Out of the 24 teams that began the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, which is being hosted in Cote d’Ivoire, 16 teams have advanced to the tournament’s knockout stage.
The two teams that astonished the football world by winning their respective groups were Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea. But the Ghanaian Black Stars’ departure stunned the football world, particularly the manner they threw away the ticket against Mozambique.
Algeria’s elimination was particularly unexpected because, as champions in 2019, one would have thought they would have secured a position in the competition’s round of 16.
Group A: Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria
Group B: Cape Verde, Egypt
Group C: Senegal, Cameroon, Guinea
Group D: Angola, Burkina Faso, Mauritania
Group E:
Group F:
Here are the AFCON 2023 Round of 16 fixtures: January 27
Nigeria vs Cameroon
Angola vs 3rd Group B/E/F
January 28
Egypt vs Runner-up Group F
Equatorial Guinea vs Guinea
January 29
Cape Verde vs Mauritania
Winner Group C vs 3rd Group A/B/F
January 30
Winner Group E vs Burkina Faso
Winner Group F vs Runner-up Group E
Predictions
The so-called small teams at the competition have shown that they will lie down and let the giants trample on them. There have been amazing performances, Cape Verde and Equatorial Guinea deserve a worth mention as one of the teams that can go all the way to the latter stages of the tournament.
Here are the teams that stand a huge chance in the final eight spots.
(1) Senegal
(2) Nigeria
(3) Cape Verde
(4) Equatorial Guinea
(5) Egypt
