Africa Cup of Nations: Will there be more surprises as tournament enters quarterfinal stage?

Hosts Cote d'Ivoire's fortunes at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) were hanging by the thread when heavyweights Morocco took on Zambia in their final group game last week. Having finished their group stage campaign with an underwhelming three points, including a 4-0 humbling at the hands of Equatorial Guinea, the hosts no longer controlled their fate and needed Morocco to beat Zambia to make it to the knockout stages. The Moroccans, already through to the last 16 and primed for the title by many, beat Zambia 1-0 to send the host nation into the next round, much to the delirium of the home fans.

Less than a week later, Cote d'Ivoire are not just alive in the tournament but, having knocked defending champions Senegal out of the AFCON, are heading into the quarterfinals with new-found confidence. The hallowed Moroccan side, just a little over a year after becoming the first African country to make it to the FIFA World Cup semifinals, is heading back home after a shock 2-0 defeat at the hands of South Africa in the last 16 on Tuesday night.

The contrasting situations these two teams find themselves in underscore how fast fortunes can change in a major tournament. It is especially true for the AFCON, which has never failed to deliver surprises on the field. However, even by AFCON's standards, this edition has been particularly enthralling.

Surprises galore

Ahead of the opening game on January 13, Patrice Motsepe, the president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), had prophesied, "This AFCON is going to be the best AFCON in the history of African football."

Motsepe's prediction is already ringing true, with a string of results showcasing why AFCON remains one of the most unpredictable major international tournaments. The group stages saw the ouster of Ghana, Algeria and Tunisia, with Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon and Egypt barely scraping through to the next round. Cape Verde topped a group featuring Ghana and Egypt, while Equatorial Guinea pipped Nigeria and hosts Cote d'Ivoire to the top spot in Group A.

A week after the group stages ended, Senegal, Cameroon, Egypt and Morocco are heading home, with not a single one of the eight teams that reached the quarterfinals of the 2021 edition managing to make it to the last eight this time. More surprises, one would imagine, are on their way as the tournament approaches its business end.

Smooth organization

Over the years, major tournaments have often been soured by contentious refereeing decisions. Despite the introduction of the video assistant referee (VAR), controversies haven't ebbed away. At the ongoing Asian Cup, for instance, a red card in the Iraq-Jordan game has been the source of much debate online and offline.

This edition of the AFCON, however, has been free of major officiating controversies, at least until now. While there has been the odd occasion when a player or a team has been unhappy with a call, no specific decision has managed to overshadow the actual action on the pitch, a testament to the commendable work done by the match officials at the tournament.

The host nation, Cote d'Ivoire, having invested significantly in its sporting infrastructure for this tournament, has also managed to keep the organizational side of things running smoothly. It has boosted its image as a country capable of hosting major sports events. The cumulative attendance at this edition of the AFCON is expected to breach the 1 million figure, while TV and online viewership numbers are expected to receive a boost as a consequence of the drama that the tournament has offered so far.

Nigeria favorites?

Nigeria are the highest-ranked team left in the competition, with the top five teams, in terms of FIFA rankings, having already bowed out. Boasting arguably the best attack in the tournament, led by the talismanic Victor Osimhen, Nigeria are undoubtedly among the major contenders for the title now.

Prior to the tournament, question marks had been raised over other departments, but the Super Eagles will be high on morale after beating the likes of Cote d'Ivoire and Cameroon in the past couple of weeks. However, they would do well to not underestimate their quarterfinal opponents, Angola, who themselves have been in fine form in this tournament.

Bafana Bafana will be high on morale after their stunning victory over Morocco and are definitely a team to watch out for, while Mali and DR Congo have shown they have the defensive solidity needed to go deep in a tournament like this. Cote d'Ivoire will hope home support will give them an edge, whereas Cape Verde and Guinea will be eyeing a few more upsets.

Quarterfinal matches:

Friday: Nigeria vs. Angola; DR Congo vs. Guinea

Saturday: Mali vs. Cote d'Ivoire; Cape Verde vs. South Africa