Mauritania's incredible AFCON story goes viral after the minnows rise from being ranked 206th in the world to winning their first EVER match in the competition against giants Algeria
- Mauritania earned a shock 1-0 win over Algeria to earn a last-16 spot at AFCON
- The national football team has enjoyed an impressive rise over the last decade
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Mauritania's progression from one of the worst ranked international teams to earning their first Africa Cup of Nations win has been captured in a viral social media video.
The Northwest African nation earned a historic 1-0 win over two-time champions Algeria on Tuesday.
The shock result also ensured Mauritania will qualify for the knock-out stage of the tournament for the first time, as one of the best third placed teams from the group stage.
A video shared by Ghanaian journalist Saddick Adams has since gone viral, outlining the progress made by the nation in recent years.
Mauritania had failed to win a single match between 1995 and 2003, with the nation falling to their lowest FIFA ranking of 206 in last 2012.
Mauritania earned a historic first win at the Africa Cup of Nations by stunning Algeria
The victory also ensured Mauritania advanced to the knock-out stages for the first time
Footage showed the rise of the country under Mauritania Football Association President Ahmed Ould Yahya, who was elected back in 2011.
Yahya was credited for overhauling the football structure in the country, with clubs required to have paid players and technical staff.
He was also viewed as influential having the domestic league sponsored by the country's largest telecommunications company.
The clip also outlined how the Mauritania Football Association used FIFA funding to build a modern headquarters, renovate their stadium and build a national team training complex.
Investment into a youth development programme was rewarded when Mauritania rose to their highest FIFA ranking of 81 in July 2017.
Mauritania, which has a population of around 4.6 million, qualified for their first AFCON in 2019 and repeated the feat two years later.
Head coach Amir Abdou, right, will hope to lead his side to a famous win against Cape Verde
The nation failed to win a match on their first two appearances at AFCON, but succeeded at the third attempt with Mohamed Dellahi scoring the only goal to beat Algeria.
Head coach Amir Abdou, who previously led Comoros to their maiden AFCON win, will hope to mastermind another milestone achievement in the knock-out stage.
His Mauritania side will face Cape Verde in the last-16 on Monday.
