Following an eventful conclusion of the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, sixty-eight goals were scored and ten of them came from spot kicks after thirty-six matches. 

The knockout phase of the tourney will see sixteen teams continue their quest; Group winners and runners-up from each of six groups joined by the four best losers who are the four best-ranked third-place nations in their groups. Cape Verde, Malawi, Tunisia and Comoros got the best third-place finish spots

Teams that made it to the Knockout phase are: Egypt, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Mali, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Guinea, Gambia, Morocco, Malawi, Tunisia and Gabon.

The group stage came with lots of surprises, controversies, and upsets. Four-time Africa cup of Nations champions Ghana failed to win a match and were defeated by debutant Comoros Island in their last group game.

The black stars of Ghana were joined by the Defending champions Algeria in the early exit of AFCON after losing two games in their group, scoring one goal in three games with Gambia and Comoros making history as the first two debutants to qualify for the round of 16 since 1965.

Senegal finished top of Group B with 5 points (W1 D2), becoming the first side since Zambia in 1994 to win their group while scoring only once while Cameroon have scored the most goals at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations so far (7) with Cameroon’s striker and Captain Vincent Aboubakar currently the top scorer with five goals

Super Eagles of Nigeria being the only team in the tournament to win all group stage fixtures topped the Log in Group D will lock horns with Tunisia at Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua. The last time just one nation managed to finish the group stage with maximum points at the AFCON was in 2010 with Egypt being the team and the eventual winners.

With 10 players currently isolating after positive Covid-19 tests, the Carthage Eagles qualified despite losing two matches in two matches in Group F but scaled through as one of the best third-placed teams in the competition. The last time both teams met at the AFCON was in Egypt, where Nigeria claimed a 1-0 victory to clinch the bronze medal. The winner from Nigeria Vs Tunisia's encounter will face Burkina Faso or Gabon in the Quarter-finals.

Both teams have met 20 times in the past. The Super Eagles won six, drew eight, while Tunisia won six. Super Eagles last lost to the Tunisians in 2004 in an AFCON semi-final match, which ended 1-1 during regulation time with the North African nation winning 5-3 on penalties. In 2006, Austin Eguavoen finished the group stage with 9 points (three wins), met Tunisia in the quarter-final, and defeated them via penalties

Burkina Faso will face Gabon at the Limbe Stadium. The Stallions qualified for the round of 16 despite a defeat to host on an opening day in Group A, defeated Cape Verde and a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia while Gabon’s five points without captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who returned to Arsenal after being diagnosed with heart lesions following a positive Covid-19 test finished as runners-up in Group C after defeating Comoros and two draws against Ghana and Morocco.

Head-to-head (h2h) history and results

Burkina Faso wins: 4

Draws: 7

Gabon wins: 8

Following the conclusion of the Group Stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, Nigeria’s quest for a fourth AFCON trophy in Garoua continues as the Super Eagles will take on another Eagle, the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia in the Round of 16 at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon on Sunday.

Austin Eguavoen and Super Eagles are familiar foes with the Tunisians, in 2006 when Eguavoen led the Eagles to the nations cup and won all group stage fixtures, Nigeria defated Tunisia in the quarter final on penalties and the last time both teams met at the AFCON was in Egypt, where the Super Eagles claimed 1-0 victory to win the bronze medal.

The Super Eagles finished top of Group D ahead of Egypt, Sudan and Guinea-Bissau, scoring six goals and conceded one, winning all their three group stage games while the Carthage Eagles lost 1-0 to Gambia in their final Group F clash but qualified for the knockout stage as the best losers in their group behind Gambia and Mali.

The match will be held on Sunday at the Roumde Adjia Stadium in Garoua. The winner from the encounter will face either Burkina Faso or Gabon in the quarter-finals.

Against all odds, the much anticipated 33rd edition of the rescheduled African Cup of Nations eventually kicked off in Cameroon as the host came from a goal down to win 2-1 over Burkina Faso at the Olembe Stadium.

African biggest stars across Europe flying the colors of their national teams, as 24 nations compete against each other to determine the next champion of the continent, grabbing the attention of the world with the biggest football showpiece on the African continent.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria's quest for a fourth title has been marred with lots of crises from missing a couple of players due to injuries, COVID restrictions, and the Club's refusal to release them for National duties. Emmanuel Dennis of Watford and Odion Ighalo who retired after the last edition of the tourney as the top scorer were both not released by their respective teams while Victor Osimhen of Napoli got injured but recovered did not get the green light from the Italian club to be part of the Nigerian National team in Cameroon.

Another setback is the sacking of the Super Eagles gaffer a few weeks before the AFCON after a five-year reign of instability and no progression though it came too late, it has been long coming but the Nigerian Football Federation left it late to make things difficult for Former Super Eagles captain and Technical Director of the NFF, Austin Eguavoen who is now the interim coach that will be leading the team from the sidelines in Cameroon.

With the Super Eagles opening their campaign with a fixture against not just record winners of the competition, Egypt will be led by one of the best footballers in the world Mohammed Salah. Nigerians home and abroad are Keeping their optimism but are keeping it in the realm of reality with many not expecting much from the team.

The quest for the fourth looks unrealistic, the Super Eagles might be cast in bronze but still capable of putting things truly Golden, it's the ‘spirit of Naija no dey carry last’. The team is capable of defying odds especially in a competition the African Giants have participated in 18 times and made it to the podium 15 times, winning the tournament in 1980, 1994 and 2013. The last time the team returned home empty-handed was in Ghana in 2008 when German coach Berti Vogts led the Eagles to their worst outing on the continent since Libya 1982.

Despite the crisis and drama surrounding the team, there are so many players in the squad who have a lot to prove and with many not expecting much from them it could be an opportunity to play under no pressure with interim Coach Eguavoen in line to make history as the third person to win the trophy both as manager and player.