Afcon 2021: Defending champions Algeria sent packing by Cote d’Ivoire
Mahrez and his teammates went into Thursday’s tie fully aware they had to win to reach the knockout stages
Defending champions Algeria have been disgraced out of the 2021 African Cup of Nations.
The Desert Foxes were hammered 3-1 on Thursday by the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire in their final Group game on Thursday; thus capping a disastrous outing for the North Africans.
Riyad Mahrez and his teammates went into Thursday’s tie fully aware they had to win to reach the knockout stages.
However, the bad situation for Algeria got even worse after they fell to first-half goals from Franck Kessie and Ibrahima Sangare; leaving them with a harder hurdle to cross.
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— #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 ???? (@CAF_Online) January 20, 2022
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Nicolas Pepe then killed off any hopes of a comeback shortly after the break, before Mahrez fluffed the controversial penalty that was awarded his team
Though Sofiane Bendebka pulled one back for Algeria, it was too little too late as the Ivorians who finished top and would now face Egypt in the last 16.
It’s been a dismal tournament for Algeria, who finish bottom of Group E and managed just one goal in the whole tournament.
The Desert Foxes came to Cameroon on a 35-match unbeaten run but they have crumbled like a pack of cards while trying to defend the title won 2019 in Egypt.
In the other group game, Equatorial Guniea pipped Sierra Leone by a lone goal to also seal their place in the Round of 16.
