The brilliant and bizarre moments at AFCON so far after the end of a chaotic group stage: Iconic celebrations, SIX managers leaving, nearly 100 goals – and a player injured attempting a back-flip!

The Africa Cup of Nations is surely one of the most entertaining tournaments around in international football. 

There aren’t many other competitions where you get 40-yard free-kick screamers, Hand Of God attempts and players picking up injuries trying to do a back-flip in training all rolled into one. 

AFCON has already provided us with so many talking points and the group stages has only just come to an end.

There have been unbelievable giant-killings and no fewer than six managerial casualties – and one of which with their side still in the competition.

Best of all – it’s all played out against the backdrop of some of the most vibrantly attired fans in football singing and dancing throughout, creating an unrivalled atmosphere.

From Cameroon’s unbelievable comeback against The Gambia to the former Birmingham and Middlesbrough star leading Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in the race for the golden boot, here Mail Sport runs the rule over the best and most bizarre moments from the tournament so far.

Ghana’s Chris Hughton is one of six managers to leave their jobs during the competitions o far

AFCON has been played out against the backdrop of some vibrantly-attired fans this month

Almost 100 goals ALREADY

If there’s one thing not in short supply – and let’s face it, it’s been a pretty dramatic start to the competition already – it’s goals. 

In 36 group stage matches we’ve already had a staggering 90 goals (an average of 2.5 a game) which speaks to not only the entertainment value of the tournament, but the sheer quality in front of goal. 

Granted, there have been some noteworthy performances in between the sticks for all the wrong reasons – a certain Andre Onana made 0 (yes, zero) saves against Senegal for Cameroon – but there have been some absolute crackers. 

Bebe has been followed by the title ‘Man United flop’ for most of his career, but he might just have shook that one off with a 40-yard free-kick against Mozambique for Cape Verde. It dipped, it swerved, it bent but many were critical of Hernâni Siluane’s attempt at saving it.

Then there was Kevin Pina’s piledriver in the same game with a strike which flew into the top corner. Mohammed Kudus’ superb long-range effort in Ghana’s 2-2 draw with Egypt was another contender for goal of the tournament, while Lamine Camara’s postage-stamp curler for Senegal wasn’t half bad either.

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Victor Osimhen – there’s a ludicrous array of attacking talent at AFCON this year, so maybe it shouldn’t be such a surprise that we’ve seen so many sumptuous strikes, but you might be shocked to hear that none of those three world-beaters lead the way in the race for the Golden Boot. 

Emilio Nsue is a name that some Birmingham City and Middlesbrough fans might remember, but although he is now plying his trade in the third tier of Spanish club football, the Equatorial Guinean star has five goals from three games. Oh – and he has spent the majority of his career as a right back. 

A hat-trick against Guinea-Bissau – the first in the competition since 2008 – was followed by an instantly iconic celebration that saw his team-mate Pablo Ganet pull up his shorts and go for a couple of shadow headers, puff out his chest and head a make-believe ball once more. Absolute scenes.

Former Manchester United flop Bebe scored one of the best AFCON goals of all time against Mozambique

Emilio Nsue might not have been everyone’s favourite for top scorer at the start of the tournament

The Equatorial Guinea star scored the first hat-trick since 2008 to spark an iconic celebration

Speaking of celebrations, one of the best outcomes of VAR – maybe the only positive, depending on your stance on the controversial technology – is seeing Youssef En-Nesyri forced to enjoy his own strike from the bench, after being hooked during an extremely long goal check only for it to be given. 

Watching the Sevilla striker ambushed by his entire team and their backroom staff, while also looking fairly disgruntled at having been taken off made for excellent viewing.  

There have been ludicrous own goals too, with Opa Sangante pulling off an incredibly controlled finish to half-volley a vicious cross into his own net with aplomb in Guinea-Bissau’s clash with Nigeria.  

However, there was one goal that truly beggars belief, coming in Democratic Republic of Congo’s clash with Avram Grant’s Zambia. DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau came rushing out of his box to try and cut out a long ball, before clattering into an on-rushing attacker to send him sprawling. 

But the quick-thinking forward leapt to his feet to take a swift throw and feed Kings Kangwa, who caught it on the half-volley to send it into the back of the net, a sea of bodies and a dumbstruck Mpasi-Nzau able to do nothing but stand and watch.

