Algeria booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 2-0 win over Senegal, who have been eliminated.
Goals in both halves from Premier League duo Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb secured the Desert Warriors' progression into the last eight for a ninth time.
Senegal, who went into the game at the summit of Group C, only needed a point, but their defeat, coupled with Ghana's win over South Africa, puts them out of the competition.
Below, relive all of the drama with our live commentary.
Good evening ladies and gentlemen and thanks for tuning into our live text commentary of Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations clash with Algeria. I'm Shane and I'll be guiding you through all of the action in Malabo as BOTH sides look to book their place in the quarter-finals of the competition.
It's a fascinating final day of Group C, in which all four sides - Ghana and South Africa being the other two - can progress into the knockout stages. What are the permutations then? I'm never good at figuring these out, but I think I've got it sussed. Here's the state of play folks:
So, Senegal, top of the group with four points, will book their quarter-final spot if they avoid defeat tonight. That's simple, but it gets a bit tricky for Algeria, who sit second on three points, level with Ghana. South Africa are bringing up the rear with one point. So, if both games end a draw then the Algerians will progress, but if they drop points and there's a winner between South Africa and Ghana then they're gone.
Yep, it's a huge game for Algeria, and to make matters worse, there's been reports of altercations within the squad following their 1-0 defeat to Ghana last time out - a game where they failed to register a single shot on goal. Let's hope Christian Gourcuff has his house in order here because elimination is on the cards!
SENEGAL XI: Coundoul; Badji, Sane, Kara Mbodji, Djilobodji; M'Bengue, Kouyate, Diop, Gueye; Mane, Diouf
ALGERIA XI: M'Bohli; Mandi, Medjani, Bougherra, Ghoulam; Taider, Bentaleb; Feghouli, Mahrez, Brahimi; Soudani
Sorry for the delay on these, the Xerox machine at the Estadio De Malabo must be on the fritz.
I had the misfortune of watching Algeria's defeat to Ghana last week and, well, they were truly shocking. Furthermore, Islam Slimani, who caused Germany all sorts of problems in the World Cup, is ruled out through injury.
Slimani's absence arguably piles more pressure on Yacine Brahimi. The Porto playmaker was named BBC's Africa Player of the Year for 2014, but you'd never know it by virtue of a very quiet AFCON so far; poor against South Africa and even worse against Ghana. Will he show up today? His country need him, no doubt about it.
Incidentally, if Senegal go out tonight then they can make a bit of extra money working on the door at various nightclubs around Equatorial Guinea because they are absolutely massive! Senegal's Football Federation should recruit Tony Pulis because all of their players either look like Robert Huth or Ryan Shawcross size-wise. Pulis would love that.
Right, we've got both sets of players out on the field and we'll have the national anthems now.
I must say, we never expect anything special from the national anthems, but Senegal's is truly beautiful. I'm nearly in tears. It's 1-0 in the music stakes.
Incidentally, I'll be keeping you up to date with everything that happens in Ghana's clash with South Africa because, as we said, the two games are very much linked to each other. Just a reminder that Senegal need to avoid defeat, while Algeria will make it through to the quarters with a point if the other game also ends in a draw. Let's go.
KICKOFF! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off in Malabo, my friends. Senegal, playing from left to right, get us underway. Algeria need a kick up the you know what so let's hope we see them replicate their World Cup form tonight.
CHANCE! Oh my word it should be 1-0 to Algeria already. It's a dreadful first touch by Papy Djilobodji as Sofiane Feghouli capitalises on it and runs through one-on-one with Bounda Coundoul, but he's caught in two minds whether to shoot or go around him, and in the end Coundoul smothers the ball well. Good work, but it should be 1-0.
You could understand if it was one of Algeria's other players, but it was Feghouli, who plays for Valencia! What a let-off for Senegal.
There's been very little by way of goalmouth action since that early opportunity for Feghouli. Senegal are a team of bouncers as we mentioned, so they have to utilise the set-piece chances that they get because they didn't against South Africa.
Equatorial Guinea only had a matter of weeks to prepare for this competition, and it shows because the pitch here in Malabo is shocking. It's great work from Diouf, who lays a pass off for Sadio Mane in the box, but the ball hits a divot and the chance is gone.
GOAL!!!! SENEGAL 0-1 ALGERIA (Riyhad Mahrez)
The Leicester man strokes home beyond Coundoul after wandering into the box unmarked. Inexplicable defending really. Just a reminder that if Algeria and Ghana both win then Senegal are going home - or back to their clubs more like.
