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Equatorial Guinea Shock Reigning Champions, Algeria To Revive AFCON 2021 Campaign

Equatorial Guinea Shock Reigning Champions, Algeria To Revive AFCON 2021 Campaign

Algeria’s 35-match unbeaten streak was ended in stunning fashion by Equatorial Guinea to leave the defending champions in real danger of crashing out in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.



Esteban Obono’s back post finish on 70 minutes proved the only goal of the game as the side ranked 114th in the world became the first side to beat Algeria since Benin did so back in October 2018, the run ending two short of Italy’s world record 37 games without loss.



The result leaves the holders rock bottom of Group E on just one point, having been held to a goalless draw by Sierra Leone in their opening fixture.



They must now beat Ivory Coast – who are top on four points – in their final game to keep alive their hopes of retaining the trophy they won in Egypt three years ago.



Algeria thought they had taken the lead midway through a scrappy first half when Baghdad Bounedjah tapped in the rebound after Riyad Mahrez’s header had been saved but the flag was raised against the Manchester City winger.



Pablo Ganet and Ivan Salvador both went close for Equatorial Guinea, while Youcef Belaïli saw an effort well saved from Mahrez’s pull-back.



Twenty minutes from full-time, the underdogs took the lead as Algeria failed to deal with a near-post flick on and Obono reacted fastest at the far post to slide home.



Belaili thought he had at least found the leveller that would’ve preserved the unbeaten streak but his superb strike was also chalked off by the linesman’s flag.

 


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COMMENTS

WORDPRESS: 48
  • pompei 2 years ago

    Football, O football.
    It’s a funny old game!

    • Naija 2 years ago

      I said it here last week after the friendly between Ghana and Algeria when some fans were overly praising the Algerian team…I said, Algeria may come last from the group and may not qualify. That prophesy is about to be fulfilled.

  • Naija 2 years ago

    Equatorial Guinea had other opportunities to score but their attackers were selfish and inexperience. I think their saving grace was their resilience and ability to defend as a unit. I am happy for them. At a point, Mahrez was INVISIBLE on the pitch.

  • Dennis 2 years ago

    I told a friend of mine today that there would be a major upset at the group stage of AFCON. Ivory Coast would want to top the group, so would Gambia and equatorial guinea. The last game would go down the wire

  • Algeria is normal team I don’t see them or Senegal as favorite, so far in this tournament Cameroon and Nigeria are the likely winners. Arab cup is different from afcon

  • Dennis 2 years ago

    A final between Cameroon and Nigeria would have the whole continent on a stand still. That would be war. Football, bloody hell

  • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

    Do we still need players from Real Madrid and Liverpool to win games now?

    • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

      Algeria is not even placed in the too 4 3rd best teams, meaning they risk going out of the tournament in thengriuo stage.

    • Naija 2 years ago

      …says the dismissed/fired, Gernot Rohr who forgot that some football players are not playing in Real Madrid, Barca, Liverpool etc due to bad agents, racism, work permits and a host of other factors.
      When Keshi won the 2013 AFCON, Oboabona was playing for Sunshine Stars of Akure, and Sunday Mba plied his trade at Warri Wolves.

    • Yes We still do because it is our best players that are delivering at the AFCON. Not the New ones you and your co-horts have been promoting

      Only Awoniyi by the stroke of luck scored against Sudan. Nwakali is yet to come to the party. No news of Peter Olayinka, Olisa Ndah impressing in training.

      Playing at a top clubsises is also very beneficial to us outside of AFCON, especially at the World Cup.

      But this reasoning is too much for people like you because you only wants results now even if it means going back to old pattern of football.

      Playing long balls and running with no purpose like the Super Eagles of Tunis and USA 94.

      Let’s wait till we play Cameroon, let me see your face by then.That will be a nail biter

      • Naija 2 years ago

        Egypt has Salah, Algeria has Mahrez, Senegal has Mane, how has that helped them so far? Your Cameroon that you are praising – how many of their players play in Barca, Liverpool, Real Madrid etc?

