Equatorial Guinea shocks Gabon, qualifies for AFCON knock-out stage

Wow! Incredible! Equatorial Guinea has qualified for the knocked out stage of the Africa Cup of Nations on home soil.

Google: Jubilant Equatorial Guinea

Right inside the Bata Stadium, they defeated neighbours Gabon 2-0 to make the phenomenal progress in the tournament.

The second Group A game saw Congo edge last time runners-up Burkina Faso b 2-1 to go through as well.

Congo however tops the group with 7pts, Equatorial Guinea 5pts, Gabon 3pts and Burkina Faso finished with just a single point.

Bye Bye Gabon and Burkinabes.

My Take: Never right anyone off. Equatorial Guinea left the best for the last.

Lets go Group B....

AFCON 2015: If Burkina Faso must make the knock-out stage

Source: Google

As it stands in Group A of the AFCON 2015, Burkinafaso occupy the last place in the group after their second match against the host Equatorial Guinea ended in a stalemate (0-0).

Beaten by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang led Gabon by two goals to nil in the opening game last Saturday, and picking their first point puts the Burkinabes in a battle for a place in the knock-out stage.

Alain Traore has been the best man so far, hitting the woodwork a number of times in both matches while the likes of Bance and AFCON 2014 Best player Jonathan Pritoipa are yet to have their own highlights.

If the 2013 AFCON runner-up must qualify for the knock-out stage, they must beat Congo and hope that Gabon get the better of Equatorial Guinea. 

AFCON 2015: From The Stance of A Nigerian

By Amos Joseph

Having to watch the Africa Cup of Nation which kicks off 17 January and ends February 8 without seeing the current Champions is a bit hard, but, really as a football lover, you don't want to miss a single game as every match will have its own share of thrills and action.

This is not an attempt to remind you that Nigeria failed to qualify, it is simply to keep you abreast of the AFCON schedule even if you have to cope with the fact that ''Nigeria'' will not be playing a single game.

A little digression. Imagine if Spain had not participated in the last world cup being the defending champions, what would the world have said? They would have been missed of course. But am sure they would have preferred not to have been a part of that tourney. We saw the outcome! Beaten and knocked out early enough, they didn't even go far in the Brazil 2014.

Now, from a Nigerian perspective and for the sake of good football, what can we make of this AFCON without the Super Eagles? Can one say that the team which struggled with the likes of Sudan, South Africa and Congo be missed at the African stage?

One cannot take away the follower-ship and glamour Nigerian football fan would bring to the event, but the tournament will still have its gloss as said by the CAF President Issa Hayatou 

''The whole of Africa will miss Nigeria in Equatorial Guinea. But the absence will not in any way diminish your stature as a very big and influential nation in the African game, Hayatou said in a statement to the Nigeria Football Federation.

“It would have been good to have the defending champions in Equatorial Guinea. Nigeria brings so much value to the Africa Cup of Nations.

“However, we know that you will come back much stronger, as you did in winning the cup in South Africa last year after missing out on the 2012 championship.”

Also for the sake of football and its development, the AFCON was moved to Equatorial Guinea after original host Morocco pulled out due to reason relating to Ebola outbreak.

The Oil-rich nation will host the games in four venues: the capital city Malabo on an island off the mainland; the biggest city Bata; and Mongomo and Ebebiyin on the eastern border with Gabon.

Equatorial Guinea Burkina Faso, Gabon and Congo are in Group A

Group B: Zambia, Tunisia, Cape Verde, DR Congo

Group C: Ghana, Algeria, South Africa and Senegal

Group D: Cote d'voire, Mali, Cameroun, Guinea

From the stance of a Nigerian, a football lover and a writer: let the better side win.

Afcon 2015: Nigeria miss out, see countries that made it through

Title holders Nigeria will not be at Equatorial Guinea to defend the title they won last year, thanks to a 2-2 draw the west Africa played against South Africa in Uyo on Wednesday evening.

The African champions finished 3rd place in Group A with 8points, two points behind Congo who pip Sudan 1-0 to secure an automatic slot after Bafana Bafana maintained their lead as winner of the group with 12points.

Here are the teams that made it through:
Equatorial Guinea (hosts), Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Zambia

Good luck to them all, name your favourites for the title.