Janaury 18, 2022
Equatorial Guinea has on 16th January 2022 stunned Algeria to leave the defending champions on the brink of a group stage exit from the Africa Cup Nations in Cameroon.
Esteban Obiang slid in at the far post to convert a flick on and net the only goal with 20 minutes left in Douala.
Algeria has just one point from their opening two games and must beat Ivory Coast in their opening final group (E) game to have a chance of reaching the last 16. Northern Africans had two goals ruled out in what was a scrappy encounter the results ended Algeria unbeaten they only make two short of Italy’s World record set last year they suffered their first defeats since October 2018.
Equatorial Guinea reached the nation’s cup semi-final as host in 2015 but has qualified for the tournament by right for the first time this will go down as one of the biggest results in their history.
Juan Michuis’s side moves on to three points and is second in Group E, with Ivory Coast top on four points, Sierra Leone third on two, and Algeria bottom on one. The tight nature of the game group will make Thursday’s final round of games fascinating with Equatoguinean facing the Leone Stars in Limbe at the same as Algeria’s take on the Ivory Coast in Douala.
Algeria we’re held to a goalless draw by Sierra Leone in their opening match and we’re once again frustrated in front of goal this time by a side mostly comprised of players from clubs in lower Spain.
Youcef Belaili had two attempts blocked Keeper Jesus Owono shortly before the desert foxes had the ball in the net for the first time midway through the first half.
Owono made fine reactions save to keep out Riyad Mahrez header but Baghdad Bounedjah tapped in the rebound only for an offside flag against Mahrez to cut Algeria celebrations shorts Obiang made a crucial block to shut down an opening for Ramy Bensebaini and Equatorial Guinea stunned the holders Algeria.