It has been an absolute goal-fest of a competition so far, with just three 0-0s in 36 games, and we’ve still got another 15 to play. Long may it continue!

Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri was forced to celebrate his goal against Tanzania from the bench

Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi-Nzau came rushing out of his box to clear the ball during the first-half of his side’s clash with Zambia

However, Zambia took their throw-in quickly and found Kings Kangwa, who fired an effort at goal from long-range

DR Congo’s defenders and goalkeeper could only watch as the ball looped into the back of the net

Historic upsets

Even the most fair-weather AFCON fan will be able to point to some of the historic powerhouses of African football; Nigeria (three titles), Ghana (four), Cameroon (five) and Egypt (seven) have won 19 between them. 

But Algeria and Tunisia are not far behind those outliers, with the former winning twice and the latter lifting the trophy in 2004 as part of North Africa’s dominance in the 2000s. 

Tunisia, the Eagles of Carthage – one of the great nicknames in international football – beat France at the World Cup not long ago, while Algeria are spearheaded by Riyad Mahrez, Said Benrahma, Nabil Bentaleb, Houssem Aouar, Ismael Bennacer.

But neither side managed a win between them at this year’s tournament, crashing out dead last in their groups, with fellow former champions Zambia also failing to make the cut. 

And it was almost a horror tournament for hosts Ivory Coast, Ghana, Egypt and Cameroon, who progressed to the second round by the barest of margins. No, there was no last-ditch stumpings, but whatever the football equivalent is, Cameroon pulled it off in a dramatic clash with Gambia to spare their blushes. 

Cape Verde came out on top in a group featuring Ghana and Egypt, and Equatorial  Guinea beat Nigeria and Ivory Coast to top spot. Although they finished bottom of Group B, Mozambique also earned 2-2 draws with both Ghana and Egypt as they gave an excellent account of themselves.

Mauritania – ranked 207th in the world in 2011 – pulled off a monumental upset to record a first-ever win at AFCON against Algeria, and Namibia got their own maiden three points in a 1-0 victory over Tunisia. 

In fact, only Senegal managed to win all three of their games, Mane and Co looking eerily likely to retain their title this year in a tournament in which anyone really can beat everyone. Well, almost everyone.

Minnows Mauritania claimed a place in the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations

Riyad Mahrez came on as a substitute at half-time but Algeria could not find an equaliser

Deon Hotto scored the historic goal that sealed Namibia’s first ever win at the Africa Cup of Nations

The goal sparked jubilant celebrations throughout the team, with the full-time whistle also greeted with an outpouring of emotion 

Ivory Coast scraped through to the knockout rounds after coming close to an embarrassing early exit

Managerial minefield

Unfortunately, it can’t all be Bebe wondergoals and historic AFCON wins. For six different managers it spelled the end of the line. 

In some ways, you can understand why Chris Hughton was let go by Ghana, after failing to reach the second round in a group that, on paper at least, they ought to have got through with ease.

You can perhaps say the same about Algeria manager Djamel Belmadi, who parted ways with the Desert Foxes a day after their stunning defeat to Mauritania. 

Jalel Kadri stepped down from Tunisia’s managerial post after they finished last, while Tom Saintfiet resigned as boss of The Gambia as heads continued to roll.

All of the above are more or less predictable managerial casualties expected in the aftermath of somewhat below par campaigns. 

Enter Tanzania and Ivory Coast. 

The hosts, headed up by Jean-Louis Gasset, were not having the best of tournaments after two games and had just ben battered 4-0 by surprise package Equatorial Guinea, when the federation decided to pull the trigger. 

‘They were out, that seems fair enough?’ you might be thinking, but they were still in the running to make it out the group. And, lo and behold, they did just that, simultaneously sparing a nation’s blushes and failing to justify what was an incredibly harsh decision. 

Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi has left his role after the country’s shock AFCON exit

Gambia’s Tom Saintfiet (left) quit and then Ghana announced the sacking of Chris Hughton (right)

But that is nothing compared to Tanzania’s ruthless managerial sacking after just one game. The Taifa stars fired boss Adel Amrouche after suggestions from the Algerian that Morocco had influenced refereeing appointments, earning himself an eight-game ban and a fine of some $10,000.