      • Mahmud Shuaib 2 years ago

        This guy is a chronic daft. SE of TUNISIA/USA 94 remains our best ever SQUAD! Won AFCON and made WC second round topping a GROUP that included WC 90 runners up; ARGENTINA! Ranked 5th in the world and second most entertaining team of that WC.

        Your messiah ROHR’s team that doesnt run around and play long balls, what did he achieve with them? Lacklustre BRONZE’@ 2019 AFCON and limped out of a WC group stage without a whimper despite taking the reigns in 2016 (2-3 years)

        Even CHIEF ONIGBINDE who disbanded Mali 2002 squad and went with 80% greenhorn school boys played better football and never lost by more than a goal margin to any opponent at the KOREA/JAPAN 2002’WC!

        KESHI in less than a year won AFCON and by his full 1yr + played in the second round of 2014’WC. Some of his players were homebased. Dont forget that.

        EGUAVOEN too has proven in less than ONE..yes, ONE WEEK of preparation how VERY VERY agonizingly NAD GERNOT ROHR is!

        If people like you have some semblance and modicum of shame and dignity in you; you will not say anything NEGATIVE anymore than enjoy this tourney and wish SE well!

        Imagine you claiming ROHR’s boys are performing well. Was he the one who discovered MOSES SIMON? Did he give OMEROU and EKONG their first caps? The WORLD is now a global village and so we all know NIGERIA’S best legs. Infact he stunted the growth of the team with his cautious, ponderous, tepid, toothless, and drab set up as well as denying the country better, quality players like AKPOGUMA, BASSEY, AWONIYI, AINA, SANUSI,DENNIS,ADELEYE, DESSERS by constantly overlooking or benching them while sticking with players like SHEHU, COLLINS, injury prone KALU, retired IGHALO, out of sorts MUSA.

        He also almost destroyed the careers of players like SIMON..strangely converted to a RWB (what made VICTOR MOSES retired prematurely too), ARIBO..hardly forayed upfront, IHEANACHO..often deployed on the right side of a front 3.

        Overall after over 5 yeard on the saddle, GERNOT ROHR didnt know who his FIRST ELEVEN were. Contrast that with EGUAVOEN who in 4 days…yes, you heard me well; in 4 days of training he already has a settled FIRST ELEVEN!!!

        If after reading this well detailed and researched rejoinder, the likes of you, MONKEYPOST, TAYO and LANRE continue to blab and constitute a nuisance ON TOP ROHR matter on this platform…I will finally conclude THAT you all need HELP and fast you do. And that will be the last tike I will dissipate my energies responding to you.

        • Steve O 2 years ago

          Bro you said it all ,well written and pin poited.Leave those headless Rohr supporters , now everyone can see that Rohr came to destroy Nigeria just like Buhari is doing !!

        • Moyes 2 years ago

          My brother u simply stated the obvious. The team deserves the credit. Go out on to the streets of Nigeria and all around the world, SE fans are happy and have started believing in the team again. I think Rohr has himself to blame because he had time to make his mark but failed. He never understood that Nigerians don’t settle.for less in football. U must have deliver and do it in style. Abeg, Rohr didn’t make us happy Jane.

  • Naija 2 years ago

    Thank God Gernot Rohr was fired. The Super Eagles would have been struggling the same way the Algerian team is struggling now.

    • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

      And the excuses will be No Osihmen or Eagles are Young.

      • Naija 2 years ago

        Yes ooo…or my team is still developing (after 4+ years).
        Good riddance!

  • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

    favorites because they’re defending champions and held a world record of unbeaten runs. They’re now in their thirties and reached their max. Hopefully they qualify for the WorldCup. If we meet them as the third best team I b the second we’re beating them this time. That’s if they can make it past Ivory Coast. Lmao!! This is the Africa cup of Nations not Arab cup.

  • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

    Belmadi asslickers how far? The likes Mahrez, Slimani, Brahimi, Feghouli and Guediora were able to reach their potentials in the last AFCON and they’re playing in neighboring Egypt. It will be difficult first then to make it out of the group stage. Lmao!! Someone is still blaming Rohr for losing to Algeria in 2019. Do you think if Mahrez had missed that free kick and we took the game to extra time we won’t beat Algeria that day?? Now most of them are already scared that we may meet them in the round of 16. Lmao!! Bring them on we’re beating them if we meet.

  • Tye Maghreb countries (and their southern brothers, Sudan and Ethiopia) are performing woefully in this Afcon, despite the advantage of using the recent Arab games as a warm up. Ivory Coast is even real danger as Algeria will come out smoking to try to salvage their chances to proceed. A nail bite finish on a day all matches will be played the same time. Crescendo!

    • Naija 2 years ago

      If it wasn’t for the inexperience of the Equatorial Guinean forwards, they would have scored a couple more goals on counter attack. Algeria is finished!

      • Footballfanatic 2 years ago

        Their defence has always been suspect but a high scoring team will always hid the blemishes of a bad defence till they are paired out….

        • Chima E Samuels 2 years ago

          Terrible defense and Akpeyi like Mbolhi but the attacking prowess of the team and sleeping Giants of Africa hide their blemish for a very long time.

  • Emmanuel 2 years ago

    Will hold my peace until after the final rounds of group games.What happend to Algeria today is a lesson to all.Expect my piece soon.

  • Ndubest 2 years ago

    Congratulations to equatorial Guinea you guys played perfect defensive game today. Algeria are old men and if paired against cameroon, mali even ghana in world cup qualifiyer they will not make it. Bukinafaso scared them during world cup matches despite they played their home game in Morocco. Algeria will be exposed more against cote’voire. They will not make it out of this group. I doubt if Senegal will go far too in this tournament.

  • chuks haifa 2 years ago

    Algerian team is reaching its peak where decline steps in gradually. The have to address it before world cup qualifiers.

  • dominic 2 years ago

    hahahahahaha that what fit Algeria over confidence is there problem

    i am sure by now Pep Guardiola have already phone Riyad Mahrez to come back to Manchester city before next Saturday to play the game Southampton

    hahahah i dont see them qualifying

  • GentleD 2 years ago

    https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1MYxNnNPRnZxw

    This is ongoing Algerian twitter space, they are really talking about Micheal Olise to replace their aging players

  • Dr. Drey 2 years ago

    With the way Everton started this season, who thought Benitez would be gone by January and the romancing the relegation zone…?

    With the way Arsenal started this season, who thought they would be romancing champions league places and still be in the running for a trophy by January…?

    No team is too big to lose and no team is too small to win. Its football we call it.

    Caution is the word for everyone….?!

    The main tournament starts when the Knockout phase commences.

    Again, Caution is the word….!

    • Dr. Drey 2 years ago

      Algeria hammered Ghana 3-0 just a little over a week ago in a friendly match. In within a matter of days, they have been unable to score, talk more of defeat the likes of Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea.

      Friendlies are not mates with competitive games……LMAOooo. I am sure Algeria would have loved to swap these competitive draws with the friendly win.

      Caution is the word once again…!

    • We continue to breathe in the fresh air of Rohr’s exit. We for dey struggle like Algeria now and he will point to Ighalo’s absence, he will point to Osimhen’s absence. Ah he will tell us Leon Balogun is not fit and that the team is still young,with new people like Nwakali who are not strong enough physically to play the African game.

      This man took us for a ride and NFF and fans supported him.

      The tournament has started now,each match is a final according to Eguavoen, so we can be sure the will always come out smoking whether it’s group or knock out.

      Basketball,Lawn-tennis(which I coach and play), Badminton, all sports have surprises like football, so nothing really new.

      Eguavoen has shamed many, all that is left is that we keep cheering,celebrating and taking in the FRESH AIR.

  • pompei 2 years ago

    1-2-3,
    Sorry Algerie!

