Equatorial Guinea Dominates Cote D’Ivoire While Nigeria Secures Qualification

Equatorial Guinea Dominates Cote D’Ivoire While Nigeria Secures Qualification

Equatorial Guinea smoothly advanced to the round of 16 as Group A leaders, while Nigeria secured the second spot. In a surprising turn of events, Equatorial Guinea convincingly defeated the tournament hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, with a resounding 4-0 victory, while Nigeria narrowly triumphed over Guinea Bissau with a 1-0 scoreline.

Despite finishing level on seven points with Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea clinched the top spot in the group. This outcome leaves Côte d’Ivoire’s fate uncertain, as they now find themselves hanging by a thread in third place.

The Nzalang Nacional secured their place in the knockout stage, capitalizing on their first-half lead when Nsue calmly slotted home. Côte d’Ivoire, though starting brightly, struggled to convert opportunities and had two goals disallowed for offside by VAR in the second half. Equatorial Guinea extended their lead with a brilliant 72nd-minute free-kick from Ganet and a clinical finish by Nsue on a rapid counter, followed by a late goal from Buyla.

The defeat dealt a significant blow to Côte d’Ivoire’s chances of progressing, forcing them to await their fate in the knockout phase. Equatorial Guinea’s four-goal triumph not only secured their top spot in Group A but also marked them as unexpected giant-killers, having overcome stronger opponents.

Post-match reactions:

Juan Micha – Equatorial Guinea Coach:

“We considered the pressure on our opponent and formulated our strategy accordingly. With humility, we aimed to reach as far as possible, working towards matching the level of stronger teams. Despite the hurt for Côte d’Ivoire, we must move past this match and focus on the remainder of the competition.”

Jean-Louis Gasset – Cote d’Ivoire Coach:

“Some matches feel like nightmares, where everything goes against you. We conceded in the first half on the opponent’s sole opportunity, faced disallowed goals, and witnessed a disaster. While we have three points and won a match, our efficiency problem is evident. The result was catastrophic today, and I take responsibility as the main person in charge.”