Equatorial Guinea 4-0 Ivory Coast: Equatorial Guinea inflict humiliating defeat on hosts, leaving them on the brink

Ivory Coast, the host nation, is on the brink of elimination in the tournament after suffering their second consecutive defeat in Group A at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). They were convincingly beaten 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea, who secured the top spot in the group. The Ivorians now face an anxious wait to determine if they will progress as one of the four best third-placed teams.

Following their defeat to Nigeria on Thursday, Les Éléphants were in desperate need of a strong response. They started the game dominating the early territory and putting numerous balls into the Equatoguinean box. However, they struggled to create a clear chance until the 30th minute.

Christian Kouamé skillfully brought the ball down, allowing Nicolas Pépé to take control and evade a challenge. Unfortunately, Pépé couldn't quite get past goalkeeper Jesús Owono.

The Ivorians' lack of effectiveness in front of goal was punished in the 42nd minute. Carlos Akapo was given the freedom to drive into the area and deliver a low pass to Emilio Nsue, who calmly rolled the ball into the net, adding to his hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau. This goal gave Equatorial Guinea the lead, leaving the crowd stunned.

Just before halftime, Ivory Coast thought they had equalized. However, Ibrahim Sangaré was flagged offside when he tucked in a knockdown from Kouamé.

After the restart, Ivory Coast came out strong once again and believed they had equalized through Sangaré. However, the Nottingham Forest player somehow blasted the ball over the crossbar from just three yards out.

As the match entered its final quarter, the Ivorians were once again denied an equalizer by VAR. Jean-Philippe Krasso turned and finished neatly inside the box, but replays showed that he was offside.

To make matters worse, Equatorial Guinea scored a second goal just minutes later. Pablo Ganet curled a 25-yard free-kick into the top corner, leaving the Ivorian team in misery.

With nothing to lose and their hopes shattered, Ivory Coast got caught on the counter-attack as they pushed forward from the restart. José Machín found Nsue in the box, allowing him to score his fifth goal of the tournament.

The Ivorians couldn't even find a consolation goal against Juan Micha's men. Equatorial Guinea sealed their victory in style, grabbing a fourth goal through Jannick Buyla's rebound.

Ivory Coast's third-place finish was guaranteed by Nigeria's victory against Guinea-Bissau. However, with only three points and a goal difference of minus three, Jean-Louis Gasset's team will need some extraordinary performances to advance further.