African Cup: Gabon Gone; Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire On The Edge

Gabon's Serge Ngouali, left and Andre Biyogo Poko, right, challenge Cameroon's Edgar Salli, during the African Cup of Nations Group A soccer match between Gabon and Cameroon at the Stade de l'Amitie, in Libreville, Gabon, Sunday Jan. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Gabon is gone at the African Cup of Nations, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s team becoming the first host since Tunisia in 1994 to be eliminated in the group stages.

Gabon's soccer team Coach, Jose Antonio Camacho, give instructions during the African Cup of Nations Group A soccer match between Gabon and Cameroon at the Stade de l'Amitie, in Libreville, Gabon, Sunday Jan. 22, 2017. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

AFP report continues:

Four teams have now qualified for the quarters: Senegal, Ghana, and Burkina Faso and Cameroon from Gabon's group.

Here's a look at how the groups at the African Cup now stand in the race for a place in the quarterfinals.

GROUP A: GABON GONE

Gabon missed golden chances in front of goal at the beginning and end of its 0-0 draw against Cameroon, missing out on the quarterfinals on Sunday and leaving a deflated tournament that may struggle for fan interest without the home team. There's five more quarterfinal places to be decided from the three remaining groups:

GROUP B: ALGERIA ON THE EDGE

With Senegal already into the quarterfinals with two wins from two and Liverpool's Sadio Mane on goal-scoring form, there's just one place left from Group B. Algeria, with its array of European league talent, isn't well-placed to take it and needs help from other teams. Algeria sits third in the group and must beat in-form Senegal on Monday in Franceville to have a chance at progressing. Even then, Algeria needs outsider Zimbabwe to also beat Tunisia in the other Group B game in Libreville to get through.

Like Mane, Algeria's highly-rated forward Riyad Mahrez has delivered two goals so far this tournament but a draw and a loss is all the Desert Foxes have after entering the tournament as a title challenger on the back of a formidable qualifying performance.

"Now we are losing, we are not accustomed to it," said defender Djamel Mesbah. "There is no confidence and to recover the trust we must have a victory."

Although Tunisia, needing just a draw, appears most likely to progress alongside Senegal, Zimbabwe, on its return to the Cup of Nations for the first time in a decade, has a very slim chance of sneaking through.

GROUP C: CÔTE D’IVOIRE IN TROUBLE

Defending champion Côte d’Ivoire is also on the precipice heading into a decisive last game in Group C against Morocco, coached by former Côte d’Ivoire manager Herve Renard. It'll be a winner take all encounter between those two on the bumpy field up in Oyem in the far north of Gabon on Tuesday. Group leader Congo plays bottom-placed Togo in Port-Gentil. There are all sorts of possibilities that could play out. Bottom line, though: The winner of Côte d’Ivoire-Morocco will go through, while Congo will progress if it gets a draw or win.

GROUP D: EGYPT OR MALI

Group D is pretty simple: It all comes down to Mali or Egypt, the record seven-time champion making its return to the Cup of Nations. Ghana is already into the quarters and Uganda is out, the first team to be eliminated. So, Egypt would qualify with a draw or better against Ghana. A defeat for Egypt would open the way for Mali.