Title holders of the AFCON has been dumped out of the 33rd edition. Algeria had maintain 35 unbeaten run before getting into the Group E’s second clash with Equatorial Guinea which ended ended 1-0, ending the Desert Warriors long-term unbeaten record.
Algeria are going home with just a point repeating Ghana’s record at the current tournament as the two contenders ended up with disappointing performance.
Four times winners, Ghana were also eliminated from the tournament with just a single point after 3-2 defeat to Comoros on Tuesday in Group C.
The defending champions prepared to play with extreme caution at times – but it was never like that. Ivory Coast’s first goal was scored after 22nd minutes by Franck Kessie through a delight pass from the right side of the penalty box by Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe.
Algeria weren’t looking as threatening as their opponents; Ivory Coast showed up hunger despite the lead, winning end-to -end balls.
At the 40th minute, Ivory Coast won a free kick a long way out, wide on the right. Serge Aurier stepped up and whips in a superb deep cross on to the head of Ibrahim Sangaré, who got the goal from six yards, taking the 2015 champions on a comfortable lead before the break.
After half-time break, there was a change from Algeria; Islam Slimani came on for Saïd Benrahma. That was something of a surprise, although the West Ham man was ineffective in the first half.
The Elephants came in for third goal after the 54th minute. Nicolas Pépé strolled into the penalty area and without a defender to bother him, curled his shot into the far corner of the post.
Algeria were still finding a consolation; built slickly, and won a penalty as Belaili goes down.
Mahrez’s spot-kick comes straight back off the keeper’s left-hand, denied by the wood work.
The Desert Warriors pressed for a first goal – Belaili had a free-kick up the other end which was deflected for a corner, and it was a rather more cleverly worked as Mandi deftly knees it back across goal for Bendebka to score Algeria’s first goal of the tournament to make the scoreline 3-1 at the after the 73rd minute.
Ivory Coast got the ball in the net again at the 76th minute after a swift break but Nicolas Pépé was offside and it was denied by the assistant line two but they pressed hard for the fouth goal through UCL top scorer, Sebastien Haller at the last minute but it was denied.
Algeria failed to prevail after losing the game by 3-1 to the Elephants.
The Desert Warriors came in with an ambition to get maximum points to the one they were having already but the Ivorian’s handed them a second defeat following the 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea.
Equatorial Guinea also prevailed with 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone on the other side.
After the final group E game, Ivory Coast advanced with seven points, Equatorial Guinea 6, Sierra Leone 2 as Algeria ended with a single point.
The Elephants will play Egypt in the last 16 of the competition.
