AFCON 2021: A tournament filled with uncertainties and emotions

The 33rd African Cup of Nations (AFCON) after witnessing an exciting tournament saw the Teranga Lions of Senegal, beat seven times winners, the Pharaohs of Egypt, to win their first AFCON trophy in Cameroon.

Liverpool’s Sadio Mane led team beat Egypt 4-2 on penalties to lift their maiden trophy, after bottling their chances in 2002 and 2019.

The tournament could be described as one that went down memory lane as highly contested for and filled with much suspense and thrills.

The first round of the group stages raised lots of conversations with some previous champions struggling to find their way out of the group stages, whilst some made it with ease.

Even though the tournament had a poor start, with most teams struggling to net goals, it was rewarded with a befitting ending.

 Host Nations, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, who finished top of Group A, with seven points, defeated the Stallions of Burkina Faso, 2-1 in the opening game of the tournament, with Vincent Aboubakar, who emerged as the top goal scorer of the tournament netting a brace.

 Group A saw the likes of Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde sail through to the knockout stage, leaving 1962 AFCON winners, the Walias of Ethiopia pack out of the competition with just a single point out of the three matches played.

Current champions, Senegal, finished top of Group B, with five points, while Guinea and Malawi secured four points each to book a spot in the knockout stage of the competition. Zimbabwe was the only team who failed to qualify from Group B.

Four times champions, the Black Stars of Ghana for the first time since 2006, were eliminated from the Group Stages. The Atlas Lions of Morocco, Gabon and debutants, Comoros qualified to the knockout stage of the competition.

Nigeria, who were on top form and tipped as favorites, finished first on Group D, claiming all nine points, followed by current runners-up, Egypt. Sudan and Guinea-Bissau failed to make it to the next round of the competition.

Group E raised lots of conversations in the tournament, as 2019 champions, the Desert Foxes of Algeria, couldn’t win a single match in the group stages to book them a slot in the round of 16 stage of the competition.

The Elephants of Cote D’ Ivoiret, who are two times winners of the competition qualified from the group stages with the National Thunder of Equatorial Guinea.

The final group stage, Group F, saw debutants Gambia make their first Round of 16 appearance with teams like Mali and Tunisia. Mauritania was the only team who failed to qualify from that group, losing all three games.

The group stages of the 2021 AFCON tournament recorded a total of 68 goals in 36 games and six red cards.

The Round of 16 stage of the competition was quite a competitive one with Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Senegal, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Cameroon, Egypt and Morocco making it to the quarter finals stage.

The round of 16 stages recorded a total of 12 goals and seven red cards.

The Quarter Finals saw fourth place Burkina Faso beat Tunisia by a lone goal to book their place in the semi-final stage of the competition. 

Sadio Mane's Senegal ended Equatorial Guinea’s AFCON fairy tale, thrashing them 3-1 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium to qualify to the semi-finals.  

Host Nation, Cameroon, who were third in the tournament, sent debutants Gambia packing, handing them a 2-0 defeat to sail through to the next round.

One-time winner, the Atlas Lions of Morocco, bottled their chances of qualifying to the semi-finals stage, losing 2-1 to the Pharaohs of Egypt.

The last four teams of the AFCON tournament were Burkina Faso, Senegal, Cameroon and Egypt.

Senegal, who were runners-up in 2019, qualified to the finals for the second consecutive time, crushing Burkina Faso 3-1, while Egypt also booked a slot in the finals, defeating Egypt on penalties.

Cameroon completed a perfect comeback against Burkina Faso after surviving a three-goal deficit to force 3-3 in regulation time, before finishing off the Stallions on penalties to claim the bronze medal.

Mane’s Senegal were crowned champions of Africa for the first time after defeating the Salah’s Pharaohs of Egypt 4-2 on penalties.

Cameroon’s Vincent Abuobakar was named as the top scorer of the tournament with eight goals to his credit.

Senegal’s Edouard Mendy after receiving the 2021 Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the year, took the Goalkeeper of the year award at the 33rd AFCON tournament, whiles his teammate Sadio Mane also took the player of the tournament award.