Ivory Coast’s Africa Cup of Nations journey hangs by a thread after a resounding 4-0 defeat by Equatorial Guinea in their final Group A encounter in Abidjan on Monday.
Emilio Nsue, who previously netted a hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau, secured a brace, propelling Equatorial Guinea to the top of the group on goal difference ahead of Nigeria, who secured a 1-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau in the group’s other match.
Ivory Coast, two-time champions, face an unsettling scenario as they teeter on the edge of elimination, having only missed the group phase once in the last nine tournament editions (2017).
To advance to the last 16, they must hope for favorable results and secure a spot among the four best third-placed teams.
Coach Jean-Louis Gasset expressed disappointment, stating, “When you have a scenario like that, bordering on a nightmare, there’s not much you can say or do.”
The Ivory Coast team experienced their heaviest home defeat, prompting Gasset to remark on the players’ emotions, saying, “When I see the players in the dressing room crying, it hurts me.”
With thousands of Ivory Coast supporters leaving the stadium as Equatorial Guinea scored three goals in a rapid 15-minute span, Gasset acknowledged the challenging situation, emphasizing, “We will hope.”
