Cote d’Ivoire began their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations campaign inon a good note with an emphatic 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau 2-0 in Saturday night’s opening match in Abidjan.
It was Seko Fofana who led the dominance of the The Elephants on their home soil, over the Guineans as he opened the scores in just four minutes of play.
The Lens midfielder pounced on a loose ball outside the box and unleashed a superb strike beyond goalkeeper Jonas Mendes.
Fofana almost grabbed a second but saw his powerful effort cannon off the crossbar on 35 minutes as Cote d’Ivoire ended the first half on top.
Guinea-Bissau posed an occasional threat on the counter but the Ivorians remained firmly in control after the break.
The hosts deservedly extended their advantage just before the hour mark when substitute Jean-Philippe Krasso acrobatically fired home after great work from Jonathan Bamba.
Krasso’s clinical finish put the result beyond doubt as ICote d’Ivoire confidently saw out victory in their tournament opener.
The Elephants face a sterner test in their next Group A match against three-time champions Nigeria on Wednesday.
GNA
WE
14 Jan. 2024
