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| 2019 Africa Cup of Nations |
|---|
| Host country: Egypt Appointment: June 21 – July 19, 2019 |
| Blanket: Textual comments and match reports selected on the BBC Sport website and application |
Madagascar created a huge surprise on the 17th day, as African Nations Cup beginners qualified for the quarterfinals with a shootout victory in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Algeria has joined the handcuffs in the last eight games with a comfortable victory against Guinea. So what can we expect from day 18?
Côte d 'Ivoire and Ghana are both in action as the round of 16 ends.
Who plays?
Mali will play his first knockout match at the Africa Cup of Nations since his third place in 2013 while he faces two champions Ivory Coast at Suez (5:00 pm BST).
The final 16 games of the tournament are between Ghana and Tunisia in Ismailia at 20:00.
African Cup of Nations 16 last
- Morocco 1-1 Benign (Benin wins 4-1 on penalties)
- Uganda 0-1 Senegal
- Nigeria 3-2 Cameroon
- Egypt 0-1 South Africa
- Madagascar 2-2 DR Congo (Madagascar wins 4-2 on penalties)
- Algeria 3-0 Guinea
- Mali v Ivory Coast
- Ghana v Tunisia
Players to watch
Mali v Ivory Coast
| Wilfried Zaha |
|---|
| National team: Ivory Coast Position: To the front Club: Crystal Palace Age: 26 |
Wilfried Zaha played only 111 minutes out of 270 in the group stages but still managed to score in his last match against Namibia on 1 July.
Will he start against Mali?
The future of Zaha's club may be uncertain – Arsenal has offered £ 40m to the winger – but the player insists that he focuses on helping the Coast win Ivory on Afcon for the third time.
"The only thing that concerns me right now is trying to win this cup," he told the Egyptian press.
Ghana v Tunisia
| Jordan Ayew |
|---|
| National team: Ghana Position: To the front Club: Swansea City Age: 27 |
Jordan Ayew is another player at Afcon whose future club is subject to speculation.
Ayew is expected to return to Crystal Palace after being loaned to Swansea's Selhurst Park last season.
The deal could be delayed until his return from Egypt, where Ayew – alongside his brother André – helped the Black Stars qualify for the knockout stages.
How are the quarter-finals
- Senegal v Benin – July 10, Cairo
- Nigeria v South Africa – July 10, Cairo
- Madagascar v Ghana / Tunisia – July 11, Cairo
- Mali / Ivory Coast / Algeria – July 11, Suez
What are the big stories of the day?
Following the release of Cameroon and Egypt host, Ghana hope to win a fifth victory of the Africa Cup of Nations – and a first since 1982.
The Black Stars have won only one of their group matches but have nevertheless finished ahead of Cameroon and remain undefeated.
"We are not favorites after the former champions and tournament organizers, as well as Morocco," said Ghana's head coach James Kwesi Appiah.
"As you see in this competition, there are no favorites but we will do our best to continue."
Ghana is facing Tunisia team that has not yet won in Egypt. Three draws against Angola, Mali and Mauritania were enough to face them.
From Mali The players are determined to "write the story," according to boss Mohamed Magbadouba.
Talk before the last match of 16 with Ivory Coast, He added, "To do this, we need humility and self-sacrifice, we want people in Mali to be happy."
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