Who’s gonna win the AFCON?
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has reached the quarter-final stage, with eight teams remaining in the hunt for the continental trophy. The last eight will commence on Friday, February 2 after a two-day break, following the conclusion of the round of 16 on Tuesday night.
The round of 16 produced some shocking results, as defending champions Senegal, perennial winners Egypt, and the Atlas Lions of Morocco were all eliminated by the hosts Ivory Coast, DR Congo, and South Africa respectively. Other teams that advanced to the quarter-finals include Nigeria, Angola, Guinea, Mali, and Cape Verde.
The quarter-final fixtures are as follows:
- Nigeria vs Angola: The Super Eagles of Nigeria, one of the favourites of the competition, will face the Parancas Negras (Black Sable Antelopes) of Angola, who thrashed Namibia in the round of 16. The match will take place at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Friday, February 2 at 6 pm.
- DR Congo vs Guinea: The Leopards of DR Congo, who stunned the Pharaohs of Egypt in a penalty shootout, will take on the Syli National of Guinea, who scored a dramatic winner in the eighth minute of injury time against 10-man Equatorial Guinea. The match will be played at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Friday, February 2 at 9 pm.
- Mali vs Ivory Coast: The Eagles of Mali, who edged out Burkina Faso with a late goal, will clash with the Elephants of Ivory Coast, the hosts and former champions, who knocked out Senegal in a penalty shootout. The match will be held at the Stade de la Paix in Bouake on Saturday, February 3 at 6 pm.
- Cape Verde vs South Africa: The Blue Sharks of Cape Verde, who sealed their win over Ghana with a late penalty, will meet the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, who dumped 10-man Morocco out of the tournament. The match will be staged at the Charles Konan Banny Stadium in Yamoussoukro on Saturday, February 3 at 9 pm.
The semi-finals will be played on Wednesday, February 7, while the third place play-off and the final will be on Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11 respectively.
