Africa Cup of Nations: Ivory Coast, Cameroon Stage Dramatic Comebacks; Sudan Advances Amid War Tensions

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In a thrilling turn of events at the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast and Cameroon staged stunning comebacks to secure their spots in the knockout stage. Ivory Coast, the defending champions, overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Gabon 3-2, thanks to Bazoumana Touré's stoppage-time header. This victory allowed Les Éléphants to finish top of Group F, narrowly ahead of Cameroon. Cameroon, a five-time winner, also produced a dramatic comeback to beat Mozambique 2-1. Both teams finished with 7 points each, with Ivory Coast edging out Cameroon due to their higher goal tally. Meanwhile, Sudan, despite a 2-0 loss to Burkina Faso, qualified for the knockout stage as one of the best third-place finishers. The Sudanese team, playing all their qualification games away from home amidst a brutal war and humanitarian crisis, showed remarkable resilience. Coach James Appiah expressed pride in the team's achievement, saying, "This is good for all Sudanese.