Match reports and free highlights from Wednesday's Africa Cup of Nations action with only one goal scored across four games; Hakim Ziyech winner
Wednesday 24 January 2024 22:23, UK
Hakim Ziyech scored in the first half as Morocco beat Zambia 1-0 to finish top in Group F and also keep hosts Ivory Coast in the tournament.
Morocco's stand-in captain left the pitch with an ankle injury at half-time but not before a smart close-range finish in the 38th minute lifted Morocco to seven points, ahead of second placed Democratic Republic of Congo, who drew 0-0 with Tanzania.
Zambia finished third in the group on two points, which was not enough to take one of the four places in the last-16 reserved for the best third-placed finishers.
Instead the Ivory Coast sneaked in, sparking celebrations in the Laurent Pokou Stadium from locals who had come to support Morocco knowing that if Zambia lost, their team would qualify
The Democratic Republic of Congo have set up a last-16 clash with record seven-time winners Egypt after playing to a 0-0 draw with Tanzania in their final group game.
The Congolese finish second in the pool with three points following a trio of draws and advance along with group winners Morocco, who take on South Africa in the next round.
It was a game of very few chances for the 12,847 crowd at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium but they could at least celebrate that Ivory Coast had secured a place in the last-16 as one of the best third-place finishers.
This comes after the tournament hosts sacked their coach Jean-Louis Gassett after their surprise 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea, which left them perilously close to elimination before the DR Congo-Tanzania draw saw them advance to the knockout stage.
DR Congo are seeking a first continental title since the last of their two previous triumphs in 1974, while Tanzania still await their first win at a Cup of Nations finals and finish bottom of their pool with two points.
Tunisia limped out of the Africa Cup of Nations finals with a whimper after they were held to a 0-0 draw by South Africa in the sweltering heat of Korhogo, a result that sends their opponents into the last-16.
The onus was on Tunisia to make the play as they needed a win to move off the bottom of Group E, but they created very little in the contest and failed to break down a resolute South Africa.
Mali top the pool with five points from their three games following a goalless draw with Namibia, with South Africa in second place on four points. Namibia also qualified for the first time as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Tunisia are the third-ranked African side at the tournament in the Ivory Coast behind Morocco and Senegal, but following a shock loss to Namibia in their opening game, they could only manage draws with Mali and South Africa and join Algeria and Ghana as surprise casualties in the pool phase.
Namibia qualified for the knockout phase of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time as they held Mali to a 0-0 draw in their last group game.
Namibia qualified as one of the four best third-placed finishers after they ended their Group E campaign with four points. Mali won the group with five points and South Africa were second also with four, finishing above Namibia after beating them 4-0 on Sunday.
Tunisia were eliminated after they drew 0-0 with South Africa in the other Group E game.
Group winners Mali advance to a last-16 meeting with Burkina Faso in Korhogo next Tuesday while Namibia will play neighbours Angola on Saturday.
Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi resigned after his side's second straight group-stage exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Algeria's 1-0 loss to Mauritania in their final group game on Tuesday sent the two-time champions crashing out with just two points from three games.
Walid Sadi, the president of the Algerian FA, confirmed Belmadi's departure on X, writing: "I met with the national coach, Mr. Djamel Belmadi, to talk about the consequences of this bitter exclusion, and we reached an amicable agreement to dissolve the association and break the contract that links the coach with the Algerian Football Federation."
The 47-year-old represented Algeria internationally between 2000 and 2004 and had spells in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille, Cannes and Valenciennes.
