In a painful defeat, the Algerian national team bid farewell to the Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday evening in one of the tournament's biggest surprises so far. In a match where the "Desert Warriors" needed a victory to advance, the defending African champion suffered a loss of 1-3 against Ivory Coast in the final match of Group E. The Algerian team failed to deliver its usual performance, and its many stars did not shine, resulting in surrender to the "Elephants" of Ivory Coast.
Frank Kessié, Ibrahim Sangaré, and Nicolas Pépé scored for Ivory Coast, while Algerian captain Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty in the 59th minute. Sofiane Bendebka reduced the score with a goal in the 73rd minute. With this result, the defending Africa Cup champion exited the tournament without a single victory, scoring only one goal in three matches.
With this win, the Ivory Coast team topped Group E and is set to face the Egyptian team in the Round of 16. Equatorial Guinea also achieved a 1-0 victory over Sierra Leone, securing a spot in the Round of 16.
