AFCON Group Stage Matchday 1 Review

With all games of the Matchday 1 of the AFCON Group Stage being completed now this article gives you a quick overview of the 12 currently played games ahead of Matchday 2.

Group Stage Matchday 1 Results

In the opening game the host nation showcased their prowess. As two-time champions, Ivory Coast was anticipated to make a strong start against Guinea Bissau. The latter ranks outside the top 100 in the world rankings and hence was the clear underdog.

Group A

• Ivory Coast 2 – 0 Guinea Bissau
• Nigeria 1 – 1 Equatorial Guinea

Seko Fofana provided the Elephants with an ideal beginning. He unleashed a powerful strike from just inside the area in the fourth minute. Jean-Philippe Krasso extended the lead in the second half, displaying skilful control under pressure in the box and hooking in a left-footed shot from eight yards out. Despite the absence of first-choice striker Sebastien Haller, Ivory Coast demonstrated their determination for a third continental triumph after previous successes in 1992 and 2015. Guinea-Bissau’s Mama Balde missed a golden opportunity in the first half, and Djoco’s save denied Fofana’s impressive effort. The Djurtus, participating in their fourth consecutive AFCON, were unable to score. Hence their quest for a first win at the finals continues.

In the second game of Group A Victor Osimhen’s swift equalizer spared Nigeria from a surprising setback in their opening game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations against Equatorial Guinea. Even, in all honesty, Nigerian fans and bookies alike were expecting a Nigeria win in their Matchday 1 AFCON game. Following Iban Salvador’s opener for the underdogs, Osimhen quickly nodded in the equalising goal. Despite Salvador’s elegant first-half finish being Equatorial Guinea’s sole attempt on target, it briefly posed a threat of a significant upset in the tournament’s second game. The Super Eagles were dominant through most of the match however Equatorial Guinea managed to hold their ground for the remainder of the match.

Overall Nigeria’s frustration grows as they are now without a win in four matches. This puts a lot of pressure on the team as well as coach Jose Peseiro. The Super Eagles have to show a lot more in their second group game against Ivory Coast.

Group B Matchday 1 Results

• Egypt 2 – 2 Mozambique
• Ghana 1 – 2 Cape Verde

Salah’s injury-time penalty rescued Egypt from a potential setback in their AFCON Matchday 1 Group B game against Mozambique. A routine victory seemed likely when Mostafa Mohamed gave the Pharaohs the lead after just 89 seconds. However, quickfire second-half goals from Witi and Clesio brought hope for Mozambique to secure their first-ever AFCON win. However, the Mambas’ dreams ended in extra time when Domingos Macandza fouled Mohamed, leading to Salah converting a penalty. Despite their early lead, seven-time champions Egypt struggled to display fluid attacking play, with Salah unable to significantly influence. The Liverpool forward, aspiring to win his first Nations Cup, needs a better performance from the team if Egypt aims to achieve that goal.

The initial surprise of the tournament happened in the second game of this group and involved our Black Stars. Ghana continued their disappointing AFCON campaign with a 2-1 loss. Following their 3-2 defeat to Comoros in the 2021 AFCON, Chris Hughton’s AFCON debut did not bring about a turnaround for the Black Stars. On the day when Andre Ayew matched Rigobert Song’s record by participating in his eighth AFCON tournament, the Black Stars conceded an early goal from Jamiro Monteiro in the first half. Then Ghana stages a comeback and equalising through a stooping header from central defender Alexander Djiku. It could have been a draw until the second minute of added time. A miscommunication between Djiku and Mohammed Salisu allowed Cape Verde’s Garry Rodrigues to secure a memorable victory with a tap-in.

After Matchday 1 of the Group Stage Mozambique must wait until their fixture against Cape Verde for another chance to secure their first AFCON win. On the other side Egypt and Ghana face a heavyweight clash in their upcoming game on Thursday.

Group C

• Senegal 3 – 0 Gambia
• Cameroon 1 – 1 Guinea

Senegal kicked off their Africa Cup of Nations title defence with a convincing 3-0 triumph over a 10-player Gambia in their Matchday 1 game of AFCON Group C. In the opening Group C clash Pape Gueye set the tone for Senegal by scoring in the fourth minute. Lamine Camara, the 20-year-old Young African Player of the Year in 2023, showcased his talent with two goals. The first one happened seven minutes into the second half and a sublime second into the top corner four minutes from the final whistle. Gambia faced an uphill battle after Ebou Adams received a red card for a needless stamp on Camara just before halftime, reducing them to 10 players. Senegal capitalized on the advantage, with Gueye’s early goal and Camara’s impressive finishes securing a comfortable victory. Senegal’s victory restored confidence in them being able to repeat their 2021 victory.

