West Africa Dominates Q-Finals

With the Group stage of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations concluded in South Africa, seven West African national teams have scaled through to the quarter-finals.

The countries are Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Cote d ‘Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Togo.

The tournament host, South Africa which qualified from Group A, would join the West Africans in the Quarter-finals.

The only national team from the sub-region eliminated from the tournament at the Group stage is Niger, which crashed out from Group B.

South Africa will lock horns with Mali for the Quarter finals on February 2 at the 56,296 capacity Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, while Cape Verde will slug it out with Ghana at the 43,269 capacity Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

On February 3, Burkina Faso will play with Togo at the 43,000 capacity Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit while Nigeria will lock horns with Cote D’Ivoire at the 42,000 capacity Royal Bafokeng Sports Palace in Rustenberg.

Also on February 6, the winner of the match between host South Africa and Mali will slug it out with the winner of the match between Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire for the first semi-final at the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban.

The winner of the match between Burkina Faso and Togo will trade tackles with winner of the match between Cape Verde and Ghana for the second Semi-final. The match will be played at Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit.

The third place play-off match comes up on February 9 at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth in South Africa.

The final of the Africa Cup of Nations, will be played at the 94-000-seater Soccer City Stadium, Johannesburg, on February 10.