many bigger teams than us, but we are trying to focus on our game to have the opportunity to face these African powerhouses.
“Our goal is to work towards having a stronger squad.”
Another blow in this tournament is Guinea’s dramatic winner in the eighth minute of injury time as they beat 10-man Equatorial Guinea 1-0 on Sunday.
The last-16 tie at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan was heading for extra time when Bayo, of French Ligue 1 side Le Havre, struck right at the death to spark frenzied scenes of celebration among the Guinea team and their large support.
It was a historic moment for the Syli National, who had never previously won a Cup of Nations knockout tie — they were runners-up in 1976, in an era when the final four played a round-robin format to decide the winner of the trophy.
The Pharaohs of Egypt were also victims of one of the upsets of this tournament as DR Congo sent them back home after a penalty shootout. And Bafana Bafana of South Africa shocked 10-man Morocco to reach the last eight.
Below are the full Quarter-Finals fixtures with venue, date, and time.
1. Nigeria vs Angola
Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Venue: Felix Houphouet-Boigny
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Time: 6:00pm
2. DR Congo vs Guinea
Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Venue: Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara
Time: 9:00 pm
3. Mali vs Cote d’ivoire
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Venue: Stade de Bouaké
Time: 6:00 pm
4. Cape Verde vs South Africa
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Venue: Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro
Time: 9:00 pm.
(Punch)
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