• Algeria fail to qualify after being held to a 2-2 draw by Senegal • Tunisia beat Zimbabwe 4-2 to claim their quarter-final place

Algeria were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon in the final games in Group B on Monday. They drew with Senegal 2-2 and learned Tunisia went through to the quarter-finals in their place by beating Zimbabwe 4-2.

Ten goals were scored at the culmination of the group but Algeria’s fate was in effect sealed after their North African rivals, Tunisia, went 2-0 up early against Zimbabwe with strikes from Niam Sliti and Youssef Msakni. Algeria needed Tunisia to lose in Libreville to have a chance of progressing to the quarters.

Senegal 2-2 Algeria: Africa Cup of Nations – as it happened Read more

Senegal had already qualified for the quarter-finals as well as won the group and rested many of their better players. Algeria still could not win.

In the eastern city of Franceville, Algeria twice led through goals from Islam Slimani, and Senegal twice equalised, leaving Algeria to exit the tournament without a win.

Two of the four quarter-final matches have now been decided: Tunisia will play Burkina Faso; Senegal will play Cameroon.

Algeria’s exit was a surprise as they had been tipped to go a long way in the tournament following Gabon’s elimination on Sunday. Another of the well-fancied nations could follow the same route on Tuesday when the defending champions Ivory Coast need to win against Morocco.

The fate of Ivory Coast and Group C will be decided in two of the more out-of-the-way locations to have ever hosted the Afcon games. Ivory Coast face Morocco in Oyem in northern Gabon, a town that is on the edge of dense jungle near the border with Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. Congo, the group leaders, play Togo in Port-Gentil, Gabon’s main seaport and the centre of their oil industry. It is a city that sits on a peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean and which is not connected to the rest of the central African country by road.

There is intrigue away from the exotic locations, too. Ivory Coast must find a way to outsmart their former coach, Herve Renard, the man who led the Ivorians to the Afcon title two years ago. In order to qualify Ivory Coast need to beat Morocco in Oyem and hope that Togo do not beat Congo in Port-Gentil. A draw would be enough for Morocco to knock the defending champions out.

“We have a small advantage in that we have one point more than Ivory Coast,” Renard, the Morocco coach, said. “Now everything will play out on the pitch. Most people are betting on Ivory Coast qualifying, but it is up to us to prove them wrong.”

There was all-out action from the moment the Group B games kicked off on Monday.

Senegal made a forceful start and spurned early chances against Algeria, and Slimani made them pay when he volleyed a cross from the left from Sofiane Hanni into the roof of the net in the 10th minute. Slimani immediately scooped up the ball and ran it back to the centre circle to show that Algeria meant business.

But in the other match, Tunisia led Zimbabwe 2-0 inside 22 minutes, and were 3-1 up before even a second goal was scored in the Algeria-Senegal encounter. Tunisia scored all four of their goals in the first half at Libreville’s Stade de l’Amitie.

Sliti, Msakni, Taha Yessine Khenissi, and a Wahbi Khazri penalty made sure Tunisia did not miss out on their chance to make the quarter-finals alongside Senegal.

Senegal twice hit back against Algeria to maintain their unbeaten run in the group stage, although it was the first time in this tournament they failed to win their match.

Papa Diop equalised just before half-time when he fired in a shot from outside the area. Slimani again pushed Algeria ahead on 52 minutes after being set up by his Leicester club mate Riyad Mahrez. Moussa Sow hit back for Senegal two minutes later for 2-2.