Fightbacks and late drama were a hallmark of Ivory Coast’s triumph on home soil at the 2023 edition last year, and Emerse Fae’s men had to dig deep once more after leaving themselves with a mountain to climb midway through the first half.
Gabon had already been eliminated after defeats by Cameroon and Mozambique, but Guelor Kanga converted a rebound to put the Panthers ahead in the 11th minute.
Ten minutes later, Denis Bouanga made it 2-0 as the forward sent a brilliant first-time finish into the far corner.
Krasso’s goal before the break proved crucial, but the introduction of Manchester United wing-back Amad and Guessand amid a raft of second-half changes eventually helped turn the tide.
The Ivorians had been heading for a last-16 clash with South Africa before they moved into a winning position, and would have been in the same half of the draw as hosts Morocco and fellow continental heavyweights Algeria and Nigeria.
Yet Burkina Faso will still pose a challenge to Fae’s side, who are now in the same section as record seven-time champions Egypt and 2021 winners Senegal at a tournament in which all of the top 12-ranked sides have progressed to the knockout stage.
One Comment
My brother suggested I might like this website. He was
once entirely right. This put up truly made my day. You cann’t imagine
simply how so much time I had spent for this information! Thank you!