This is much more like it from Algeria. They were truly shocking against Ghana last week and failed to register a single shot at goal, but they've started really well here and a ninth quarter-final spot at the AFCON is definitely on the cards.
SHOT! This is extremely optimistic, Faouzi Ghoualam lines up a free kick from about 40 yards, and it's not a bad effort but Coundoul does well to hang on to the shot.
UPDATE! Good news for Senegal as South Africa move 1-0 ahead against Ghana in Mongomo - and what a goal it was. Look it up on YouTube later. Here's what Group C looks like now:
Algeria - 6 points
Senegal - 4 points
South Africa - 4 points
Ghana - 3 points
SAVE! Good shot and a very good save to boot, as Soudani drifts in field and drills a ferocious left-footed shot at goal, but Coundou, who has been excellent so far, beats it away.
SHOT! Good response from Senegal now as Sadio Mane has their first shot, but it's high and wide. He ran around a few players en route to working a goalscoring opportunity, but the brilliant Bougherra gets across really well to put him off at the last moment. Good defending.
We spoke of Senegal's size advantage and how important it is for their delivery at set pieces to be on point, but Diop wastes their first real set piece opportunity with a dreadful cross. Poor.
Cheikh M'Bengue's head is gushing with blood following a collision with Aissa Mandi. It looks a nasty one and he's staggering around like he's had seven pints of cider. He has to come off. The play is back underway but we'll keep you apprised of M'Bengue's situation.
It looks like Pape Souare is going to replace M'Bengue. Souare isn't ready though. He doesn't have his shirt or shin pads on, which is as inexcusable as turning up for your first day of school with no pen. Shocking.
SUB: Yep, M'Bengue, whose white shirt and white shorts are soaked with blood, is replaced by left-back Souare, who found his shin pads. Like for like I think.
Sadio Mane has been lively and he wins a free kick in a promising position. It's not a goalscoring position, but they will just drop it into the box and hope that a Senegal head can nod home.
SHOT! We said it wasn't a goalscoring chance, but Papy Djilobodji disagrees as he tries to side foot past Rais M'Bohli from about 35 yards. Do me a favour. He should've dropped it into the box. You wonder if these Senegal players know that they're giants?
Do you know this man? Have you seen him? If so, phone our Missing Players hotline on 555-bottle and tell us what you know. Yacine Brahimi, Africa's player of the year for 2014, has done precisely nothing in this 35 minutes. I'm not sure he's touched the ball!
Sadio Mane has a ridiculous amount of space on that right-hand flank, but the ball over to him is a bit too heavy and goalkeeper M'Bohli is lightning quick out of his goal to avert the danger.
In truth, Algeria have been second best since going ahead on 11 minutes or whatever it was. Senegal have done really well to come back into it, but you wonder if they've got the creativity in the final third to crowbar their way back into this one.
Mame Biram Diouf is a real outlet, though. He's playing on the shoulders of Bougherra and Mandi and his pace is causing them problems at times.
BOOKING: Stephane Badji picks up the game's first booking for a late challenge on Ghoulam. No complaints from Badji.
Second goal for Algeria would really hurt Senegal, and they might have got one had Brahimi delivered a better ball from this promising free kick, but he curls well over. He's been shocking in this tournament.
TWO MINUTES ADDED ON:
HALF TIME: SENEGAL 0-1 ALGERIA
Well, that's all she wrote in a first half that Algeria lead, but only just as Riyad Mahrez stroked home an 11th-minute opener. It's also 1-0 in Group C's other game between South Africa and Ghana.
We look like this at the halfway stage: Algeria and Senegal both going through to the quarters as it stands, but it's tighter than a knot from a veteran of the Scouts.
Algeria - 6 points
Senegal - 4 points
South Africa - 4 points
Ghana - 3 points
Senegal will be happy with the way in which they've responded after falling a goal behind. They've been comfortably the better team, but Algeria have so far repelled all of their attacks, reducing them to no real chances so to speak.
RESTART! Aaaaaaaaaaaand we're back underway in Malabo! Interestingly, we were waiting a few minutes as a man with an iPhone greenlighted kickoff to ensure that both games kicked off in sync.
SHOT! Some of these Senegal lads have been watching too many Ronaldo compilations on YouTube. Papy Souare is the next Senegal player to try his luck with a free kick and it was never worrying M'Bohli. Play to your strengths, lads. Unless all their players are actually four dwarves standing on each other's shoulders, which is very unlikely, then Senegal are probably the biggest team in the world in terms of sheer size.