    A real shocker, this one. EG played the match of their lives today. They also had a bit of good fortune. Algeria had the ball in their net twice, but it was disallowed both times. Algeria threw the kitchen sink at EG, in typical Algerian fashion. They played as if their lives were at stake, but EG held firm.
    Who could have thought that after 2 Afcon games, we will be here saying Algeria has yet to score a goal? After playing supposed minnows SL and EG?
    Now Belmadi and company find themselves at the bottom of group E. It’s do-or-die against Ivory Coast on Thursday. That should be an interesting game.

  • DeSTAR 2 years ago

    Big Congrats to a very determined and fearless Equatorial Gunnie for breaking the wild record 35 years unbeaten record of Algeria local coach Belmadi after taken over a whipping team that couldn’t qualified for previous Afcon before he took over , but turned the team just under 12 months and made them monster , tutoring both his fellow local coaches in the continent and the so called average coaches from Europe.

    @Ayphillydegreat, If you are not proud of Algeria local Coach Belmadi; I am very proud of him , how I wished your clueless mechanic Alias Foreign Technical Adviser Rohr can achieved half of what a local Coach Algeria achieved in his almost 6 years directionless before he was rightly kicked out of SE before he buried them completely.

    Tell me , if Algeria coach Belmadi that won Afcon in just 12 months , tutoring African coaches and the average white coaches since 2018 until today were Rohr , what would you have turned him into ? ( of course since he is Afrcan, and not Oyinbo, how can you rate him as your people overrated the erstwhile clueless Rohr a.k.a Belmadi’s trainee.

    As bad as Belmadi is to you , yet he has achieved a record that given your Rohr another 2 decade he cannot achieved half of it , as he has never won a tea ☕️ cup in his several decades of coaching career , not even U15 junior cup .

    It is on record that he tutored your so called world class coach Rohr rudimentary of football under 1 year , tutoring Rohr agin 3 years after in 2021 to prove that Rohr was only whacking the Nigerian awuf money with his business partner NFF , until it last , without upgrading himself.

    Still waiting for you to announce in this Platform of another gullible country with daft and fraud football federations that is corrupt as Amaju Fraud-Pinnick that would appoint Rohr as assistant Coach , let alone Technical adviser

    • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

      He inherited a team that Vahid Halihodzic had already created in 2013. Every Algerian I know said the team that won the AFCON was Vahid’s team so please stop with those craps. Lmao!! You’re proud of Belmadi because he won an AFCON for Algeria after almost 30 years, but you’re not proud of your own instead y’all prefer to fail with him. Until he shut una mouth with scintillating performances with the same team created by the clueless mechanic. All of a sudden una mouth quickly change. Lmao!!

      I’m not in the position to be arguing with you about Rohr. He’s no longer our coach whatever y’all say about him now is irrelevant. I can only point out whatever lies that’s not factual when people like you come here to confuse yourselves. It is on record that the last time Rohr took our team to the AFCON we won bronze after failure to qualify for back to back AFCONS. If you like twist it as much as you like na your own issues be that. We’ve already moved and put the support on Eguavoen’s team to soar like the Eagles they are.

  • Oakfield 2 years ago

    Where is @destar, jimmyball and some other belmadi ass lickers. They should come out now and defend their master. Crazy things happen in football, hence the popular saying that football is not mathematics…..

    • Mahmud Shuaib 2 years ago

      You should be ashamed pf yourself. But seems SHAME isn’t in the dictionary of some of you. A local coach took over a VAHID bla bla bla team that was performing woefully and instantly won AFCON less than a year later, then followed it up with ARAB cup amd went on a mazy run of 35 unbeaten matches…a WR only beaten by ITALY! If your defkated ego and pride has beclouded your sense of judgment and reasoning (same as AYPHILLY) because he lost to EG, SOMETHING similar to defending champions FRANCE also not making it out of THEIR group at WC 2002, then you need help fast on this GERMOT ROHR’s sack debacle!

