AFCON: Equatorial Guinea coach stays positive despite Algeria defeat

Equatorial Guinea head coach Juan Micha remained positive in defeat after going down to Algeria in their final group fixture of the Africa Cup of Nations at Stade Moulay Hassan in Rabat, Morocco, on Wednesday.

The Desert Foxes underlined their status as one of the standout after easing to a 3-1 victory over Equatorial Guinea, completing the group stage with a flawless record.

Zineddine Belaïd powered home a header beyond goalkeeper Jesús Owono for the opener before Fares Chaïbi doubled their advantage after finishing confidently after sustained pressure around the penalty area. The third goal arrived when Hadj Moussa set up Ibrahim Maza to strike decisively and leave Les Fennecs firmly in control by the interval.

Speaking after the defeat, Micha conceded as quoted by CAFOnline.com: “The result is not what we had planned for. We came here to win but it was not the case. We really tried to push and change the result.

“It is a disappointing result, but we need to dust ourselves off and continue looking towards the future. Yes, it’s a loss but I think there were a lot of lessons learnt.”

His Algerian counterpart Vladimir Petkovic, said on the win: “I think we had one of the best first half performances. Something interesting is the fact that we had seven players born after the 2000s which is good indication of a bright future.

“It’s a pity we conceded but in the same breath, it was a quality goal that was very difficult to avoid. Otherwise, I am very happy without the group acted and reacted throughout this game and all the group matches. We are looking forward to resting so we can be well prepared for the next match.”

The result sealed top spot in Group E for Algeria, who finished with maximum points, while for Equatorial Guinea, the defeat confirmed a disappointing tournament, ending the group stage without a point after three matches.

AFCON Round of 16 fixtures;

Saturday, 3 January 2026
Senegal vs Sudan
17h00 local time / 16h00 GMT
Grand Stade de Tangier

Mali vs Tunisia
20h00 local time / 19h00 GMT
Stade Mohammed V, Casablanca

Sunday, 4 January 2026
Morocco vs Tanzania
17h00 local time / 16h00 GMT
Stade Prince Moulay Abdellah, Rabat

South Africa vs Cameroon
20h00 local time / 19h00 GMT
Stade Al Medina, Rabat

Monday, 5 January 2026
Egypt vs Benin
17h00 local time / 16h00 GMT
Grand Stade de Agadir
Nigeria vs Mozambique
20h00 local time / 19h00 GMT
Complexe Sportif de Fès

Tuesday, 6 January 2026
Algeria vs DR Congo
17h00 local time / 16h00 GMT
Stade Prince Heritier Moulay El Hassan, Rabat