Africa Cup of Nations top scorer Emilio Nsue says Equatorial Guinea will stay “very humble” despite thrashing Ivory Coast in the shock of the tournament.
Captain Nsue scored twice as the underdogs stunned the hosts 4-0 on Monday to qualify for the last 16.
“We want all our people to be proud of us,” said Nsue, after a result which could eliminate the Ivorians.
“We have to go step by step, game by game. We are very humble. We have to keep being humble and trying our best.”
The National Thunder finished fourth when they hosted Afcon in 2015 and beat holders Algeria on their way to the quarter-finals at the 2021 edition of the tournament.
However, Equatorial Guinea had previously never won a game by more than two goals at the finals and had lost both of their previous Afcon meetings with Ivory Coast without scoring a goal.
The hosts, meanwhile, had been considered strong contenders for the title before the group stage began and, at 49th in the world, are ranked 39 places above the Equatoguineans in Fifa’s standings.
Nsue, who had spells with Middlesbrough and Birmingham City – and whom now plays for Spanish third-tier team Intercity – opened the scoring three minutes before the break against the Elephants.
Pablo Ganet’s 25-yard free-kick doubled their lead and Yannick Buyla scored a late fourth after Nsue had struck his fifth goal of the group stage, following up his hat-trick in the 4-2 win over Guinea-Bissau.
“We are not going to think that because we beat Ivory Coast we are going to win the tournament,” added Nsue, the first player to score an Afcon treble for almost 16 years and the oldest ever to do so.
“I am very happy and excited. To score two goals again is a dream for me – a big dream.”
Equatorial Guinea have now advanced to the knockout stages in each of their four Afcon appearances, having also reached the quarter-finals in 2012 as co-hosts.
After finishing top of Group A ahead of the Ivorians and Nigeria, Juan Micha’s men will return to Abidjan’s newly-built Alassane Ouattara Stadium for a fourth time when they face one of the best third-placed teams from the group stage in the round of 16 on Sunday (17:00 GMT).
The runaway record scorer for his country with a tally of 22 – the second highest marksman has nine – Nsue has netted six of the 20 goals Equatorial Guinea have scored at Afcon finals.
The 34-year-old said his teammates “don’t care” which nation they face next, having drawn with three-time champions Nigeria in their opening game.
“We are going to give everything,” Nsue added. “We don’t care against who. In football, sometimes [opponents] stop you, sometimes not.”
