Equatorial Guinea emerged victorious with a 4-2 win against Guinea Bissau in the second Group A match at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Thursday.
Emilio Nsue played a pivotal role, scoring a sensational hat-trick in the game, boosting Equatorial Guinea's chances of advancing to the next stage.
Nsue's performance made history, marking the first hat-trick in AFCON finals since Morocco's Soufiane Alloudi achieved the feat against Namibia in 2008. Equatorial Guinea took the lead with Nsue capitalizing on a defensive error to score on the 20th minute.
Guinea-Bissau responded with an Esteban Orozco own goal, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 37th minute.
However, Equatorial Guinea regained the lead immediately after halftime, with Josete Miranda firing home after a long goal kick.
Nsue extended the lead with his second goal in the 51st minute, securing his hat-trick just after the hour mark with a powerful finish.
Guinea-Bissau managed to pull one goal back through Ze Turbo in added time, but it was not enough.
With one game remaining, Equatorial Guinea is on the verge of reaching the AFCON knockout stage for the second consecutive time.
