BAZOUMANA Toure scored in stoppage time as defending champions Ivory Coast recovered fromat wo goal deficit to beat Gabon 3-2 on Wednesday in the Africa Cup of Nations,which no wenters the knockout stage. 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 scoringa goalmore than the Indomitable Lions.

 

Operi had also set up fellow substitute Evann Guessand for the equaliser in the 84th minute. Five-time winners Cameroon also came from behind to beat Mozambique 2-1 in the other group game. Both Ivory Coast and Cameroon finished with seven points each, with a goal difference of plus 2, but Ivory Coast scored five goals, compared to 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. LAST 16 GAMES IVORY Coast stay in Marrakech after winning the group and will next face Burkina Fasoin the last 16 on Tuesday. Cameroon were dealt a tough encounter against South Africa in Rabat on Sunday, and Mozambique will face Nigeria the next day in Fez.

 

DOWN BUT NOT OUT DESPITE a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso in their final group game, Sudan can look forward to the knock-out stage after qualifying as one of the best third-place finishers. Both teams were already assured of advancing before their Group E match Wednesday. Sudan progressed despite the complication of playing all their qualification games away from home as the country contends with a brutal war and humanitarian crisis.

 

“Thisis good for all Sudanese,” said Sudan coach James Appiah, whose team next faces 2021 champion Senegal in the last 16 in Tangier on Saturday. Burkina Faso made a better start and the Stallions duly took thelead through Lassina Traore in the16th. Sudan have a great opportunity to level when Burkinabe ‘keeper Herve K offi bundled over Al Gozoli Nooh in the penalty area, but Nooh missed the resulting spot kick.

 

ALGERIA WIN ALGERIA, already assured of topping the group, signed off before their last-16 meeting with Congo with a 3-1 win over Equatorial Guinea, who finished with three defeats. Zineddine Belaid, Fares Chaibi and Ibrahim Maza scored in the first half for Algeria. Veteran forward Emilio Nsue – playing for the first time legally in the AfricaCup –scored a brilliant consolation for the National Thunder in the second half.