Equatorial Guinea has finally bowed out of the African Cup of Nations after overcoming a last-minute coaching change and a disrupted buildup to provide some of the tournament's most memorable moments.
Following a stunning qualification to the knockout stage, the tiny co-host came unstuck against cup favorite Ivory Coast as Didier Drogba inspired a 3-0 win in Saturday's quarterfinal.
The loss put an end to the Equatorial Guinea fairy tale, but the dramatic late winning goals to beat Libya and Senegal in the group stage have already entered African Cup folklore.
''In one month we managed to get to the quarterfinals and I think we could have done more if we had had more time to prepare,'' said coach Gilson Paulo, who took over just a few weeks before the tournament began.
Paulo arrived in Equatorial Guinea at the beginning of January to replace former coach Henri Michel, who quit unexpectedly with the tournament just round the corner.
The Brazilian had barely any time to assess his squad or make detailed tactical preparations, while logistical problems also disrupted the buildup.
''Some players arrived late from Europe so there were lots of problems,'' Paulo said. ''We also had problems finding somewhere to train, so we ended up training at the main stadium in Bata.
''A lot of the foreign players had already been chosen by the previous coach, but I got almost all the players available that were based in Equatorial Guinea to see who would be possible for the team and watched previous games on DVD.''
The result was a squad of largely unknown players based in far-flung leagues such as the Spanish lower divisions, the Brazilian regional leagues, Turkey and Oman.
Most of the squad was born outside Equatorial Guinea and qualified through family ties, though several - including goalkeeper Emanuel-Danilo Clementino - were made eligible through naturalization.
Tournament organizers, the Confederation of African Football, said all players' eligibility had been verified, though world governing body FIFA said it had received no such request ahead of the competition.
FIFA regulations stipulate that naturalized players must have lived for five years in the country they wish to play for.
Clementino, who has played almost his entire career in Brazil, defended the policy.
''I couldn't play in my own national team,'' the goalkeeper said. ''The opportunity to play in whatever selection is very important whether it's Equatorial Guinea or not. Other teams do it. The world is global, that's the way it is. We followed the rules and that's it.''
Perhaps Paulo's greatest achievement was molding a fierce team spirit.
''If anybody makes a mistake, we all suffer,'' said midfielder Iban Iyanga, one of the finds of the tournament who plays in the Spanish second tier. ''If anybody scores, we all celebrate. That's the best way to get success and it's the secret of our success.''
A little financial incentive also helped. Before the opening match, the son of the country's longtime president offered the team a $1 million bonus for beating Libya and a $20,000 jackpot to each goalscorer.
Equatorial Guinea duly obliged, with Javier-Angel Balboa hitting the jackpot with a calm finish in the 87th-minute to snatch a 1-0 win.
Better was yet to come as Equatorial Guinea continued to follow its simple tactic of defending deep and breaking quickly to stun Senegal, one of the pre-tournament favorites, in one of the most exciting matches of the tournament so far.
Iyanga gave Equatorial Guinea the lead in the 62nd minute, but a draw looked the most likely result when Moussa Sow equalized in the 89th.
Defender David Alvarez then scored one of the goals of the tournament with a scorching long-distance winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time to send the crowd wild, seal a quarterfinal place and eliminate the shocked Senegalese.
''I couldn't believe it,'' Alvarez said. ''When the ball came to me I was just thinking about controlling it well and getting a shot in. I didn't even see the ball hit the net, I just turned round to celebrate because I knew it was going in. You're just filled with all this rage and joy.''
For a moment, Equatorial Guinea looked like frustrating Ivory Coast's star-peppered squad in the quarterfinal when Clementino saved Drogba's 29th-minute penalty.
But Drogba showed his class by making amends with the opening goal following a defensive error seven minutes later and scored a bullet header in the second half to pull the cup favorite clear. Yaya Toure sealed the win with a late free kick into the top corner.
Disappointingly, the home fans began to desert the Nuevo Estadio de Malabo after the second goal - a harsh judgment from the crowd in view of the team's earlier heroics.
''I was disappointed with the people in Malabo because of that,'' Alvarez said. ''They started to leave instead of giving the team more encouragement.''
Now the focus turns on Equatorial Guinea's footballing future. The No. 151-ranked team has never played in a World Cup and only qualified for this African Cup by co-hosting the tournament with neighbor Gabon.
Paulo said he hoped to build on his promising start in charge.
''I've a contract with the national team for one year. I intend to complete this contract,'' he said. ''We have World Cup qualifying matches and lots of other games to play and I can see the work is having an effect.''
The Brazilian said he would send for his family to join him after the tournament had finished. ''I've been too busy and had so many things to do, it wouldn't have been fair to bring them now,'' he said.
''It's important that the project with the coach continues,'' agreed defender Rui Da Gracia, whose mistake allowed Drogba to open the scoring in the quarterfinal. ''I hope he stays on because that will help the team to keep growing.''
