Nigeria and 6 other teams are in the last 16 of AFCON, 3 others hope to qualify as best-placed third teams, while 3 have been eliminated
Ghana is the only former champion out of the tournament, although Tunisia and Algeria also face the risk of being knocked out
By Kehinde Okeowo
Seven national teams are through to rounds of 16 of the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which is ongoing in Cameroon.
Senegal, Guinea, and Gabon on Tuesday, became the latest addition to the countries that have booked their place in the 2021 AFCON last-16, joining four others who are already through.
The other four countries that have since booked their place in the AFCON round of 16 are Cameroon, Morocco, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso.
Senegal topped group B with 5 points after playing a 0-0 draw with Malawi, while Guinea finished in the second position with 4 points after a shocking 2-1 loss to Zimbabwe.
Morocco on the other hand had qualified and were only fighting to top Group C, they eventually achieved the goal with 7 points, after coming back from behind twice against Gabon, who finished in the second position with 5 points.
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Cameroon were the first team to qualify for the AFCON round of 16 after wins over Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Morocco joined them as the second nation to qualify after two victories over Ghana and Comoros.
Nigeria, on the other hand, qualified for the AFCON last-16 and topped Group D with a game to spare after beating Egypt and Sudan in their group games.
Cape Verde, Malawi, and Comoros Island face an anxious wait to know if they will qualify as the best-placed third teams after finishing third in their respective groups.
Meanwhile, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe have been eliminated from the competition after finishing bottom of their groups.
Eleven other teams in Group D, E, and F can also join the 7 teams that have qualified if they finish top, second, or as one of the 4 best-placed third teams.
The elimination of the Black Stars of Ghana from the tournament at the group stages remains the only upset so far, However, defending champions Algeria and Tunisia are also at risk of being knocked out.