In the opening match of the 34th edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN), host country Ivory Coast recorded a 2-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium on Saturday January 13.
The hosts made an impressive start as they quickly took control of the match. Séko Fofana opened the scoring for the Elephants with a powerful strike in the fourth minute of play, following an assist. The player from Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia sent the ball into the back of the net, making the score 1-0.
This early goal allowed the Ivorians to settle comfortably into their game. Without providing excessive effort, Jean-Louis Gasset’s team dominated the entire first half and went to the break with a well-deserved advantage. After the restart, Franck Kessié and his teammates continued to attack the opposing defense, putting pressure on. Just before the hour mark, Jean-Philippe Krasso, who had provided the assist for the first goal, skillfully navigated through the defense to double the lead (2-0). No further goals were scored until the final whistle.
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Despite the victory, the Elephants did not leave a strong impression during this inaugural match. With a feverish and nervous defense, the Ivorians wasted numerous scoring opportunities which could have proved costly, if it were not for the lack of efficiency of Carlos Mané’s teammates, who did not know how to take advantage of their odds. This is an area of concern that the Ivorian technical staff must address if they hope to go far in this CAN.
As they await the clash on Sunday January 14 between Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, the Elephants, having started their campaign well, are currently at the top of Group A with three points. Meanwhile, Guinea-Bissau continues its quest for success, still looking for its first victory in AFCON history after three tournaments, and their fourth appearance gets off to a bad start with this inaugural defeat against the Ivorians.
Canada
