A thrilling 2023 Africa Cup of Nations so far has seen underdog stories, shock exits and late drama all in equal measure.
The likes of Algeria and Ghana have been sent packing in the group stage, with lesser-fancied nations such as Equatorial Guinea, Cape Verde and Mauritania still going strong.
With the group stage now done and dusted, we look at the standout stars in the Ivory Coast.
Emilio Nsue (Equatorial Guinea) It was quite the group-stage campaign for Equatorial Guinea’s right-back-turned-goalscorer Emiliano Nsue.
The 34-year-old former Middlesbrough and Birmingham star has scored five times across three group games, including a hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau — the first AFCON treble by any player since 2008.
After helping the Nzalang Nacional finish top of Group A above one of the tournament favourites in Nigeria and hosts Ivory Coast, they will need Nsue on top form if they are to get the better of Guinea in the last 16.
Mohamed Salah’s injury has dealt a crushing blow to Egypt — but Trezeguet’s efforts have meant the Liverpool star has so far not been missed.
The former Aston Villa forward, who now plies his trade in Turkey with Trabzonspor, came off the bench to score a crucial stoppage-time equaliser to secure a 2-2 draw with Cape Verde, booking the Pharaohs’ place in the knockout stages in dramatic fashion.
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