Ivory Coast’s dreams of success at the Africa Cup of Nations were shattered as they suffered a shocking 4-0 defeat to Equatorial Guinea, placing them on the brink of elimination from their own tournament.

The host nation, Ivory Coast, finished third in Group A, leaving them with only a slim chance of advancing to the next stage. Equatorial Guinea emerged as the surprise group winners, surpassing even Nigeria in the standings.

The defeat for Ivory Coast was compounded by two additional goals from Emilio Nsue, the hat-trick hero from their previous victory against Guinea-Bissau, along with strikes from Pablo Ganet and substitute Jannick Buyla.

Despite Ivory Coast having two goals disallowed for offside and squandering several scoring opportunities, Equatorial Guinea maintained control throughout the match. The Elephants now face an agonising wait until the conclusion of the group stage on Wednesday evening to determine their fate.

The Elephants had moments that could have altered the course of the game, including a potential penalty when Nicolas Pepe was fouled in the area, but the opportunity was missed. VAR played a significant role, confirming offside decisions that nullified goals and intensified the disappointment for the hosts.

Equatorial Guinea’s dominance was evident when Akapo set up Nsue for a goal just before half-time. The 34-year-old former Birmingham and Middlesbrough full-back, captaining his country, showcased his experience by calmly slotting the ball into the net.

Despite efforts to mount a comeback, including denied chances and disallowed goals, Ivory Coast couldn’t overcome Equatorial Guinea’s resilience. A curling free-kick from Ganet in the 67th minute and a counter-attack led by Jose Machin resulting in Nsue’s second goal sealed their fate.

In the closing minutes, substitute Jannick Buyla hammered the final blow, securing a comprehensive 4-0 victory for Equatorial Guinea and completing what could be considered one of the biggest upsets in AFCON history.

The Elephants now face an uncertain future in the tournament, relying on other results to determine if they can progress to the next stage. Ghana’s capitulation helped in that regard however.