They aren’t the only managers to have had a rough time of things, with Morocco’s World Cup hero manager Walid Regragui picking up a four-game touchline ban after a furious clash with DR Congo defender Chancel Mbemba in a 1-1 draw.

Mbemba reacted poorly to a handshake between the two at the full-time whistle, seemingly insinuating the manager was somewhat heavy-handed after he cried out in pain, with both sets of players quickly getting involved. 

Regragui is still in charge of the Atlas Lions, and should they reach the final he will be able to take up his place in the dugout once more.  

Ivory Coast have sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset despite not yet being out of AFCON

Tanzania boss Adel Amrouche was fired just one game into AFCON after a furious rant

Morocco manager Walid Regragui has been handed a four-match suspension after an altercation with DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba 

A fracas broke out between players and staff of Morocco and DR Congo after their AFCON game

Truly inexplicable moments 

There are some moments, though, that are just so absurdly unique, that they don’t really fall into any categories. 

Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Ofori pulled off one of the great goalkeeping blunders of all time, inexplicably putting his arm out to stop the ball as it was going out for a goal kick, only to change his mind halfway and pull himself back. He didn’t quite time it, though, and conceded a corner instead. 

That doesn’t sound so bad in isolation, but Mozambique went ahead and scored their second stoppage-time goal of the game directly from the corner to draw level in the 94th minute and deny the Black Stars the two points that would have put them into the last 16. 

Ghana’s media didn’t react too well to the result either, as you might expect, blocking the team’s bus from leaving the stadium as they demanded to speak to the players following one of the country’s lowest moments in AFCON history. 

There was late drama too when The Gambia and Cameroon played out one of the great AFCON clashes of all time with the Indomitable Lions 2-1 down in the 85th minute looking for the win they needed to make the knockout rounds. 

An own goal from James Gomez in the 87th minute gave Cameroon something to chase at 2-2, before Christopher Wooh’s header in the 91st minute sparked jubilant scenes – but the drama wasn’t over.

Not two minutes later Muhammed Sanneh looked to have somehow equalised for The Gambia before replays showed he had actually attempted a very poor rendition of Diego Maradona’s iconic Hand Of God goal. 

Richard Ofori’s blunder cost Ghana a place in the knockout rounds after drawing with Mozambique

Ghanaian media blocked the team’s bus and demanded to speak to the players as they were trying to ‘sneak’ away out of the stadium

The only difference – they didn’t have VAR in the 80s. Sanneh’s sneaky attempt was eventually ruled out, and Cameroon went through.

Then there was the moment that former Fulham star Aboubakar Kamara was named on the teamsheet for Mauritania in truly bizarre fashion for their clash with Burkina Faso.

The Lions of Chinguetti roster read as you might expect for the most part, listing surnames and squad numbers like ’16. Niasse’ and ‘6. Fofana’ before reaching Kamara’s name which, of course, was listed as ’27. AK.47′, which sent social media into meltdown.

Last but not least in our compilation of AFCON’s best and brightest moments so far is the bizarre injury to Egypt’s Emam Ashour.

The midfielder was ruled out of his side’s last-16 meeting with DR Congo on Sunday after picking up a concussion in training according to reports that emerged on Thursday morning – after attempting a back-flip. You simply couldn’t write it. 

There’s also a special shout out for the three Democratic Republic of Congo fans who pulled out all the stops to show their support in the crowd, painting themselves blue with each bearing a D, R and C for their country’s initials – only to be caught on camera in the wrong order after going to all that effort. 

Muhammed Sanneh attempted to emulate Diego Maradona’s Hand Of God goal but was caught out by VAR

Some Democratic Republic of Congo fans turned up in an impressive show of support 

There’s still plenty to come! 

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the wonderful things that AFCON has brought us so far this month, but rather a highlight reel. 

As with any continental competition there has been fantastic football to enjoy at a time when the January transfer window is providing very little in the way of twists and turns, and Premier League action is slowing down with the winter break. 

The vibrant face painting, fluttering of mini flags and exuberant celebrations are a welcome break to the drab winters back home. 

And the good news is, the knockout rounds are about to start this weekend, meaning there will surely be plenty more entertainment to come from what is shaping up to be an AFCON for the ages.