      Never anywhere can BELMADI be compared to ROHR! Statistics and records dont lie. In less years on the saddle than ROHR, he won AFCON, ARAB cup, was AFRICA’s no 1 and went 35 games unbeaten! Please respect him for once.

      @AYPHILLY as usual had to POINT out that oudated and stale news of ROHR qualifying SE after back to back in trying to diminish BELMADI’s feats. What did ROHR make of his qualifications after that is what he is and will be remembered for oga. BELMADI won AFCON with VAHID’s team. Whose name is the cup credited with pls? VAHID or BRLMADI?

      TUCHEL won UCL with LAMPARD’s team. Who is regarded as the UCL winning coach?’Lamps or Tuchel?

      You guys, because of your blind following of a chronic, serial failure GR continue to pretend you are blind to KESHI’s successes having also inherited a squad that failed to make it to 2012 AFCON. Like I mentioned above, what KESHI won and achiebed are what he is remembered for and not some yeye, mushroom records of qualifications for competitions.

      It was criminal of NFF to have kept ROHR that longer. Between 2016′(when he took over) to 2019′(3 solid years)’he had nothing to show different from local coaches who stayed less longer qnd earned less than him. I mean AMODU qualified SE to 2’WCs and won AFCON bronze but never stayed for more than 2’years

      KESHI won AFCON and made WC second round but stayed less than 3’yeqrs and was owed salaries till he died

      In conclusion, even if BELMADI gets the boot today (almighty MOURINHO, ANCELLOTI, SCOLARI etc were booted out too) he dwarfs and stands shoulder and head far amd above GERNOT ROHR!

      Once again…bring your statistics, records and achievements to counter my CLAIMS

      • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

        Bro calm down with your fallacies. Keshi was with the SuperEagles for 4 years he won AFCON and made the WorldCup Second round, but failed to qualify for the same AFCON who does that??

        In 3 years Rohr took over a team that’s broken after failure to qualify for back to back AFCONS and qualified for the WorldCup in a very difficult group and also qualified for the AFCON twice so what do you mean he had nothing to show for it?? Those results were achieved in Pluto Abi??

        The first 11 in AFCON is a team created and assembled by him. Apart from Zaidu, Okoye, Aribo, Awoniyi who are all capped by Rohr and Iheanacho the rest are part of the 11 that lost to Algeria in 2019. Yes we need change to rebrand our identity which is welcome because it’s our team. A foreign coach will move on eventually since it’s not his original country, and the last two years of course he should’ve moved on.

        However, I believe the pandemic affected the rhythm of his team plus unpaid salaries. Anyway that’s bygone we’ve moved on and looking forward to a better future with another coach after the AFCON. Let’s hope Eguavoen can utilize the talents of the team he left behind. Take it or leave it despite all the bla bla bla he left us a team we can be proud of for the next decade.

  • Bobo Colorado Springs 2 years ago

    What i said last week about Algeria is happening. But wait o, is like the 3 Guineas ( Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea Bissau ) had a meeting before this tournament. Their performances are incredible; Nigeria need to be very careful with Guinea Bissau to avoid another Madagascar debacle.

  • Guinea that was told by their military Head of State to bring back the cup or they pay back every money the country gave them. You think say na small thing dem dey face.

    Algeria, how Algeria wan beat Ivory Coast now? Ivory Coast wey dey vex? It’s a pity, I think they are out!

  • pompei 2 years ago

    Well, it’s a big wake up call for the so called big teams, not just in Africa, but in world football.
    SL came back from a 4 goal deficit to draw 4-4 with Nigeria in our backyard, CAR beat Nigeria 1-0 in Nigeria. Now, here we have EG taking Algeria to the cleaners 1-0.
    The so called minnows are refusing to lie down and die for anyone.
    We have to take every opponent very seriously. It’s naive and stupid to look down on any team.
    #Minnows rising.

