Football – African Cup | Curse of the champion strikes Ivory Coast, Congo dances on

Congo’s players celebrate at the end of a soccer match against Togo

The curse of the defending champion struck Ivory Coast at the African Cup of Nations and Congo put a strike over money well behind it to dance into the quarterfinals yesterday [Macau time].

The titleholder and a team of big stars from European clubs, Ivory Coast didn’t even make it past the group stage in its defense, crashing out without winning a game.

Ivory Coast needed to beat Morocco in the last round of matches in Group C but lost 1-0 to follow Algeria out of the African championship in Gabon — two big teams gone in the space of 24 hours.

“It’s tough to go out like that in the first round. It’s hard to swallow,” Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie said.

Instead, Congo topped the group with a colorful 3-1 win over Togo in Port-Gentil, where the Congolese players danced in front of their fans for every one of their goals, and again at fulltime.

Congo and Morocco went through and their quarterfinal opponents will be decided today on the last day of the group stage. They joined Burkina Faso, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, and Ghana in the knockouts. One last quarterfinalist out of Egypt and Mali will be decided also today [Macau time].

Ivory Coast, with two draws to start its title defense, was completely flat when it mattered most in Oyem and was outsmarted by Morocco coach Herve Renard, who guided the Ivorians to the title two years ago.

Substitute Rachid Alioui scored Morocco’s goal with a curling long-range shot on a counterattack, deciding a cagey game in which neither team produced an impressive performance but where Morocco didn’t have to make the running.

Alioui’s curler made sure of Ivory Coast’s elimination and continued the recent curse of the champion at the African Cup: In the last four tournaments, the titleholder has struggled badly, or not even made it to the tournament at all. Egypt, winner in 2010, didn’t qualify in 2012. Zambia went out without winning a game in 2013. Nigeria didn’t qualify in 2015. And now Ivory Coast.

“My thoughts are with the people of Ivory Coast, who will be really disappointed,” coach Michel Dussuyer said.

The most compelling performances in Group C came from Congo, a giant of African soccer in the late 1960s and early 70s that fell on real hard times. Congo finished third two years ago, though, and could be a dangerous challenger in the knockout stages in Gabon, especially with Ivory Coast, Algeria, and the host team all gone.

Congo’s style of soccer is fast and exciting and team spirit appears to be strong, in good times and in bad. This tournament began with the players on strike and refusing to train for two days because of a dispute with officials over bonus payments. Then, all of the Congo players stood together in protest. On Tuesday, they all stood together in celebration, lining up on the sideline in front of their fans to shimmy and shake every time they scored at Stade de Port-Gentil.

Congo is most likely to play Ghana or Egypt in the quarterfinals, a game in which they might have been written off a few years ago. Not now.

“We are going to keep going, you know,” Congo midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu said. “When we started this tournament no one would have bet on us. We’re a surprise. We want to go to the final. It’s going to be tough […] but we have quality players.”

Congo led Togo in Port-Gentil with a first-half goal from Junior Kabananga, who has scored in every one of Congo’s games at the tournament. Ndombe Mubele lobbed over Togo substitute goalkeeper Cedric Mensah for a 2-0 lead early in the second half.

Togo, with only a long shot at qualifying for the quarters, pulled it back to 2-1 through Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba.

Congo confirmed itself as group winner and a team to watch when Paul-Jose Mpoku struck a sweet free kick that soared toward the right corner of the goal and bounced down off the crossbar and over the goal-line.

A few of the Congo players stopped and looked at the linesman to be sure the ball crossed the line, but not Mpoku. He was already heading off to the edge of the field to start the dancing. Gerald Imray, Port-Gentil, AP