Afcon Group A Permutations – All to play for, for the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde

Previous results 

Cameroon results 
Cameroon 2 – 1 Burkina Faso (WIN)
Cameroon 4 – 1 Ethiopia (WIN) 

Burkina Faso results 
Burkina Faso 1 – 2 Cameroon (LOSS)
Burkina Faso 1 – 0 Cape Verde (WIN)

Cape Verde results 
Cape Verde 1 – 0 Ethiopia (WIN)
Cape Verde 0 – 1 Burkina Faso (LOSS) 

Today’s fixtures 
Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia
Cape Verde vs Cameroon 

The permutations:

As the curtain comes down on group stage matches for Group A, Cape Verde will have all to play for, going into the final group match against hosts, Cameroon. 

The Blue Sharks, as the islanders are affectionately known, have only taken a bite against the group’s whipping boys, Ethiopia, winning 1-0 in their opening encounter. A subsequent loss to Burkina Faso, with whom they are tied on three points apiece, meant they lie third on the group log owing to an inferior head-to-head stat against The Stallions. 

If they win against the high-riding Indomitable Lions on Monday they will most likely finish top of the group with six points, depending on what results Burkina Faso get out of the face-off with Ethiopia, with the likelihood of facing Gabon or Ghana in the Round of 16.  

A draw will earn them a point with a chance to go second, but a draw or win for Burkina Faso will still relegate them to third position, but with a very strong chance of going through as one of the four best third-placed teams. 

However, evening though Cameroon have already qualified for the Round of 16 with Ethiopia already having been eliminated, it doesn’t mean the Indomitable Lions have nothing to play. Winners of Group A, of which the host are already at the top, will face off against one of the best third best-placed teams in the knockout stages – a motivation to get the three points against the Blue Sharks to have an even better chance of facing a ‘struggling’ side in the knockout stages. 

Burkina Faso vs Ethiopia Match Facts:

Burkina Faso and Ethiopia’s only previous encounter in the Africa Cup of Nations took place in the group phase of the 2013 tournament – Burkina Faso won 4-0. It is The Stallions’ biggest victory to date in the tournament. 

Burkina Faso have only lost one of their last five games in the group stage of the Africa Cup of Nations (W2 D2), with that lone defeat coming against Cameroon on MD1. They will be looking to win consecutive games in the group stage of the competition for the first time since February 1998 (v Algeria and Guinea). 

Ethiopia are winless in their last 10 games at the Africa Cup of Nations (D3 L7), and have lost their last four in a row. A defeat here would equal their longest losing run in their history in the competition (five games between 1968 and 1970). 

No player has had more shots (4) or created more chances (6) for Burkina Faso in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations than Gustavo Sangaré. He has been involved in 10 shots, at least four more than any of his teammates in this edition so far. 

Mignot Debebe has registered the most touches (128), passes (110) and clearances (9) among Ethiopian players in the Africa Cup of Nations 2021.

Cape Verde vs Cameroon Match Facts:

This will be the first encounter between Cape Verde and Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations. 

Cape Verde lost 0-1 against Burkina Faso last time out in the Africa Cup of Nations, after only losing one of their first eight games in the competition (W2 D5). 

Cameroon have won both of their games in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations so far (2-1 v Burkina Faso and 4-1 v Ethiopia), while they last won their opening three games in a single edition of the tournament in 2006. 

Cape Verde’s last four games at the Africa Cup of Nations have seen just two goals scored (one for, one against), having kept three clean sheets in this period, but also failing to score on three occasions themselves (W1 D2 L1). 

Cameroon forward Vincent Aboubakar has been directly involved in six goals in his last four appearances at the Africa Cup of Nations (five goals, one assist), while he has netted a brace in both of his games in the current tournament (v Burkina Faso and Ethiopia). 

Qualifying Criteria 

In case of equality between two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be ranked according to the following criteria in the order listed below: 

a)  The greatest number of points obtained in the match between the two teams concerned; 

b)  The goal difference in all group matches; 

c)  The greatest number of goals scored in all group matches 

d)  A drawing of lots conducted by the Organizing Committee 

In case of equality between more than two teams at the end of the group matches, the teams will be ranked according to the following criteria in the order listed below: 

The greatest number of points obtained in the matches between the teams concerned; 

a)  The best goal difference in the matches between the teams concerned;

b)  The greatest number of goals scored in the matches between the teams concerned; 

Criteria of defining the best 4 thirds in the groups 

The four best teams among those ranked third will be determined as follows: 

a)     greater number of points obtained in all group matches;

b)    goal difference resulting from all group matches;

c)     greater number of goals scored in all group matches;

d)    drawing of lots by CAFOrganising – additional reporting by CAFONLINE