Overview
- CAF published the full knockout schedule for January 3–6, including Algeria vs DR Congo on January 6 in Rabat, Morocco vs Tanzania on January 4 in Agadir, and Senegal vs Sudan on January 3 in Tangier.
- Senegal secured first place in Group D by beating Benin 3-0, with Kalidou Koulibaly sent off and Cherif Ndiaye scoring a stoppage-time penalty.
- Algeria defeated Equatorial Guinea 3-1 with a heavily rotated side to complete three wins from three and confirm a last-16 meeting with DR Congo.
- Côte d’Ivoire topped Group F with a 3-2 stoppage-time win over Gabon as Cameroon beat Mozambique 2-1 to finish second, while Mozambique advanced to a first-ever AFCON knockout to face Nigeria on January 5 in Fes.
- Tunisia’s 1-1 draw with Tanzania secured qualification for both, with Tanzania advancing as one of the best third-placed teams to finalize the field of 16.