Tuesday saw the group stage of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Algeria come to a shocking conclusion as Cameroon and Mali were eliminated.
Twice-placed finalists Mali needed just a draw against Mauritania to win Group D, but instead fell short 1-0 as Mamadou Sy’s goal in the 53rd minute advanced his nation to the quarterfinals.
Cameroon, which hosted the previous tournament and finished fourth, needed just one point to win Group E, but Niger won 1-0 to take the top spot.
Before the quarterfinals, the competition for footballers who play for clubs in their nation of origin now takes a two-day break.
Friday’s matches pit title favorites Algeria against the Ivory Coast in Algiers and Senegal against Mauritania’s neighbors in Annaba.
On Saturday, Mozambique and Madagascar square off in Constantine, while Niger takes on two-time runner-up Ghana in Oran.
With Morocco and the Democratic Republic of the Congo winning the Chan twice each, Tunisia once, and Libya twice, none of the eight survivors have ever taken home the trophy.
Following the predictable success of Algeria and Senegal in Groups A and B last weekend, minnows have made headlines with Madagascar’s victory in Group C on Monday.
Before facing Mali, Mauritania had lost all six matches in two other appearances, and fought a goalless draw with Angola in Algeria last week.
That automatically made them underdogs against Mali, whose proud Chan record included reaching the 2016 and 2020 finals.
But the Mauritanians never allowed the Malians to settle in the first match of a double-header in the western city of Oran and Sy outjumped Souleymane Coulibaly to nod the match-winner.
Following a dour draw with Congo Brazzaville, Niger were given little chance of stopping Cameroon, who were watched by football federation president and former superstar Samuel Eto’o.
Cameroon had looked likelier to score until the match was turned on its head in the 69th minute as an Ousseini Badamassi free-kick deflected off Thomas Bawak into the net.
Needing an equaliser to survive, Cameroon lay siege to the Nigerien goalmouth, but several poorly-taken free-kicks summed up a night to forget for the central Africans.