Arsenal outcast Nicolas Pepe proved the star of the show on Thursday, as Cote d’Ivoire showcased their AFCON title credentials en route to a comfortable win over Algeria.
The Elephants took just 22 minutes to open the game’s scoring, when a fine piece of work on the part of that man Pepe down the right flank saw the former Lille man pull back for Franck Kessie to slot home with ease:
? GOAL by Kessié!! ? Ivory Coast are already winning the game 1-0 over Algeria! ?
The defending champions are in BIG TROUBLE! ?
Watch #TeamCotedIvoire vs #TeamAlgeria live now on beIN SPORTS XTRA!
? https://t.co/OQzCHWzQSH#AFCON2021 | #CIVALGpic.twitter.com/3uh4RDZh5H
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) January 20, 2022
And it was two fifteen minutes later, as, on this occasion, ex-Tottenham full-back Serge Aurier’s searching set-piece was met by the arriving Ibrahim Sangare at the back post:
As things stand, Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez could be returning to Manchester City early! ?
Sangaré’s thumping header has doubled Ivory Coast’s lead ? pic.twitter.com/o2cje6SvVN
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 20, 2022
There was still time for Cote d’Ivoire to add further gloss to the scoreline, though, as Pepe was rewarded for his efforts along the right with a goal of his own, cutting inside onto his favoured left foot before picking out the far corner in style:
“That is the killer goal” ?
Nicolas Pépé makes it THREE 3️⃣ pic.twitter.com/e58hD3wwsx
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 20, 2022
Algeria captain and Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez, on the other hand, endured a night to forget, fluffing his lines from the penalty spot just shy of the hour mark to all but kill off any remaining hope of an unlikely comeback:
Riyad Mahrez can’t convert the penalty! ?
Nothing seems to be going in Algeria’s favour! ❌ pic.twitter.com/p4FUySUXqn
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 20, 2022
Algeria ousted/Cote d’Ivoire march on
Thursday’s result at the Douala Stadium, meanwhile, has had major repercussions when it comes to the AFCON as a whole.
This comes with Mahrez’s Algeria, the reigning tournament champions, having been ousted at the first hurdle, owing to just a solitary point secured from meetings with all of Equatorial Guinea, Sierra Leone, and, this evening, Cote d’Ivoire.
The north African outfit join Ghana as the 2nd heavyweight nation to have been sent packing from the AFCON groups, as things begin to heat up ahead of next week’s Round-of-16 fixtures.
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