Champions stunned in shock loss

Defending champions Algeria lost 1-0 to Equatorial Guinea yesterday in one of the biggest-ever upsets at the African Cup of Nations, with a defender who was playing in the fifth tier in Spain last year scoring the goal that beat Riyad Mahrez and his superstar teammates.

Esteban Obiang arrived at the back post to connect with a corner in the 70th minute for Equatorial Guinea’s winner, ending a four-year unbeaten run for the African champions and leaving their title defence in Cameroon in pieces.

Algeria launched attack after desperate attack on the Equatorial Guinea goal in the last 10 minutes but Mahrez and his team couldn’t find a way past 20-year-old goalkeeper Jesu´s Owono.

Algeria had two goals correctly disallowed for offside, one in the first half and one in that frantic search for an equaliser.

After being surprisingly held 0-0 by Sierra Leone in their first game, Algeria are bottom of Group E going into their final group game against former champions Ivory Coast.

It seemed the African Cup could not possibly throw up any more surprises yesterday after minnows Sierra Leone and Gambia had secured draws dripping with drama.

Sierra Leone capitalised on a terrible goalkeeping error deep in injury time for a 2-2 draw against twotime champions Ivory Coast in the other Group E game.

And Gambia converted a 90thminute penalty for a 1-1 draw with Mali that left tournament debutants Gambia incredibly at the top of Group F ahead of former champions Tunisia and Mali with just one more round of group games to play.

In yesterday’s only game that went according to expectations, Tunisia beat Mauritania 4-0.