In a surprising turn of events, Equatorial Guinea caused one of the major upsets in the AFCON Côte d'Ivoire 2023 by annihilating the tournament hosts 4-0 in their Group A match at Ebimpe's Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium on Monday.
The Nzalang Nacional produced a seismic shock in world football, ripping apart the favoured Ivorians with a stunning display that included a double from Emilio Nsue and goals from Pablo Ganet and Jannick Buyla.
Nsue's brace extended his lead on the goalscoring charts to five, showcasing Equatorial Guinea's dominance in the match. Pablo Ganet and Jannick Buyla further added to the humiliation, securing an emphatic 4-0 victory for the minnows.
Equatorial Guinea's triumph saw them finish top of the group, level on seven points with second-placed Nigeria, as they advanced to the knockout stage of the tournament.
The defeat leaves the home side's chances of progressing to the knockout phase hanging by a thread, as they finished third in Group A.
The Ivorians, backed by the home crowd, started the match with better momentum but lacked accuracy in front of goal, missing clear-cut opportunities that they later regretted.
Emilio Nsue opened the scoring with a neat finish from close range in the 41st minute, giving Equatorial Guinea the lead before halftime.
In the second half, the Elephants pressed for a comeback, but Equatorial Guinea denied them, with two disallowed goals also confirmed by VAR.
Equatorial Guinea further crushed the Elephants' hopes with Pablo Ganet's wonder strike in the 72nd minute, followed by Nsue's second goal after a quick counterattack.
The final blow was delivered by Jannick Buyla, who capitalized on a rebounded effort to seal the 4-0 win for Equatorial Guinea.
Post-match reactions included comments from both coaches:
Juan Micha, Equatorial Guinea Coach, highlighted their strategy and humility, expressing their goal to reach the level of the big teams. He also expressed empathy for Cote d'Ivoire, acknowledging the pressure as the organizing country.
Jean-Louis Gasset, Cote d'Ivoire Coach, referred to the match as a nightmare, citing disallowed goals and an efficiency problem. He took responsibility for the catastrophic result and expressed hope for qualification based on the tournament format.
Equatorial Guinea's historic victory positions them as group toppers, while the Ivorians now face an anxious wait to determine their fate in the knockout phase of the tournament.