The second matchday 1 of AFCON group C between Cameroon and Guinea ended in a draw. Cameroon, without their injured captain Vincent Aboubakar, opted for Fabrice Ondoa in goal due to travel disruptions caused by adverse weather conditions for his cousin Andre Onana. Guinea, missing Stuttgart star striker Serhou Guirassy, took an early lead through Mohamed Bayo. Then their captain Francois Kamano was sent off in first-half stoppage time after a VAR review for stepping on Frank Magri’s foot. Magri’s header equalised six minutes into the second half. However, despite being five-time African champions, Cameroon couldn’t break through Guinea’s well-organized defence to secure a victory.

Group D

• Algeria 1 – 1 Angola
• Burkina Faso 1 – 0 Mauritania

In their Africa Cup of Nations opener, Burkina Faso secured a 1-0 victory over Mauritania with Bertrand Traore delivering a late penalty. The decisive goal came in added time, settling this Matchday 1 Afcon Group D clash. Burkina Faso had scored in their previous 14 AFCON matches. Hence a goal was nearly expected, even so it took a penalty and extra time. That is to say there were chances on both sides. Mauritania, having scored only one goal in the history of the tournament, couldn’t break their goalless streak since 2019. Burkina Faso goalkeeper Herve Koffi denied Sidi Amar in the second half before Traore’s late goal settled the contest. For Burkina Faso’s this win is their first one in an AFCON opening game in 13 attempts.

The second Matchday 1 game in AFCON Group D between Algeria and Angola ended in a draw. This outcome is a very frustrating start for Algeria’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign. Baghdad Bounedjah provided Algeria with an early lead, but in the second half, Mabululu equalised for Angola. Mabululu converted the rebound after his penalty struck the crossbar. This secures a crucial point for Angola in this Group D encounter. Now Algeria has to really show what they are capable of. They definitely want to avoid a repeat of their disappointing 2022 campaign when, as defending champions, they exited in the group stages without a win. Let’s see if they can navigate a more successful path in this AFCON 2023 tournament.

Group E

• Tunisia 0 – 1 Namibia
• Mali 2 – 0 South Africa

South Africa’s Bafana Bafana experienced a setback in their AFCON opener against the Mali’s Eagles. Despite a good performance in the first half, their spirits were dampened by a missed penalty in the 19th minute. Following this disappointment, Mali displayed unwavering determination in the second half, securing a victory. The pivotal moment came with a goal in the 60th minute, followed by another six minutes later.With this win Mali currently takes the lead in Group E.

In the second game of this group Namibia made history by causing a significant upset in the tournament, defeating 2004 champions Tunisia 1-0. Namibia is participating in the Africa Cup for only the fourth time and has so far always finished at the bottom of its group. With their win on Matchday 1 against Tunisia this could change during this AFCON.

Looking ahead to Matchday 2, South Africa faces Namibia, while Mali will meet Tunisia.

Group F

• Morocco 3- 0 Tanzania
• DR Congo 1 – 1 Zambia

Morocco, on of the favourites to win after their historic run to the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup, kicked off their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a dominant win over 10-man Tanzania in Group F. The Atlas Lions seized the lead in the 30th minute when Romain Saiss capitalized on Hakim Ziyech’s swerving free-kick, which was parried back into the danger zone. Tanzania’s challenges increased as Novatus Miroshi received a red card with 20 minutes remaining. Azzedine Ounahi extended Morocco’s lead with a polished finish. The victory was sealed when Youssef En-Nesyri converted Achraf Hakimi’s cross, solidifying Morocco’s strong start to the tournament.

The opening round of group games concluded with a 1-1 draw between Zambia and DR Congo. In a match where the flow of play seemed to favour one side, Kings Kangwa capitalised on a defensive mix-up, surprising everyone by putting Zambia ahead in the 23rd minute. However, the Leopards swiftly responded, and just four minutes later, Brentford forward Yoane Wissa netted a close-range equalizer in the Group F encounter. DR Congo found themselves with an opportunity to take the lead in the second half when they were awarded a penalty for a handball. However, this decision was overturned following a thorough video review.

AFCON Group Stage Matchday 1 – Final Words

That is to say there were a couple of unexpected outcomes on Matchday 1 of the AFCON 2023. Cape Verde’s 2-1 victory over our Black Stars late in the game is definitely a drawback. But neither Egypt or Nigeria showed their expected performances. Contrary to the expectations of many pundits, some favourites are encountering resistance as the underdogs assert themselves in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. Matchday 1 of the AFCON group stage saw across the 12 games, a total of 27 goals, including five draws and some confidence-shaking defeats. Let’s see if the second matchday sees more surprising results where underdogs outperform heavyweight opponents. Remember that you can bet on all AFCON games both pre-match as well as live at PrideBet Ghana. Also keep an eye on the promotions page as many games see boosted odds.