  • pompei 2 years ago

    I’ve been listening to the link posted by GentleD. Very entertaining.
    Algerians are totally gutted, as expected.
    They are complaining about the pitch, which I find ludicrous. Also complained about the humidity. Also heavily criticized Belmadi, calling his tactics rigid and outdated.
    I’m even hearing talk of Belmadi being relieved of his job!
    Some fans also lambasted Mahrez. One fan said Mahrez has been missing, he’s “invisible”.
    Then there was the clamour for Olise. He is definitely high on their wish list. They will likely step up their efforts to get him after the Afcon. If we want him, the least we can do is try to make the decision a bit tougher for Olise.
    Fortunately, with Algeria’s performance so far, Olise is likely watching and not liking what he’s seeing. He probably fancies Nigeria more at the moment.
    However, when he’s reminded that with Nigeria he will likely not be paid his match bonuses, and he will have to play Nigeria home games on potato farms, then he might be having another rethink.
    The biggest regret the Algerians have is that they have lost their 35-game unbeaten record to a lowly team like EG. One fan said he would have preferred to lose it to a team like Germany or France, or some other big team at the world cup. Losing it to EG is killing them. They are in anguish.
    Ivory Coast awaits them.

    • Mahmud Shuaib 2 years ago

      @DESTAR, Na man you be!
      Always love reading your posts. Full of VERIFIABLY SUBSTANTIATED facts!

      BELMADI is an AFRICAN hero…just like SHEHATA, like KESHI

      The only country their tin god ever qualified for a WC in his over 30 years of COACHING is Nigeria.

      Keshi..(may he continue to rest on) in less than 10 years of COACHING qualified NIGERIA and an unheralded TOGO…Yes, tiny TOGO to consecutive WCs.

      ROHR I maintain is a monumental FRAUD!

      Burkinafaso is bigger than TOGO…he couldn’t qualify them for WC

      • Ayphillydegreat 2 years ago

        Nobody complain that Belmadi is not an African hero. Yes he won AFCON for Algeria after almost 30 years with Vahid’s team that reached the WorldCup last 16 for the only time in their history. Any top team in Africa can win the AFCON it all depends on fine margins in most cases. We’ve moved on and focus on our own team progress anybody wey wants to continue licking Belmadi ass can go and purchase Algeria jersey and keep supporting them. They should just pray not to come across the SuperEagles. Burkina Faso has exposed them in the WorldCup qualifiers and said it way back then. If they’re not careful self they may not qualify for the WorldCup if they come across Cameroon or Ghana.

  • Mr Hush 2 years ago

    This ” Rohr’s rhetoric” is quite unnecessary. He has been fired and is gone. Besides, records shows Belmadi achieved more than he did. But I digress; what’s the point of comparison!

    Yes. Algeria lost this game and have not been convincing so far but the group is still wide open. They can still qualify. It’s dangerous to think otherwise. They’re still a dangerous side. Same for teams like Ivory coast, Ghana ..
    If anything, football has taught us always expect the unexpected. Every match differs from the last one.
    It’s just heartwarming that the Super Eagles have to learn from other’s experience and be careful against so called lesser oppositions. Every team should be taken seriously and played in high level.

    Let’s see how the tournament proceeds. Wishing the Super Eagles more success

  • From the comments so far, it seems Rohr was really a bad coach and tactician. These are the same boys Mr Eguaveon is using transformed. If the Napoli chap was here, Nigeria would’ve been deadlier. So what has Eguaveon done right that Rohr did wrong? Was he too stereotyped, insisting on his way of doing things and no freedom of personal expression on the field? There must be something Rohr wasn’t doing.
    Meanwhile, Nigeria should not be complacent. Their 2 wins shouldn’t make them become big headed. We saw that in Chiwenzu and he was quickly substituted in the vs Sudan match. Iheanachu seems to forget himself many times. Aina is a defender, that’s his primary job. Except for some reason like if we are leading by 2-0 or we are losing, that’s when these defenders can go forward. If not, let them mind their primary duty. Ndidi is still the consistently seriously minded midfielder. Cameroon, Morocco, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Mali, Gambia are teams that will give us better headache. So it’s never over until it’s officially over. We should top the group to meet a relatively easy team.

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