Sensation

From the team that won three matches in the group stage of a football tournament, it is quite logical to expect that it will continue to please the fans and at least start the playoffs with a victory.

But at the African Cup of Nations 2021, the only team with such a great start was quickly disappointed.

Nigeria have always been in the top 8 teams in CAN if they qualified for it.

The Super Eagles were left without medals only three times in the last 59 years.

But this year their performance turned out to be the worst in history and ended at the 1/8 final stage, when the Nigerians, after three victories, including over the strong Egyptian team, met with Tunisia.

The North Africans had enough problems in this tournament - they reached the playoffs with two defeats and lost several players and head coach Muhgyer Kebayer due to the coronavirus. However, the "Carthaginian Eagles" gave battle to their rivals and could open an account even in the first half, when the defender of "Rubin" Montassard Talbi hit the target. They still scored the first goal, but after the break, when team captain Youssef Msakni successfully shot from a distance.

Nigeria had few opportunities to bounce back, and things got really bad for the team when Alex Aiwobi, who entered the field just seven minutes earlier, was sent off for a rough foul against Msakni.

For the last three minutes, ex-CSKA forward Ahmed Musa entered the field, but in his 105th match for the national team, he did not have time to distinguish himself.

The match ended with a score of 1:0 in favor of Tunisia, which for the fourth time in a row made it to the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations.

Dry series

The Senegal national team has a unique achievement for the current CAN - a team from West Africa played four matches and did not concede a single goal.

"Lions of Teranga" won a dry victory in the group stage and played twice in a goalless draw, and in the 1/8 finals did not allow rivals from Cape Verde to score.

However, in this case it would be too surprising if Senegal could not leave the gate intact. In addition to being considered the clear favorite, this team had two more players by the end of the match. The first removal from the islanders happened in the first half, and after the break there was a rather unpleasant episode for both sides. The main star of Senegal, Sadio Mane, collided head-on with goalkeeper Josimar Vozigny. The Liverpool striker was injured and took a long time to recover, and his opponent was immediately sent off the field.

Mane continued the match and was even able to open the scoring a few minutes later after hitting the crossbar.

But he was nevertheless replaced and sent to the hospital, where Vozigna visited him after the game.

The players took pictures and made it clear to the fans that they had no complaints against each other.

The meeting ended shortly after another goal against Cape Verde, the author of which was 21-year-old Amadou Bamba Dieng.

Thrillers

Three matches of the 1/8 finals did not meet the regular time and kept the audience in suspense until the last.

To begin with, Burkina Faso and Gabon could not determine the winner for a long time, although during the match it seemed that there would be no problems with this.

The Burkinians were in the lead thanks to a goal by Bertrand Traore, who had not converted a penalty before, and played in the majority from the middle of the second half.

However, in the first added minute, Adama Geer reacted awkwardly to the opponent's kick and allowed an own goal.

Half an hour later, I had to sort things out in a penalty shootout.

The Burkina Faso team prevailed with a score of 7:6, and one of the goals in its composition was scored by Akhmat forward Mohamed Konate.

The next match his team will play against Tunisia, so that at least one representative of the RPL will go to the semi-finals.

The participants of the most intriguing match involving Egypt and Côte d'Ivoire also had to beat post-match penalties.

No goals were recorded in 120 minutes, although there were many football stars from the best leagues in Europe on the field.

In the shootout from the 11-meter mark, the Pharaohs turned out to be stronger.

The final point was put by Mohammed Salah.

His shot became the winner after Manchester United defender Eric Bailly made his unsuccessful attempt.

Senegal's opponent in the quarterfinals was determined in the confrontation between Mali and Equatorial Guinea, and Mane's team had to wait a long time for their next rivals.

In this match, too, there was not a single goal from the game, so here, too, it was necessary to organize a penalty shoot-out.

Both teams took turns coming forward, but in the end, luck smiled at Equatorial Guinea.

She made it to the quarterfinals for the first time in a tournament that does not take place on her territory.

Hero

The most unusual match at the African Cup of Nations was the meeting between Cameroon and the Comoros.

And it was not even that the hosts of the tournament were opposed by a team that, at its very first continental championship, passed the group stage and for the first time in history drew attention to itself.

The daring newcomers had to fight for a ticket to the quarterfinals without goalkeepers. Everyone who was able to take the last line of defense, for one reason or another, could not play. Defender Chaker Alkhadur got into the goal, for whom there was not even suitable equipment - he had to put on someone else's T-shirt with his number from adhesive tape.

On top of that, the Comoros were already in the minority in the seventh minute, which should have completely finished off the modest debutants.

However, it was not so easy for Cameroon to beat the islanders.

Alkhadur, although he sometimes hid his hands out of habit, still periodically saved the team from a goal.

Twice he still missed, including from the top scorer of the tournament Vincent Abubakar, who scored the sixth goal.

But in the end, Yussuf M'Changama closed the lead with a long-range free kick, giving the Comoros hope for success.

The miracle never happened, but Alkhadur definitely became one of the heroes of the entire African Cup of Nations.

Cameroon will continue their campaign for the title in the match with the Gambia, who defeated Guinea.

Goal

Morocco also reached the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations.

In the first round of the playoffs, the North Africans beat one of the main openings of the Malawi competition, which passed the group stage in only its third tournament in history.

This match was remembered primarily for its first goal, the author of which was Hellings Frank Mhango.

The Malawi striker noticed in the seventh minute how the Moroccan goalkeeper Bono went too far out of the gate.

He immediately struck with all his might, being about 35 meters from the target, and opened the account.

Now this goal will have every chance of becoming the most beautiful in the tournament.

At the same time, it can no longer be called useful.

Morocco quickly recovered from the blow and began to completely dominate the field.

Just before the break, this resulted in a return goal from the Sevilla forward Youssef En-Nesiri.

Ashraf Hakimi helped the Atlas Lions to take the lead.

The PSG defender scored in the 70th minute and received praise from his famous teammate Kylian Mbappé.

Next, Morocco will play with Egypt.