Football teams have paused at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as five-time champions Cameroon prepare to face hosts Morocco in Friday’s quarter-final on January 9, following their 1–0 victory over Tanzania.
Morocco reached the final stage after narrowly beating Tanzania 1-0 in Rabat on Sunday, January 4, thanks to a goal from Brahim Diaz, a Real Madrid player who is currently the tournament’s top scorer, with four goals and four matches.
Defending champions, Ivory Coast, beat Burkina Faso 3-0 in the round of 16 match played at Marrakech on Tuesday, January 6, even as former champions, Senegal, the first country booked quarter finals spot on Saturday, January 3 after thrashing Sudan 3-1 on penalties. Later that weekend, Mali team joined the fray after their last-16 tie ended 1-1 at the end of extra time.
Cameroon edged South Africa 2-1 in the last 16 finals that was played at Stade El Barida. South Africa had a good start and two good chances to take an early lead with Lyle Foster heading the ball wide from a second-minute freekick.
Seven-time champions, Egypt beat Benin 3-1 in extra time to book quarter-finals spot, with coach Hossam Hassan saying theirs was a difficult match.
“Benin are a tough opponent,” Hassan said. “We are mentally prepared to play for 90 minutes or extra time. I have confidence in my team and my staff, especially the medical team, for a proper recovery of the players before the next match.”
Algeria, which will face Nigeria in quarter finals at Marrakesh on Saturday, landed into Cup of Nations last eight after a dramatic late win of 1-0 against Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I believe we deserved to win based on what our players delivered… We controlled two-thirds of the match and played good football, even though we faced some challenges during the game. I think we managed the match professionally,” Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic, said.
The tournament moves into its decisive stage, with Senegal, Mali, Morocco, Cameroon, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Ivory Coast being the countries qualified for the quarter finals, this far.
Here are the confirmed quarter-final fixtures:
Mali vs Senegal – Friday, January 9
Cameroon vs Morocco – Friday, January 9
Egypt v Cote d’Ivoire – Saturday, January 10
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