IFFHS STATISTICS AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS
Record equaled, for the 16th time in the last four
Yesterday, the Nigerian national team qualified for the semi-finals after beating their Angolan counterpart in the first meeting between the two teams in the final phase and in the first quarter-finals of the current edition.
This is the 57th victory for the Nigerian team, the second most victorious team in the history of the competition.
Of these, 22 were 1-0 victories, in the 102 matches played by the Nigerian team in the final stages.
While the Angolan team was led to its tenth and fourth defeat with the same result, in 31 matches played in the competition.
The Nigerian team secured a place in the last four for the 16th time out of a total of 20 participations, a record equaled in the history of the CAN, preceded by the Egyptian team in 26 participations.
On the other hand, the march of the Angolan team was stopped in the quarter-finals, achieving its best result for the third time in a total of 9 participations in the competition.
Yesterday's confrontation between PESEIRO and SOARES GONCALVES is the third between two Portuguese coaches in the final stages after the 2002 edition (between QUEIROS and COELHO) and the last edition (between QUEIROS and CONCEICAO).
Yesterday's match, led by referee Issa SY, was his third in the current edition and his fifth in the African Cup of Nations, and he bears the number 50 of Senegalese referees in the history of the competition.
Ademola Lookman scored the only goal in the 41st minute with his left foot in the right camp, taking his tally to 5 goals with his country, including 3 goals in the current version.
The Nigerian team achieved its fourth consecutive victory (two victories in the white jersey and two victories in the green jersey), as the team with the most victories in the current edition.
Note that the total number of matches of the teams having worn the green jersey in the current edition was: 2 victories, 5 draws and 8 defeats.
After 22 years, the Nigerian team equaled its streak, which it had achieved for the first time in 1980 during an edition which it hosted and repeated during the 2002 edition in Mali, where its net remained net in four consecutive matches.
This is the best series of the Nigerian team in an edition of the African Cup of Nations.
Contributing to this series was Stanley NWABALI, who became the ninth goalkeeper and the first Nigerian to keep a clean sheet for over 400 minutes in an edition of the competition.
With a streak of 404 minutes without conceding a goal, Stanley ranks second behind his compatriot Ike SHORUNMU, who did not concede a goal for 447 consecutive minutes between the 2000 and 2002 editions in the clean sheet ranking of all goalkeepers in the Nigerian team in the final stages.
Thus, NWABALI is one of the 16 best clean sheet goalkeepers of all time in the African Cup of Nations since 1957.
After 50 years
Yesterday, the Democratic Republic of Congo secured a place in the final four thanks to its second victory, after 50 years, over the Guinean team in the fourth meeting between the two teams in the final stages.
This is the 21st victory and the third (3-1) for the Democratic Republic of Congo team in 78 matches played in the final stages.
While the Guinean team suffered its 18th defeat and the first by the same score, out of the 52 matches it played in the competition.
The Democratic Republic of Congo team qualified for the semi-finals after 9 years and for the sixth time out of a total of 20 participations.
On the other hand, the Guinean team, as usual, failed to advance beyond the quarter-finals for the fifth time.
Note that the Guinean team ranked second during the tenth edition, organized by Ethiopia in 1976 and which included 8 teams and played according to the two-group system in the first round, then in the second round with only one group which played for the coronation.
Mohamed BAYO scored from the penalty spot in the 20th minute with his right foot in the left camp, bringing his score to 7 goals in the Guinean team jersey, including 3 goals in the current edition.
Then Chancel MBEMBA equalized the score in the 27th minute with his left foot following a corner, scoring his sixth international goal.
In the second half, the victory of the Democratic Republic of Congo was confirmed thanks to Yoane WISSA in the 65th minute from a right-footed penalty and Arthur MASUAKU in the 82nd minute from a left-footed direct free kick, scoring his third goal for his country and the third for players who wear number 20 of the current edition.
The Democratic Republic of Congo team won the first victory after 4 draws and the third victory in 10 matches played by the teams having worn the blue jersey during the current edition.
This is the fourth time that the Guinean team has been beaten in a match where it scored first after:
1994 against the Senegal team
2004 against the Mali team
2006 against the Senegal team
On the other hand, the Democratic Republic of Congo returned to victory after 50 years in a match in which it conceded the first goal.
The first time was during the 1974 edition in Egypt, where they beat the host country's team with a score of (3-2) after being down two goals.
Captain Chancel MBEMBA is one of the 5 players on his country's team to have played 480 minutes during the current edition. He participates in his fourth final phase as a starter and brings his total to 18 matches for the African Cup of Nations, equaling the number of the late and compatriot Albert MUKOMBO, after 48 years as a player for the Democratic Republic of Congo with the most matches played at the CAN.
Albert played 18 matches between 1968 and 1976 and Chancel reached the same number between 2015 and 2024.