Equatorial Guinea showed superiority with a convincing 4-0 win over host Ivory Coast.
It was Equatorial Guinea's last group-stage match, and they qualified for the next round of the tournament in style.
They started with a first-half goal scored by the man of the moment, Emilio Nsue.
Ivory Coast had a goal at the back of the net, but it was ruled out for offside.
A free kick by the Equatorial Guinea side ended Ivory Coast's hope of coming back into the game.
Equatorial Guinea striker Nsue scored his fifth goal of the tournament via a counterattack to place Ivory Coast on the uncertainty of remaining in the tournament.
Substitute Jannick Buyla scored the final goal for Equatorial Guinea, with the host, Ivory Coast, bowing out of the tournament embarrassed.
How Equatorial Guinea defeated Ivory Coast 4-0 in the African Cup of Nations
Equatorial Guinea's first goal came as a shock to the Ivory Coast side. The man of the moment, Emilio Nsue, put the ball into the Ivory Coast net in the 40th minute of the match.
Ivory Coast had the ball at the back of the net after Ibrahim Sangare's attempt. However, due to VAR intervention, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Owuwo was forced into action in the 58th minute by Kouame.
The Equatorial Guinea side almost conceded from the corner kick, but the Ivory Coast attempt was not clinical enough to go into the net.
Nicholas Pepe made a shot attempt from the left side of the pitch, but his attempt went wide. The Ivory Coast fans looked frustrated with how the team had played so far.
In the 67th minute of the match, Ivory Coast had the ball at the back of the net for the second time in the game, but it was ruled out for offside.
In the 69th minute of the match, Ivory Coast called the referee's attention to two penalties, but the referee waived them off, with the Ivorian players showing how frustrated they were.
Equatorial Guinea extended their lead with a beautiful free kick from Garnet, who hit the ball extensively to secure all three points against Ivory Coast.
Emilio Nsue nailed the host country with a fantastic goal in the 75th minute of the match to capitalize on their losses in the game, making the score line 3-0 against Ivory Coast.
It was a total humiliation on the Ivory Coast fan's side; they could not bear their team losing at home against Equatorial Guinea in the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
Equatorial Guinea scored the fourth goal of the match through Jannick Buyla.
The substitute who replaced Guinea defender Miranda continued to embarrass Ivory Coast with beautiful movements.
Equatorial Guinea ended the match as the winners of Group A. It was an interesting journey for them, despite playing a 1-1 draw with the Super Eagles in their first match.
What Next for Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast
Equatorial Guinea ended Group A as winners and are expected to face the runners-up of Group B in the next round of the tournament.
Ivory Coast, who could be out of the tournament pending how other group stage matches end, will play against Gabon on June 24, 2024, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
It was Equatorial Guinea's last group-stage match, and they qualified for the next round of the tournament in style.
They started with a first-half goal scored by the man of the moment, Emilio Nsue.
Ivory Coast had a goal at the back of the net, but it was ruled out for offside.
A free kick by the Equatorial Guinea side ended Ivory Coast's hope of coming back into the game.
Equatorial Guinea striker Nsue scored his fifth goal of the tournament via a counterattack to place Ivory Coast on the uncertainty of remaining in the tournament.
Substitute Jannick Buyla scored the final goal for Equatorial Guinea, with the host, Ivory Coast, bowing out of the tournament embarrassed.
How Equatorial Guinea defeated Ivory Coast 4-0 in the African Cup of Nations
Equatorial Guinea's first goal came as a shock to the Ivory Coast side. The man of the moment, Emilio Nsue, put the ball into the Ivory Coast net in the 40th minute of the match.
Ivory Coast had the ball at the back of the net after Ibrahim Sangare's attempt. However, due to VAR intervention, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Equatorial Guinea goalkeeper Owuwo was forced into action in the 58th minute by Kouame.
The Equatorial Guinea side almost conceded from the corner kick, but the Ivory Coast attempt was not clinical enough to go into the net.
Nicholas Pepe made a shot attempt from the left side of the pitch, but his attempt went wide. The Ivory Coast fans looked frustrated with how the team had played so far.
In the 67th minute of the match, Ivory Coast had the ball at the back of the net for the second time in the game, but it was ruled out for offside.
In the 69th minute of the match, Ivory Coast called the referee's attention to two penalties, but the referee waived them off, with the Ivorian players showing how frustrated they were.
Equatorial Guinea extended their lead with a beautiful free kick from Garnet, who hit the ball extensively to secure all three points against Ivory Coast.
Emilio Nsue nailed the host country with a fantastic goal in the 75th minute of the match to capitalize on their losses in the game, making the score line 3-0 against Ivory Coast.
It was a total humiliation on the Ivory Coast fan's side; they could not bear their team losing at home against Equatorial Guinea in the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
Equatorial Guinea scored the fourth goal of the match through Jannick Buyla.
The substitute who replaced Guinea defender Miranda continued to embarrass Ivory Coast with beautiful movements.
Equatorial Guinea ended the match as the winners of Group A. It was an interesting journey for them, despite playing a 1-1 draw with the Super Eagles in their first match.
What Next for Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast
Equatorial Guinea ended Group A as winners and are expected to face the runners-up of Group B in the next round of the tournament.
Ivory Coast, who could be out of the tournament pending how other group stage matches end, will play against Gabon on June 24, 2024, in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.