As of Tuesday, eight teams had booked their seats in the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinals.
Angola was the first to qualify after the Parancas Negras (Black Sable Antelopes) defeated Namibia on Saturday evening. Following their victory over the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, the attacking-sided team will now face the Super Eagles of Nigeria, who are considered one of the competition’s favourites.
The surprise of the tournament was the Round 16 match between the hosts, Côte d’Ivoire, and the defending champions, Senegal, as the hosts proceeded to the final eight, owing to Frank Kessie’s penalty that kept the game to penalty shoot-outs in the Elephant’s favor.
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.
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.
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
Time:6:00pm
2. DR Congo vs Guinea
Date: Friday, February 2, 2024
Venue: Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara
Time: 9:00pm
3. Mali vs Cote d’ivoire
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Venue: Stade de Bouaké
Time: 6:00pm
4. Cape Verde vs South Africa
Date: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Venue: Stade Charles Konan Banny de Yamoussoukro
Time: 9:00pm.
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