CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP):
Bazoumana Touré scored in stoppage time as defending champions Ivory Coast recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Gabon 3-2 yesterday in the Africa Cup of Nations, which now enters the knockout stage.
Christopher Opéri crossed for Touré to head in the winner as Les Éléphants staged a dramatic comeback to finish top of Group F, just ahead of Cameroon, by virtue of scoring a goal more than the Indomitable Lions.
Opéri had also set up fellow substitute Evann Guessand for the equaliser in the 84th minute.
Five-time winners Cameroon also came from behind to beat Mozambique 2-1 in the other group game.
Both Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished with seven points each, with a goal difference of plus 2, but Ivory Coast scored five goals, compared to Cameroon’s four.
Mozambique also progressed to the last 16 as one of the four best third-place finishers.
Gabon were already eliminated after starting with two defeats.
Ivory Coast stay in Marrakech after winning the group and will next face Burkina Faso in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Cameroon were dealt a tough encounter against South Africa in Rabat on Sunday, and Mozambique will face Nigeria the next day in Fez.
Despite a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso in their final group game, Sudan can look forward to the knockout stage after qualifying as one of the best third-place finishers.
Both teams were already assured of advancing before their Group E match yesterday. Sudan progressed despite the complication of playing all their qualification games away from home as the country contends with a brutal war and humanitarian crisis.
“This is good for all Sudanese,” said Sudan coach James Appiah, whose team next faces 2021 champions Senegal in the last 16 in Tangier on Saturday.
Burkina Faso made a better start and the Stallions duly took the lead through Lassina Traoré in the 16th.
Sudan had a great opportunity to level when Burkinabe ‘keeper, Hervé Koffi, bundled over Al Gozoli Nooh in the penalty area, but Nooh missed the resulting spot kick.
The Sudanese fans, who were in a majority at the Stade Mohammed V stadium, tried rallying the team. Yasir Mozamil was just wide, and Amar Abdallah missed another good chance for Sudan.
Arsène Kouassi sealed the Stallions win with a late goal as Burkina Faso finished second in the group.
Algeria, already assured of topping the group, signed off before their last-16 meeting with Congo with a 3-1 win over Equatorial Guinea, who finished with three defeats.
Zineddine Belaid, Fares Chaibi, and Ibrahim Maza scored in the first half for Algeria.
Veteran forward Emilio Nsue — playing for the first time legally in the Africa Cup — scored a brilliant consolation for the National Thunder in the second half. The 35-year-old Nsue was the top scorer at the last edition, but FIFA, in 2024, ruled he was never eligible over his 11 years playing for Equatorial Guinea. He was finally cleared to play in March this year.
