By Michael Madyira
Epic showdowns are expected in the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Round of 16 following the conclusion of the group stage.
After being clobbered 4-0 by Equatorial Guinea in their last Group A match, hosts Ivory Coast had to anxiously wait to see if they would make it into the last-16 as one of the third-best finishers.
They managed to advance to the knockouts amid a backlash from angry fans and the government, which invested heavily to stage the tournament and criticised the team after poor early results.
Just as they thought they had got a reprieve, they will now meet high-flying defending champions Senegal in the last-16.
The Teranga Lions are the only team to enjoy a 100% record in this Afcon after winning all their Group C games.
It’s a tough match-up the hosts might have never anticipated as they are now led by Emerse Fae following the sacking of Jean-Louis Gasset after the team’s drubbing by Equatorial Guinea.
Another potentially stormy Round-of-16 affair is between West African neighbours Nigeria and Cameroon.
Both sides endured a difficult group campaign, especially Cameroon who were far from convincing.
The last-16 stage provides another chance for the Super Eagles and the Indomitable Lions to silence their critics.
Bafana Bafana take on Morocco in another interesting pairing and South Africa coach Hugo Broos believes the team can reach the final.
“I’m too happy to qualify for the next round,” said Broos, as quoted by Safa’s iDiskiTimes.
“We aim to qualify for the final. Why not? We have a good team and I’m very confident. You always have to have some goals to achieve. Our first goal was to pass the group stages, even though we were not in an easy group with Tunisia and Mali.”
Bafana will be hoping to take advantage of Morocco coach Walid Regragui being ineligible to sit on the bench as he is serving a two-match suspension.
Cosafa neighbours Angola and Namibia clash in another Round of 16 match while Mauritania meet Cape Verde.
Mali versus Burkina Faso promises to be a thriller just like the confrontation between Egypt and DR Congo while Equatorial Guinea have Guinea to worry about.
Pictured above: Senegal players celebrating against Guinea.
Image source: CAF
