Emilio Nsue on Wednesday scored a contender for goal of the tournament in his first legal start at the Africa Cup of Nations after an 11-year ineligible career with Equatorial Guinea.
The 36-year-old Nsue was the top scorer with five goals at the previous edition of the tournament, but FIFA in 2024 ruled that he was never eligible to play for Equatorial Guinea and it banned him from playing for the national team for six months.
Nsue was finally cleared to play in March last year.
Photo: Reuters
He had an injury going to the Africa Cup of Nations and missed his team’s opening 2-1 loss to Burkina Faso before going on as a substitute in their 1-0 defeat to Sudan.
He made his first start against Algeria on Wednesday and scored with a long-range rocket from outside the penalty area inside the top far corner.
It proved to be just a consolation as Algeria were already leading 3-0 and the game ended 3-1.
Photo: AFP
Zineddine Belaid, Fares Chaibi and Ibrahim Maza scored in the first half for Algeria.
It was also Nsue’s last appearance at the tournament, as Equatorial Guinea were already assured of finishing bottom of Group E.
Elsewhere, Bazoumana Toure scored in stoppage-time as defending champions Ivory Coast recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Gabon 3-2 as the tournament enters the knockout stages.
Photo: AFP
Christopher Operi crossed for Toure to head in the winner as Les Elephants staged a dramatic comeback to finish top of Group F, just ahead of Cameroon, by virtue of scoring a goal more than the Indomitable Lions.
Operi had also set up fellow substitute Evann Guessand for the equalizer in the 84th minute.
Five-time winners Cameroon also came from behind to beat Mozambique 2-1 in the other game in the group.
Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished with seven points each, with a goal-difference of plus-2, but Ivory Coast scored five goals, compared with Cameroon’s four.
Mozambique also progressed to the last 16 as one of the four best third-place finishers.
Gabon were already eliminated after starting with two defeats.
Ivory Coast are to stay in Marrakesh after winning the group and next face Burkina Faso in the last 16 on Tuesday.
Cameroon are to play South Africa in Rabat on Sunday, while Mozambique face Nigeria the next day in Fes.
Despite a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso in their final group game, Sudan can look forward to the knockouts after qualifying as one of the best third-place finishers.
Both teams were already assured of advancing before their Group E match on Wednesday. Sudan progressed despite the complication of playing all of their qualification games away from home as the country contends with a brutal war and humanitarian crisis.
“This is good for all Sudanese,” said Sudan coach James Appiah, whose team next faces 2021 champions Senegal in the last 16 in Tangier tomorrow.
Burkina Faso made a better start and the Stallions duly took the lead through Lassina Traore in the 16th minute.
Sudan had a great opportunity to level when Burkinabe goalkeeper Herve Koffi bundled over Al Gozoli Nooh in the penalty area, but Nooh missed the resulting spot-kick.
The Sudan fans, who were in a majority at Stade Mohammed V, tried rallying the team. Yasir Mozamil was just wide and Amar Abdallah missed another good chance for Sudan.
Arsene Kouassi sealed the Stallions win with a late goal as Burkina Faso finished second in the group.
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