Preview: CAF AFCON 2023 quarterfinals

The mighty Egypt, record AFCON winners and defeated finalists in the last edition, awaited in the round of 16. The Pharaohs similarly were searching for their first win and were without the injured Mohamed Salah. The Congolese mustered only one shot on target in a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, while the Pharaohs had Hamdy Mahmoud Shefedin sent off in the first half of extra time. The match nonetheless was headed to penalties and the rest, much like the Egyptians, was history.

Guinea overcame The Gambia, one of only two teams to fail to register a point in the group stages, to secure a best third-place finish in Group C, having also taken a point off Cameroon while also succumbing as both other teams did to Senegal. It set up a West African derby in the last 16 with Equatorial Guinea, who had topped their group from Nigeria and Ivory Coast. The game appeared to be heading to penalties until Mohamed Bayo scored the latest goal in normal time in AFCON history as he headed home in the 98th minute to send Guinea on their way.

3. Mali vs Ivory Coast: Saturday, February 3 at 17:00 GMT

In what has been a tournament of underdogs, Mali can quite rightly dismiss the notion that they are one of the surprise packages given their pole position in the group of death. South Africa finished second and Nambia third, as Tunisia, the group favourites, were sent packing. Mali, whose best finish was as runners-up in 1972, opened with a 2-0 win against the Bafana Bafana before drawing with Namibia and Tunisia to send the North Africans home and secure the top spot despite resting half their team for the final game.

The stars returned for their 2-1 win against Burkina Faso in the last 16 although they did endure a nervy finale which included a late disallowed equaliser. Ivory Coast meantime, survived the closest of culls at the group stage – one that saw their manager Jean-Louis Gasset’s contract terminated even with qualification still a possibility. The Elephants opened the tournament with a 2-0 win against Guinea-Bissau but the defeat by Nigeria was followed by a humiliating 4-0 thrashing by Equatorial Guinea. That was enough to see off Gasset despite the potential reprieve of progression as one of the best third-place finishers. The stay of execution looked as though it may be short-lived with hot favourites and defending champions Senegal waiting in the round of 16.

The Elephants, aware of the task at hand, tried to “loan” former manager Herve Renard from his role as France Women’s manager but the French federation rejected the move. Over to former international Emerse Fae to step up from the backroom staff and lead his side to a victory on penalties, made all the more remarkable by the Elephants’ resurgence in the match itself let alone all that had gone before. The greatest of sporting redemptions is now on.

4. Cape Verde vs South Africa: Saturday, February 3 at 20:00 GMT

Cape Verde have been the talk of the tournament since topping a group that included both Egypt and Ghana, who boast 11 AFCON trophies between them. Their 2-1 win against Ghana in the second match of the competition was the spark that lit the hope for all the shocks that followed. They did have a terrible defensive mix-up by the Black Stars to thank for the injury-time winner by Mendes Rodrigues. A 3-0 win against Mozambique secured their qualification before a 2-2 draw with Ghana rounded things up.

Their second AFCON quarterfinal appearance, having reached this stage in 2013, was not so easily secured though, as they had to wait for an 88th-minute penalty from Ryan Mendes to secure their passage. Conversely, South Africa’s round-of-16 tie was another the tournament’s now long list of remarkable tales as Bafana Bafana downed World Cup semifinalists and clear AFCON favourites, Morocco, to reach the last eight.

Having already thumped neighbours Nambia 4-0 in the group stage to finish second to Mali, South Africa produced a scintillating second half to overturn the odds against their opponents from the opposite end of the continent. Evidence Magkopa and Teboho Mokoena scored the goals to send the Atlas Lions on their way home and blow the competition wide open.