IVORY COAST 3- 1 ALGERIA
YAOUNDE-(MaraviPost)-The Elephants of Ivory Coast starved the Foxes of Algeria in the desert near Cameroon on Thursday evening at the on going continental Showpiece.
In the fierce battle, the desert Foxes looked inferior in the midfield and in attacking which resulted in giving rooms for the Elephants to be moving freely.
At 23rd minute Franck Kessie opened the score sheet with beautiful display from Ibrahim Sangare, Jean Seri,Max Alain Gradel which managed to break the Algerian defense.
Ibrahim Sangare headed in a second on 40th minute,this time around Algeria looked slowly giving in as they continued to struggle though Ismael Bennacer,Baghdad Bounedjah and Riyard Mahrez trying their efforts.
First half ended with the defending champions Algeria trailing by two goals to nil.
Second half the boys from Abidjan continued attacking the Foxes giving them no room to move and take some shots at the goal of Badra Ali Sangare.
At 55th minute Arsenal attacker Nicolas Pepe scored a beauty after another beautiful display and this was to seal everything and bury the Foxes at the same time confirming about their early elimination from the 2021 African Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon.
Few minutes later Algeria was given a penalty but Manchester City star, Riyard Mahrez, ended up hitting the left upright of Sangare.
Bendebka scored a consolation goal for the desert Foxes as they get eliminated.
Towards the end of the match,Ivory Coast scored the fourth but it was ruled out for offside. The defeat means the defending champions Algeria have been eliminated from the tournament with a point from three group E games played.
Ivory Coast has gone through as group winners with seven points and Equatorial Guinea on second position.