Ivory Coast faced a staggering defeat against Equatorial Guinea in the final match of Group A in the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Elephants concluded the group stage in third place with 3 points, relying on the outcomes of the remaining five groups while clinging to hopes of advancing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Hosting the Africa Cup of Nations until February 11, Ivory Coast fans are living a nightmare, facing the possibility of an early exit from the group stage.
FilGoal.com presents the possibilities of Ivory Coast’s qualification in the third position:
To start with, Ivory Coast finished Group A in third place with 3 points and a goal difference of (-3), scoring 2 goals and conceding 5.
For Ivory Coast to secure a third-place position, two third-placed teams from the remaining five groups need to finish with fewer than 3 points or a goal difference less than Ivory Coast’s.
Group B: Ivory Coast needs the third-placed team not to reach 3 points.
Egypt is in second place (2 points), while Ghana and Mozambique share third and fourth positions with 1 point each.
If Egypt wins, reaching 5 points, and either Ghana or Mozambique secures a victory, the third-placed team in that group surpasses Ivory Coast.
A draw between Ghana and Mozambique or a win for either would be crucial for the Elephants if Egypt loses to Cape Verde.
Group C: Senegal secured qualification with 6 points, while Guinea, in second place with 4 points, is assured of advancing regardless of finishing second or third.
Cameroon (1 point) and Gambia (0 points) are competing for the remaining positions.
Ivory Coast needs Cameroon to draw with Gambia, ensuring that the third-placed team, Cameroon, finishes with 2 points, allowing Ivory Coast to advance.
Group D: Angola and Burkina Faso secured qualification with 4 points each, leaving Algeria with 2 points and Mauritania with none.
Ivory Coast requires Algeria to draw against Mauritania.
If Algeria wins, reaching 4 points, they will surpass Ivory Coast.
If Mauritania wins, they need a goal difference of at least two to outperform Ivory Coast.
Group E: Mali secured qualification with 4 points, while South Africa and Namibia are in second and third places with 3 points each, and Tunisia is at the bottom with 1 point.
Ivory Coast needs Tunisia to win against Mali and for Mali to beat Namibia in the final matches.
In this scenario, Namibia would finish third with 3 points, but Ivory Coast would advance due to a better goal difference.
Group F: Morocco secured qualification with 4 points, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia are in second and third places with 2 points each, and Tanzania is at the bottom with 1 point.
Ivory Coast needs Zambia to lose to Morocco for the Elephants to secure advancement as the third-placed team.
These intricate calculations await Ivory Coast’s anxious fans as they hope to secure a spot in the Last 16 from the third position.