Algeria need to stop conceding soft free kicks. Mame Biram Diouf has won about six on his own, and Senegal will swing this into the box, unless another one of their players tries to channel Cristiano Ronaldo. Saphir Taider was booked for that challenge, incidentally.
But yet another set play comes to nothing. So poor.
SUB: Hello stranger! Newcastle United's Papiss Cisse, who we haven't seen once in this competition so far, is brought on for Pape Diop. Diop is no loss; the bloke can't cross a ball to save his life. Can Cisse inspire a turnaround? He's got the talent.
Cisse's nous in and around the box is already paying dividends as he wins a corner, but it comes to nothing. Is it just me, or is it criminal that professional footballers can't swing in a decent corner? I've always wondered this.
We've spoke about Senegal's labours in the final third, but it would be unfair to ignore how brilliant Algeria have been defensively. They've been top drawer, with Bougherra especially impressive.
CHANCE! Cheikhou Kouyate drills an excellent low cross into the box, but it's a tiny bit behind Sadio Mane and he ends up screwing just wide. Algeria look like they're just going to invite pressure for this next half-an-hour. It's risky, but they look capable of earning a clean sheet and progressing into the quarters.
Sigh. Another corner for Senegal. Will they make one of these count? Let's see. It's going to be Souare.
No. No they won't. Souare's delivery is suspect to say the least, and when you've got such a height advantage at set pieces, why isn't anybody relieving him of his duties?
Incidentally, Senegal should've had a penalty because replays show that Diouf had his shirt ripped after being dragged down in the box by Medjani during that last corner. Are these jerseys made of paper or what, because somebody always ends up needing a change of shirt.
BOOKING: It's insult to injury for Diouf, who is booked for leaving the field without permission to change his shirt. Shocking rule.
UPDATE! It's still 1-0 to South Africa in Mongomo, folks. Just a reminder that Algeria and Senegal are progressing from Group C at the moment.
As it stands:
Algeria - 6 points
Senegal - 4 points
South Africa - 4 points
Ghana - 3 points
SUB: Ishak Belfodil is coming on to replace the anonymous Yacine Brahimi, who goes off in that golf cart with a back injury. He didn't get injured carrying his teammates, anyway. It's 4-4-2 for Algeria now. You fancy they'll bring on a defender soon.
UPDATE: Bad news for Senegal as Ghana peg back South Africa to make it 1-1 in Mongoma. What that means is that another goal for Ghana and it's goodbye to Senegal.
CHANCE! Oh what a chance this is to finish the game. Saphir Taider looks like he's going to add a second but Coundou just about saves, before Kara blocks Mahrez's attempt in the rebound. Huge moment in the game.
Bougherra really is a fine defender. He has saved Algeria regularly throughout this game, and indeed the tournament, and he comes to the rescue again there to head away as Diouf's eyes lit up in front of goal.
10 minutes to go and Senegal still toiling in the final third. It looks like being one of those days for them unfortunately. I don't see them scoring. Quote me on that. Algeria are too good at the back.
GOAL!!!!!! SENEGAL 0-2 ALGERIA (Nabil Bentaleb)
That's most definitely that. Algeria are heading into the quarter-finals as Spurs midfielder Nabil Bentaleb executes an excellent second goal from outside the box, right in the corner to leave Coundou with no chance. If Ghana score to move 2-1 up then Senegal are out. Simple as.
UPDATE! And Ghana have scored! Andre Ayew scores in the 83rd-minute to move 2-1 ahead and that means Senegal are heading out. They started the game top of Group C.
Here's what we look like at the moment:
Algeria - 6 points
Ghana - 6 points
Senegal - 4 points
South Africa - 3 points
Where has it all gone wrong for Senegal? They led the group going into the game, but they haven't utilised their height advantage enough. They need Tony Pulis or somebody as manager.
FOUR MINUTES ADDED ON:
Senegal need to score twice. It's not going to happen, and it's testament to Algeria's defence as Senegal haven't really had any goalscoring chances. It's been a tremendous defensive effort.
FULL TIME: SENEGAL 0-2 ALGERIA
That's it! Ghana and Algeria progress into the quarter-finals at the expense of South Africa and Senegal unfortunately. Goals in both halves from Riyad Mahrez and Nabil Bentaleb help Algeria to a 2-0 win, while Ghana beat South Africa to seal their progression.
Well, that's all we've got time for you this evening, ladies and gents. However, join us tomorrow, where we'll be covering Ivory Coast, Mali, Guinea and Cameroon. That's a ridiculous group because all four games have ended 1-1, so lord knows what the permutations are there. See you then.
