Riyad Mahrez might have been knocked out of the African Cup of Nations at the group stage, but Manchester City still have a reason to take a keen interest in the quarter finals.
Mahrez was trying to lead Algeria to a second successive AFCON title, but they were winless in the three group games and scored their only goal when 3-0 down in the final defeat to Ivory Coast - a game in which Mahrez missed a penalty to cap an awful tournament.
The winger's disappointment is City's gain, though, with City ready to welcome him back after a much-needed week holiday ahead of a busy period in February. While Mahrez may regret Algeria's under-par performance in Cameroon, his early return can be a boost for City following the winter break.
And even though Mahrez's involvement is over, City are still getting good value from this year's AFCON tournament that looks to be allowing underdogs to have their moment in the spotlight, rather than the established nations.
Algeria and Ghana are out, followed by Nigeria on Sunday, with Tunisia knocking out the favourites in the last 16. They will meet Burkina Faso, who edged past Gabon thanks in part to an eye-catching performance from City defender Issa Kabore.
Signed from Belgian club Mechelen in 2020, Kabore has spent this season at sister club Troyes, playing regularly at right-back or right-midfield.
The 20-year-old has broken into his national side since joining City, too, even if he is yet to get close to an appearance for the Blues. City have high hopes for the dynamic right-back and his emerging performances on the international stage at AFCON are evidence of his potential.
Despite playing all four games so far at right-back, Kabore wears the number nine for his country and stood firm in the opening game against hosts Cameroon - a narrow 2-1 defeat. He sent in a brilliant assist for Burkina Faso's only goal in the 1-0 win over Cape Verde, and helped his side secure passage to the knockout stages with a 1-1 draw against Ethiopia.
And on Sunday, Kabore was at the centre of the action once again, joining the attack to win a slightly fortunate penalty that was ultimately missed by Aston Villa's Bertrand Traore.
Burkina Faso ultimately took the lead through Traore, and looked to be heading through to the last eight after a red card for Gabon, but a late own-goal sent the game to extra-time and then penalties.
Kabore remained on the pitch for the whole 120 minutes, and was first to step up for Burkina Faso in the shoot-out, with Gabon having scored their opener. Kabore showed no sign of nerves as he fired a brilliant penalty straight into the top corner, and was ultimately on the winning side after 18 penalties were needed to send his country through.
They face Tunisia in the quarter finals, and potential semi-final opponents include new favourites Senegal and Mali. If they were to reach the final and get a chance to improve their best-ever finish of second, they could face Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt or Morocco.
Tournament success may be beyond their reach, but in a competition that has already seen a number of big names crash out Burkina Faso will continue to be fearless and fancy their chances against any opponent.
For City, the better Kabore does, the more chance they have of securing him a better loan next year, or increasing his future sell-on value. If he continues to improve at the rate he is currently, maybe City could even consider using him in their first team in the future.
As City search for a traditional number nine in the summer transfer window, maybe their current number nine at AFCON could offer a long-term solution to another position. His next move in the summer will be one to watch as an indication of where City see his future.
