Cinderella stories are what make sports great. Fairy-tale endings have consumed team sports for decades, and there is still nothing better than watching the underdogs and the dark horses defy impossible odds. Over the last few weeks, it seems like we have seen several Cinderella stories in the sports industry, especially in European and American football. On January 19th, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur came back in stoppage time to win their match against Leicester City 3-2 after substitute Steven Bergwijn scored two back-to-back goals.
A few days later, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams had a walk-off win in Tampa Bay, knocking Tom Brady out of the playoffs and ending his quest for his eighth Super Bowl ring. The Buffalo Bulls almost had a similar story before losing in overtime to the Kansas City Chiefs, who, while not underdogs having made it to Super Bowl LV, did have to have their own comeback before winning 42-36.
Cinderella Left Her Shoe At AFCON
Meanwhile, at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), these types of stories are plentiful. On January 11th, Nigeria beat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 1-0. Kelechi Iheanacho’s first-half strike was the deciding factor in the game after Nigeria’s defense was able to stay composed and pocket Salah for the remaining 45 minutes.
This result caused many in the sports betting world to look favorably at Nigeria progressing to the AFCON final. The West African country was the only team to win all three of their group stage matches, and it is widely regarded that Mo Salah, 29, is in the form of his life, which adds to the Super Eagles’ impressive win against Egypt. Before Nigeria’s round of 16 game against Tunisia, Augustine Eguavoen’s team had odds of +450 on the bet365 sportsbook to lift the trophy. This casino and sportsbook is the best place to bet on sports in Africa as it offers new player bonuses and pre-match accumulator bonuses. However, in a shocking twist to this story, Tunisia beat Nigeria 1-0, taking their spot in the quarter-finals. As reported in the daily newspaper Business Day, Amaju Pinnick, President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), applauded the team for their efforts. Pinnick added that the Super Eagles are now shifting their attention to their World Cup qualifying game against Ghana, which sports bettors can also wager on.
Nigeria are eliminated from #AFCON2021 by Tunisia in the round of 16 😳 pic.twitter.com/Zu3LZd252O
— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 23, 2022
The matches between Nigeria and Egypt and Tunisia and Nigeria are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of Cinderella stories at AFCON 2021. West Africa’s Gambia, in particular, has also stood out, finishing second in Group F behind Mali and beating Guinea in the round of 16 to secure a place in the quarter-finals. Before this year’s competition, Gambia had never even qualified for the AFCON tournament before.
Honorable mentions include Comoros, another tournament debutant who made it to the round of 16 before putting up a tough fight against outright betting favorites Cameroon, who ended up winning the match 2-1. Unfortunately, the excitement surrounding the game between Comoros and Cameroon quickly faded after tragedy struck outside of the stadium in Yaounde.
The Africa Cup of Nations may not be the world’s most-watched football (soccer) competition compared to the World Cup or the Euros. However, it has produced some incredible stories this year, which has helped bring the tournament into the international and mainstream framework. That could prove vital for the future of the competition, and regardless of the final results of AFCON 2021, players on teams like Gambia, Nigeria, Tunisia, and Comoros can all walk away with their heads held high, knowing they made their countries proud.