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The third and final day of the group stage in the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) concluded on Wednesday evening. Five Arab teams were competing for the trophy.

The names of the sixteen teams that will compete in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations, currently taking place in Ivory Coast, have been announced. Among the five teams representing Arab nations vying for the trophy, three have successfully qualified for the Round of 16. This is Beirut has the latest update.


Egypt

Egypt secured a spot in Group B in the knockout stage just in time, alongside Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Ghana. In a surprising, if not unconventional, manner, they achieved this without winning a single match: three draws, each ending with a score of two goals apiece.

In the Round of 16, the Pharaohs, however, cannot afford to settle for a draw and must secure a victory to advance to the quarterfinals. To achieve this, they will need to defeat the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which, like Egypt, also secured three draws during the group stage.

Injured during the match against Ghana, the star player of the Egyptian national team, Mohamed Salah, is expected to be absent for the remaining matches of the tournament.

Mauritania

In Group D, after two defeats against Burkina Faso and Angola, Mauritania finally qualified on Tuesday evening for the Round of 16 by triumphing over Algeria with the narrowest of scores (1-0). This success holds double historical significance for the “Mourabitoun,” as it marks their first-ever victory in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations and their first qualification for the competition’s Round of 16.

It is worth mentioning that this Mauritanian victory marks the end of the journey for Algeria. The Fennecs finished last in their group and, as in the 2022 AFCON, were eliminated in the first round. However, if the “Mourabitoun” aspires to advance further in the competition, they would need to beat Cape Verde, the first team to qualify for the Round of 16, bolstered by two victories in the group stage.

Morocco

The last Arab team to qualify for the Round of 16 is Morocco. In Group F, the Atlas Lions finished first with two victories against Tanzania and Zambia, along with a draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Morocco, a semi-finalist in the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar, is the only team from the Maghreb countries to advance to the Round of 16, following Tunisia’s exit (after two draws against Mali and South Africa, along with a defeat against Namibia). In the Round of 16, the Moroccans will face the South Africans.

The knockout stage is set to kick off on Saturday, January 27, and will run through Tuesday, January 30. Acknowledged as one of the prime contenders in the competition, with three victories in as many matches, the defending champion, Senegal, aims to bolster its dominance in African football. Will it be defeated by one of the participating Arab teams? The coming few days will tell.