January 17, (THEWILL) – Algeria suffered a shocking 1-0 loss against Equatorial Guinea that has effectively placed the defense of their continental title in jeopardy.
At Stade omnisport de Douala, the impressive Esteban Obiang scored 20 minutes from time to propel the National Thunder to second place in Group E of the TotalEnergies 2021 Africa Cup of Nations.
The loss means Algeria suffered their first defeat in this competition since a 2-1 loss to Tunisia in 2017, and they must now overcome Ivory Coast in their final group encounter to advance to the knockout stages.
Equatorial Guinea had the greater first-half chances despite having only 33% of the ball possession. Oscar Siafa forced Rais M’Bolhi to make a fine stop, while Iban Salvador’s rasping long-range drive went just wide of the target.
At the other end, Algeria had the ball in the net, but the offside flag denied Baghdad Bounedjah the opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet and give the champions a fighting chance with the opening goal.
The Desert Warriors continued to have the upper hand in possession, but were caught off guard in the 70th minute when Josete Miranda flicked in a low corner and Obiang finished at the far post.
Algeria pressed for an equaliser as time ran down, but they were unable to maintain their nine-match unbeaten run at the AFCON, and they are still without a goal in this year’s tournament.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
