CAF AFCON Knockout Stage: Exciting Fixtures Unveiled

CAF AFCON Knockout Stage: Exciting Fixtures Unveiled

The group stage of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire 2023 concluded on Wednesday night, paving the way for anticipated knockout stage encounters. The group phase showcased the essence of the gritty TotalEnergies CAF AFCON, featuring surprising upsets, remarkable goals, record-breaking moments, historical achievements, and fervent fans filling the stadiums.

In a marquee matchup, defending champions Senegal are set to face tournament hosts Cote d’Ivoire. Despite a shocking 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea in their final group game, the Elephants advanced and now confront the formidable task of overcoming an undefeated and in-form Senegalese side.

Two heavyweight teams, Nigeria and Cameroon, will collide in another high-stakes encounter. Both teams experienced uneven group stages but remain formidable forces in African football. Meanwhile, group-toppers Morocco, with a clean sheet, aim to maintain their excellent form against South Africa.

Equatorial Guinea, surprising winners of Group A, aim to continue their underdog story against Guinea, while Namibia, making their debut in the knockout stage, face a challenging test against two-time quarterfinalists Angola.

Despite a lackluster group stage, Egypt’s rich history in the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON makes them formidable opponents for DR Congo. Other intriguing clashes include Mali versus Burkina Faso and Cape Verde against Mauritania.

With sudden-death matches between top African teams, the Round of 16 promises intense action and drama as favorites and underdogs clash. Notable fixtures include:

Nigeria vs Cameroon: Two giants seeking redemption after shaky starts, with the game scheduled for Saturday, January 27, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Cape Verde vs Mauritania: Cape Verde’s surprising run meets Mauritania’s historic journey on Monday, January 29, at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.

Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea: Equatorial Guinea’s shock group victory faces a Guinean side with inconsistent results on Sunday, January 28, at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

Angola vs Namibia: Historic qualifiers Namibia face Angola’s experienced squad on January 27 at Stade de la paix in Bouake.

Mali vs Burkina Faso: Mali’s unbeaten group stage meets Burkina Faso’s disappointing end on January 29 at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.

Egypt vs DR Congo: The most successful AFCON nation, Egypt, faces DR Congo on January 28 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium.

Senegal vs Côte d’Ivoire: Hosts Côte d’Ivoire face a tough challenge against defending champions Senegal on January 29 at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium.

Morocco vs South Africa: Semifinalists of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Morocco, face South Africa on January 30 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium.