AFCON 2021 (Group E):
- Algeria 1-3 Ivory Coast
- Equatorial Guinea 1-0 Sierra Leone
Group F:
- Mali 2-0 Mauritania
- The Gambia 1-0 Tunisia
Reigning Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Algeria were ejected out of the tournament following a 3-1 group E loss to West Africans Ivory Coast at the Japoma stadium in Douala.
Franck Kessie, Ibrahim Sangare and Nicolas Pepe scored for Ivory Coast.
Sofiane Bendebka pulled back a goal for the North Africans who had a miserable showing at the championship.
Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty for the 2019 champions coached by Djamel Belmadi.
It is the fifth time in the last six Cups of Nations that the reigning champions have failed to make the Afcon knockout phase.
Algeria came to the tournament on an unbeaten run stretching back over three years but they were held by Sierra Leone in their opening match and then lost to Equatorial Guinea to suffer a first defeat in 36 games.
The Desert Foxes finish bottom of their group with a single point.
“I am very, very satisfied about what my team has done tonight,” remarked the Ivory Coast’s French coach, Patrice Beaumelle.
Equatorial Guinea go through in second place in Group E after defeating Sierra Leone 1-0 in Limbe thanks to a superb first-half strike from Pablo Ganet.
Kei Kamara missed a penalty for Sierra Leone as they go out while Equatorial Guinea stay in Limbe for a last-16 tie against Mali on 26 January.
