On Saturday, reigning continental champion Algeria receives a surprising 1-0 defeat against Equatorial Guinea in Doula. Their loss causes their early elimination in the AFCON tournament while E Guinea team goes after the knockout stage.
After 35 straight wins since October 2018 in the internationals, Algeria encounters a dramatic and unexpected loss against Equatorial Guinea, leaving fans upset and in shock. The ex-defending champions are now at the bottom of the standings and will need to win against Ivory Coast on Thursday to ramp back up in the knockout stages.
<span style="font-weight: 400;"><em><strong>“Everyone was talking about our unbeaten run but now we need to focus on something else, go out and secure qualification,”</strong></em> said Belmadi.</span>
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<em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Equatorial Guinea celebrates their victory as Esteban Obiang scored 20 minutes before time – the match's only goal.</span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> </span>
<span data-preserver-spaces="true">On the other hand, Equatorial Guinea made it into the tournament's semifinals back in 2015, but this year's win leads Equatorial Guinean football hopeful and proud. Obiang's second-half strike makes history, with their team boosting their rank to 114th in the world and 28th in Africa. Equatorial Guinea preps up as they play versus Sierra Leone this upcoming Friday. </span>
