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AFCON: Equatorial Guinea stun holders, goalkeeper's howler helps Sierra Leone hold Ivory Coast, Tunisia win big win, Mali are held

Equatorial Guinea players show their delight after the game
Equatorial Guinea players show their delight after the game

Esteban Obiang scored 20 minutes from time as Equatorial Guinea pulled off one of the great Africa Cup of Nations finals upsets with a 1-0 win over defending champions Algeria on Sunday.

The shock Group E result leaves Algeria bottom of the standings and needing a win in their last group game against the Ivory Coast on Thursday to stand any chance of advancing.

Obiang struck from a corner as the tiny nation of 1.4-million ended Algeria's run of 35 unbeaten internationals, inflicting their first defeat since October 2018.

A goalkeeping howler handed Sierra Leone a dramatic last-gasp equaliser that secured a 2-2 draw with Ivory Coast in thei other group clash in Douala.

Goalkeeper Badra Ali Sangare lost control of the ball and spilt it for Sierra Leone's Alhaji Kamara to snatch a 95th-minute goal as they grabbed their second point of the tournament after holding defending champions Algeria 0-0 last week.

Sebastien Haller scored first to put Ivory Coast ahead at half-time but 21-year-old Musa Kamara equalised for Sierra Leone before Nicolas Pepe restored the Ivorians' lead.

Hamza Mathlouthi and Wahbi Khazri scored goals inside the opening nine minutes to set up a comfortable 4-0 victory for Tunisia over Mauritania in their Group F match at the Limbe Stadium.

Khazri added another in the second half and then laid on a fourth for Seifeddine Jaziri as Tunisia were vastly improved, having lost their opener to Mali in controversial fashion when Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe erred by twice ending the game before the 90 minutes.

Former Sunderland midfielder Wahbi Khazri (2L) celebrates with team-mates

Tunisia, who missed a late penalty from Youssef Msakni, have three points from their opening two matches and are in third in the group behind Gambia and Mali, who have four points each. Mauritania will finish bottom after two defeats.

Tunisia now meet surprise package Gambia in their final pool match on Thursday, while Mali tackle Mauritania. The top two teams in each group advance to the second round, along with the four best third-place finishers across the six pools.

Earlier, two late penalties awarded after intervention by the Video Assistant Referee saw debutants Gambia hold Mali to a 1-1 draw in Limbe as the teams stayed joint top of the Group F standings.

Gambia equalised in the last minute through Musa Barrow after a handball decision against Mali, who had led for 10 minutes after Ibrahima Kone converted a spot-kick.

Both penalties were awarded after the VAR advised Moroccan referee Samir Guezzaz to view the incidents on the pitchside screen.

Mali's midfielder Adama Malouda Traore (L) fights for the ball with Gambia's defender Ibou Touray

Mali's was belatedly given after Adama Nos Traore had been tugged down in the area. Mali had laid siege to Gambia’s goal for much of the game and deserved to finally make the breakthrough.

But Gambia, competing at their first finals and having beaten Mauritania in their opening game, won a penalty of their own in the last minute when Yves Bissouma handled an attempted cross by Ebrima Colley.

Gambia goalkeeper Modou Jobe made several point-blank stops in the second half to keep his goal intact.

But it was Gambia who went closest to scoring before the two spot-kicks when after 20 minutes Barrow thumped an ambitious free kick, taken from midway between the halfway line and the edge of the penalty area, against the crossbar.

He had another set-piece opportunity, from much closer in, seven minutes before half-time and again hit the woodwork.

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