Reigning champion Ivory Coast crashes out of Africa Cup of Nations
Reigning champion Ivory Coast has crashed out of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in the group stage, eliminated after a 1-0 loss to Morocco on Tuesday.
Congo and Morocco are through from Group C, with substitute Rachid Alioui's 64th-minute goal the difference for Herve Renard's squad against the Ivory Coast at the Stade d'Oyem.
A favorite to win the competition with a roster featuring the likes of Wilfried Bony, Wilfried Zaha, Serge Aurier, Eric Bailly and Salomon Kalou, the Ivory Coast exits without a victory, drawing Congo and Togo prior to Tuesday's loss. It joins another favorite, Algeria, on the outside looking in heading to the knockout stage. Host Gabon, which boasts Borussia Dortmund Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, also failed to reach the knockout stage.
Seven of the eight knockout berths are secure, with Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Senegal, Tunisia, Congo, Morocco and Ghana through. Egypt and Mali remain in contention for the final berth out of Group D, which wraps up play on Wednesday with Egypt playing Ghana and Mali facing Uganda.
