The Arab audience is in a state of anticipation as the third round of the group stage kicks off in the Africa Cup of Nations, featuring several decisive matches for the qualification of Arab teams to the next stage of the tournament. In the tournament hosted by Cameroon, 24 teams compete in 6 groups, each containing 4 teams. The top two teams from each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, advance to the Round of 16. With 7 Arab teams participating, "Sky News Arabia" outlines the scenarios that could see these teams qualify for the Round of 16.
#### Morocco and Comoros
The Moroccan team has officially secured qualification after achieving the maximum points in their previous two matches, winning against Ghana and Comoros. The "Atlas Lions" will face the Gabonese team in the last round of this stage to clinch the top spot, while Gabon seeks a win to officially advance to the knockout stage. On the other hand, the Comoros team (which has not earned any points) faces a tough challenge against Ghana, as the Arab team must win to compete for one of the best third-place spots. Ghana, with one point, makes this match "not up for division."
#### Egypt and Sudan
The Egyptian team prepares to face Sudan in a group where Nigeria has already secured first place after winning against both "Pharaohs" and Sudan, making their last match against Guinea-Bissau a mere formality. Egypt has 3 points, while Sudan has 1 point. A win for Egypt would guarantee them qualification as the group runner-up, regardless of the result of the Nigeria-Guinea-Bissau match, while Sudan would officially exit the tournament. A draw would be favorable for Egypt, bringing them to 4 points, ensuring their advancement to the Round of 16, while Sudan's journey would likely end. Conversely, if Sudan wins, they will raise their points to 4, increasing their chances of qualifying either as group runner-up or one of the best third-placed teams, while Egypt would rely on Nigeria winning against Guinea-Bissau to compete as one of the best third teams.
#### Tunisia and Mauritania
The Tunisian team is gearing up to face Gambia, after rekindling their hopes of qualification by defeating Mauritania 4-0. Gambia and Mali currently share the group lead with 4 points each, while Tunisia sits in third with 3 points, and Mauritania is at the bottom with no points. A win for Tunisia against Gambia would ensure their progression to the next round, whether as group leaders or runners-up. A draw would put Tunisia into a "calculation game," waiting for the outcome of the Mali-Mauritania match to determine second place or advancement as one of the best third-placed teams. In case of a loss, Tunisia would await a favor from the Mali team to contend for advancement as one of the best third-placed teams and avoid a complicated scenario in the group. Mauritania faces a daunting task as they must achieve a significant win over Mali to contend for a chance to advance among the best third-placed teams.
#### Algeria
Following a disastrous start for the African champion Algeria, the "Desert Warriors" have no option but to win against Ivory Coast in the highlight match of the third round of the group stage. The Ivory Coast team leads the group with 4 points, while Equatorial Guinea has 3 points, Sierra Leone has 2 points, and Algeria is at the bottom with 1 point. A win against the "Elephants" would secure Algeria’s advancement to the knockout stage, raising their points to 4 and surpassing Ivory Coast based on direct encounters. In this scenario, the group lead could go to Sierra Leone or Equatorial Guinea, depending on the outcome of their matchup. If Algeria wins and Equatorial Guinea draws, Algeria, Ivory Coast, and Equatorial Guinea would all have 4 points, with the top spot determined by their results against each other, excluding Sierra Leone. However, a draw would mean Algeria's elimination from the tournament, keeping them in fourth place with 2 points if Sierra Leone defeats or draws with Equatorial Guinea. Even if Sierra Leone suffers a heavy defeat, Algeria reaching third place would still likely not guarantee qualification as one of the best third-placed teams, especially since three third-placed teams already have 3 points going into the third round, with only 4 teams progressing.
