Equatorial Guinea emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter against Guinea-Bissau in the Africa Cup of Nations, with Emilio Nsue showcasing his brilliance by scoring a remarkable hat-trick.

Emilio Nsue’s sensational hat-trick propelled Equatorial Guinea to a 4-2 victory over Guinea-Bissau in Group A at the Africa Cup of Nations. The win puts Equatorial Guinea in a strong position to advance to the knockout stage, following their 1-1 draw against Nigeria in their opening match.

Nsue wasted no time in making an impact, opening the scoring at the Ebimpe Olympic Stadium in Abidjan. However, Guinea-Bissau quickly responded, with Esteban Orozco scoring an own goal under pressure from Franculino Dju. Just moments later, Dju won a penalty after a challenge from Saul Coco. However, the referee consulted VAR and overturned the decision, denying Guinea-Bissau the opportunity to take the lead. The first half ended with a 1-1 score-line.

Equatorial Guinea came out strong in the second half, with Josete Miranda quickly putting them back in front. Nsue then took center stage, scoring in the 51st and 61st minute to complete his hat-trick. Despite a late goal from Ze Turbo, Guinea-Bissau couldn’t turn the result around.

Nsue’s hat-trick is the first at the tournament since Soufiane Alloudi’s three goals for Morocco against Namibia in 2008. The 34-year-old, who captained Equatorial Guinea to the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals in 2015, has had a successful career, playing for Real Mallorca, Middlesbrough, and Birmingham City. He currently plays for Intercity in the Spanish third tier.

Equatorial Guinea now looks likely to progress to the knockout stage, even if they fail to get a result against hosts Ivory Coast in their final group stage match. This is because the four best third-placed teams also advance to the last 16.

On the other hand, Guinea-Bissau’s chances of progression look slim, as they currently have zero points and face a tough fixture against three-time champions Nigeria in their last group stage match.